Lesson 17: The Last Cuentista, Chapters 17–18

Instruct students to take out their homework annotations from Lesson 16 and their copies of The Last Cuentista.

Annotation Spot Check

• Say these Directions: Look at the annotations you made in your Journal for Chapters 17–18. Find one discovery or change you marked for Petra.

  • Petra realizes that the Collective “never really intended to support anyone other than their Collective—which made those of us who were left far more disposable” (p. 131).

Quickly collect or scan students’ annotations for evidence use and quality of notes.

Turn and Talk

Instruct students to turn and talk to a partner.

Say these Directions: Discuss the following question with your partner.

• In these chapters, which are clearly prioritized, survival or control? Why?

  • Control is clearly prioritized because the Collective makes sure to tell everyone exactly what to do and how to feel. Nyla prioritizes control over survival when the Zetas first explore the planet Sagan, and Nyla first tells Feathers to “[t]ake off” her mask, and then she makes Len, who is terrified, do the same (p. 144). When she tells Petra and Rubio to remove their masks, Petra notes that Nyla speaks “from the safety of the cabin” (p. 145), demonstrating that Nyla cares more about asserting control over the Zetas and Len rather than prioritizing their safety and survival.

Connection to Today's Learning:

Say: You have identified the changes and discoveries that Petra experiences during these chapters. Next, you will use context clues to unlock the meaning of two scientific terms that are important to the plot of the story.

Using Context Clues

Target Words: defoliation, herbicide

Display the target words and sentences.

Target Sentences

• “Your job is especially important,” Nyla says. “We need your expertise to help with defoliation.” (p. 135)

• “We need to remove some of the native species. The Collective believes an airborne herbicide can kill foliage, without risking physical contact with dangerous flora” (p. 136).

Say: When I come to a word like defoliation, I look for clues to its meaning within the sentence and in surrounding sentences.

Say these Directions: Listen for clues to the meaning of defoliation as I read aloud the sentences surrounding the word.

Read the two paragraphs that follow the target sentence. Stop reading after the paragraph that ends with, “But that would’ve been their job” (p. 135).

• Ask: What clues do you hear in the reading about the meaning of defoliation?

  • “...to settle on Sagan, they’d have needed to clear some of its plant life to build their settlement” gives a clue.

• Ask: Based on the clues, what do you think defoliation means?

  • I think it means “clearing plant life.” (Students might connect to the affix ‘de-’ or the word ‘foliage’)

• Say: Let’s check the meaning by using the definition in place of defoliation in the sentence.

Reread the sentence with the phrase “clearing plant life” in place of defoliation with the class and ask them if it makes sense.

• Say these Directions: Use a dictionary, glossary, or thesaurus (print or digital) to find the precise meaning of defoliation. If the word has multiple meanings, choose the one that fits the context.

• Say: Now that you have tested your guess, use a dictionary to verify the meaning of defoliation.

• Ask: What is the definition of defoliation?

  • the act of causing the leaves of a plant to fall off

• Say these Directions: Then verify your guess by rereading for context or checking a dictionary. Revise your understanding if needed.

Instruct students to review the second target sentence with herbicide.

Say these Directions: Read the second target sentence with the word herbicide and the surrounding sentences on page 136.

• Ask: Based on the clues, what do you think herbicide means?

  • a chemical that kills plants (Students might connect to the word root “-cide” as in ‘insecticide’)

• Say: Let’s check the meaning by using the definition in place of herbicide in the sentence.

Reread the sentence with the phrase “a chemical that kills plants” in place of the word herbicide.

• Say these Directions: Use a dictionary, glossary, or thesaurus (print or digital) to find the precise meaning of herbicide. If the word has multiple meanings, choose the one that fits the context.

• Ask: What is the definition of herbicide?

  • an agent used to destroy or inhibit plant growth

• Say these Directions: Then verify your guess by rereading for context or checking a dictionary. Revise your understanding if needed.

Connection to Today's Learning:

• Say: Now that you have learned the meaning of important vocabulary words from Chapter 17, you are ready to analyze what is expected of Petra and whether she can do her job exploring the plant life of Sagan.

Part A: Jigsaw Reading (RL.8.3) (20 minutes)

Jigsaw Reading

Pair students for a Jigsaw Reading routine. Each student will focus on one chapter and then teach the key events and ideas to a partner. Assign either Chapter 17 or 18 to each of the partners.

Say these Directions: You will review one chapter independently and jot down answers to the questions for your chapter. When you finish, you will discuss your chapter analysis with your partner.

Display the following questions for each of the chapters. Tell students to record brief answers that cite text evidence to support their partner discussions.

Questions for Chapter 17

• What does Petra’s realization about the “[r]ations” reveal about how the Collective has led the ship for 380 years? (p. 130)

  • Petra begins to realize that the ration system is not working the way it was supposed to. She remembers that there “should’ve been enough to last them another century” (p. 130), but now “these people are no longer Monitors, and they aren’t following the rules.” This leads her to realize that there is not enough food for everyone and “they never really intended to support anyone other than their Collective,” showing that the system was designed to benefit only people who supported the Collective’s agenda because everyone else was “disposable” (p. 131).

• How does Petra describe the environment on the ship and the jobs people have to do? How is this description directly related to the Collective’s beliefs?

  • Petra describes a harsh environment, a “sterile world” (p 136) stripped of individuality and with “No art. No music.” (p 133). She also notes that some jobs seem pointless: “Now it’s all just busywork. Nothing creative or unique; nothing colorful or messy.” (p. 132) The busywork and the sterile environment support the Collective’s beliefs that individual pursuits are unimportant and that all work should be “mundane” and for the purpose of the Collective only (p. 133).

• How does Higuera describe Sagan? What details establish the setting in this part of the text?

  • Higuera describes Sagan as vivid and almost unreal by using strong imagery and color. Petra sees a “shimmering purple and blue abalone sky,” which is in direct contrast to the sterile, white ship (p. 137). She also describes a “jungle tree canopy of Jurassic-sized leaves” and a turquoise lake, which helps the reader picture the scale and richness of the physical environment (p. 139). These details create a setting that feels both naturally beautiful and overwhelming, showing how different Sagan is from the controlled world of the ship that Petra now inhabits.

Questions for Chapter 18

• What does Petra begin to realize about Sagan’s environment and her future on the ship?

  • Petra not only studies Sagan for the Collective, but she also starts to realize she could survive there. After finding several plant and water samples, Petra thinks she sees a “honeybee,” which means that life on the planet can sustain animals like a bee (p. 147). Based on her study of the planet, she determines, “I don’t know how long I can survive out here, but I’ve decided: anything’s better than staying on the ship with the Collective” (p. 149).

• What does Petra’s memory of the Blancaflor story reveal about her character?

  • Petra’s memory of Lita telling her the Blancaflor story shows that she is beginning to see herself as someone who must take “risk[s]” (p. 151). She remembers that Blancaflor “mounted the flying horse and trusted it to deliver her… across a vast ocean,” even though she was afraid, which highlights courage in the face of danger (pp. 150-151) She also recalls Lita’s message that “If you don’t take a risk, you cannot cross the ocean,” which suggests Petra is starting to believe she must take a similar risk to change her situation (p 151). Petra also remembers that the power of the crossing comes in Blancaflor’s taking “the risk in saving the prince” (p. 152), which helps her realize that she cannot leave behind the other Zetas, which shows that she is determined to help not only herself but also the others (p. 153).

• What happens to Len? How is that outcome connected to the Collective’s beliefs and their quest to survive?

  • Len is forced to test the planet’s environment, even though he is clearly afraid. When the Chancellor tells him to “remove your mask” (p. 141), his hand trembles, showing that he does not want to do it but feels he has no choice. At first, the air seems safe, but later he becomes sick, and his “skin is covered in boils” (p. 153). This series of events shows that the Collective is willing to sacrifice a member of their own to test the safety of the planet. The Collective cares not about its individual members but about its survival as a whole.

After students have independently analyzed their chapter, instruct them to share their analysis with their partner.

Part B: Evaluating the Collective’s Actions (RL.8.3) (10 minutes)

• Say: Before we evaluate the Collective’s actions and what they will do to survive, let’s discuss some of the challenges they face.

Ask: What scientific challenges of interstellar travel and colonization are encountered in Chapters 17–18?

• These chapters show several scientific challenges of interstellar space travel, including limited resources over a long mission and the need to manage food or “rations” (p. 130). Once on Sagan, the Collective is faced with a potentially dangerous and possibly “toxic” environment and the difficulty of adapting their human form to a new planet (p. 148). These details show that survival for the Collective is a real challenge, as evidenced by Len developing “boils” after taking off his mask on Sagan (p. 153).

Provide each student with a T-Chart.

Turn-and-Talk

Transition students into partners. Have the partners discuss the following question and write evidence from the text in both columns on the T-Chart to support both sides of the argument.

Say these Directions: Write the following headings on your T-Chart: “Yes, their actions support this idea” and “No, their actions do not support this idea.” Discuss the following question with your partner and find evidence that supports both sides of this argument.

• Do the Collective’s actions in Chapters 17–18 support Nyla’s claim that survival of the “future Collective is what is most important” (p. 99)? Why or why not?

Invite several students to share their ideas from their T-Chart in a whole-class discussion.

Check for Understanding

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Quick Write

Instruct students to complete the following Quick Write response.

Say these Directions: In 3–4 sentences, answer the following question. Use at least two specific details from Chapters 17–18.

• Are the Collective’s actions necessary for survival? Why or why not?

  • The Collective’s actions are partly necessary for survival, but they also function as harmful to the individuals that make up the Collective. When Len is forced to test the air and later becomes sick, it shows that individuals are put at risk for the benefit of the Collective as a whole. Petra realizes this makes some people “far more disposable” (p. 131), suggesting that the system protects some while putting others in danger.

Have students read Chapters 19 and 20 of The Last Cuentista and take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

As you read, annotate the text for the following:

• What themes are further developed in Chapters 19 and 20 of The Last Cuentista?