Loading course navigation
Loading lesson
50 min
Student Lesson
Lesson 35: The Last Cuentista, Narrative Writing, Part 6
Content
Students will practice writing a conclusion that follows from and reflects on narrated experiences or events in their narrative scene.
Language
Students will use precise adjectives, adverbial phrases, and adverbial clauses to describe a concrete setting and reflect on the meaning of a narrative ending.
How do stories help communities survive change and imagine a future worth building?
Knowledge-Building:
Students continue developing their knowledge of narrative writing craft by analyzing how authors like Higuera and Du Bois conclude their narratives.
Enduring Understanding:
Stories shape how humans remember the past and imagine the future.
Future Lessons:
In Lessons 38 and 39, students will begin their Unit Performance Task.
Unit Performance Task:
Students learn how to write a conclusion to their narrative so they can apply this same skill to their own narrative writing during the Performance Task.
| Lesson Flow | Purpose of Learning Experience |
|---|---|
Launch5 Minutes | Students will reflect on which texts in the unit most shaped their thinking about the future. |
Literacy Lab10 Minutes | Students will study how Du Bois and Higuera conclude their respective stories. |
Learning in Action30 Minutes | Part A: Writing the Conclusion (W.8.3.e, W.8.4) Students will draft a conclusion that follows from their narrative scene and reflects on what the events mean. Part B: Feedback for a Strong Finish (W.8.3.e, W.8.5) Students will give and receive peer feedback on how effectively their narratives conclude. |
Material List
Unit 4 Lesson 35 Student Edition
Student copies of the Unit 8.4 Performance Task Rubric
Routines
Think-Pair-Share
Modeled Writing
Turn and Talk
Place students in pairs. Invite them to briefly jot down one idea before speaking so every student enters the conversation ready.
Say: We have spent the last several lessons comparing how different stories imagine survival, memory, and the future. Today, we’ll focus on how authors end a story so it stays with the reader and they reflect on the events that happened.
Say these Directions: Consider the following question. Jot down your ideas first, then turn to discuss with a partner.
Which one of the stories we studied most influenced how you’re thinking about the future, The Last Cuentista or “The Comet”? Why?
The Last Cuentista influenced me the most because it shows that the future is not only about new technology. In the closing part of the novel, Petra helps build a future by carrying stories forward, and it made me think the future depends on what people choose to remember and take with them.
“The Comet” influenced me the most because the ending shows that even after everything changes, society can return to the same problems. That made me think about what it would actually take to change in the future in a real way.
Say: Today, you will reflect on how stories conclude to leave a lasting impression, preparing yourself to study how authors craft conclusions and then write your own.
Students analyze how authors craft conclusions that both resolve events and extend meaning. Use the final sentence of “The Comet” and the final sentence of Chapter 30 of The Last Cuentista as mentor sentences, along with the closing scenes around them.
Say: Writers make intentional choices about how to end a story. Strong conclusions do not just end a story; they also leave the reader with a strong feeling, idea, or question to think about and clarify what the reader should understand or reflect on. Let’s look at how Higuera concludes The Last Cuentista.
Say these Directions: Read the last sentences of Chapter 30 of Last Cuentista. Pay attention to how the author resolves the events of the story and leaves the reader with a strong feeling, idea, or question to think about. Then, respond to the questions.
Display and have students reread the final sentences of Chapter 30 of The Last Cuentista:
The twilight is calm but for another gust. I grip my obsidian pendant in my hand—and then I hear it. Lita’s voice calling on the wind.
“You will be a great cuentista, Petra.”
I look up at the moons to keep tears from pouring down my face. The smallest moon peeks over the shoulder of the larger one. I swear I see the outline of el Conejo on its surface.
Then, I smell it too. If I let myself hope, it will hurt too much. The smoke could be from a fire the First Arrivers started before the toxin was dropped.
But then . . . from the south, and the caves next to the waterfalls. It’s only a few notes, but mixed with the soft rush of the wind and the smoke upon it, I hear . . . the strum of a distant guitar, and laughter.
Javier. The toxin in the lab. Could he have done it?
And suddenly I understand exactly what his last words meant.
“If this small part of my journey is to give everyone else a chance, then that is what will make our parents and ancestors proud.”
He wasn’t just talking about getting us off the ship. He was talking about saving all of those who survived the journey from Earth.
The music grows louder.
“What is that?” Rubio asks.
I blink, and the tears spill down my cheeks.
“That is home.”
. . . se acabó el cuento, se lo llevó el viento y se fue . . . por las estrellas adentro.
. . . this is the end of the story for me, the wind carried it off far away into the stars.
Say: At the end of this scene, Petra says, “That is home.” This shows a clear change. Earlier in the story, “home” was something she had lost. Now, she understands home differently. It is now something she carries through memory and connection. I also notice how the ending includes the line “. . . this is the end of the story for me, / the wind carried it off far away into the stars.” The ending also leaves some things open. We don’t know exactly what will happen next, but we are left with a sense of hope.
Ask: What does the reader know for sure by the end of this scene, and what does the reader still not know?
We know something has changed because Petra hears “the strum of a distant guitar, and laughter,” which suggests there might be fellow humans on Sagan. But we don’t know for sure who has survived or what their lives will be like on Sagan.
Invite two or three pairs to share out their reflections about Higuera’s conclusion to The Last Cuentista, and then transition into discussing the conclusion of “The Comet.”
Say these Directions: Now let’s look at how Du Bois ends “The Comet.” As we read, notice what is resolved and what is left uncertain.
Display and have students reread the final sentences of “The Comet.”
The colored man heard nothing. He stood silently beneath the glare of the light, gazing at the money in his hand and shrinking as he gazed; slowly he put his other hand into his pocket and brought out a baby’s filmy cap, and gazed again. A woman mounted to the platform and looked about, shading her eyes. She was brown, small, and well-dressed, and in her arms lay the corpse of a dark baby. The crowd parted and her eyes fell on the colored man; with a cry she tottered toward him.
“Jim!”
He whirled and, with a sob of joy, caught her in his arms.
Ask: What does the reader know for sure by the end of this scene, and what does the reader still not know?
The reader knows Jim is reunited with someone from his past because the woman calls out “Jim!” and he responds with a sob of joy. This shows a moment of connection and recognition. However, the reader still does not know what will happen next or whether anything will truly change in society.
We know there are survivors because there is a crowd and people are gathering again. But the detail that the woman is holding “the corpse of a dark baby” shows that loss and suffering are still present, so the future is uncertain.
Compare Conclusions
Guide students to connect these ideas to the overall meaning of the text and the function of both conclusions in The Last Cuentista and “The Comet.”
Say: Both authors show a clear moment of change, but they also leave the future open. This helps create meaning and a lasting feeling for the reader.
Ask: How do both conclusions affect the overall meaning of each text?
Both endings show that surviving a disaster is only the beginning, but there is still human connectedness at the end. Du Bois uses an unresolved ending to show that social injustice can return fast but also that family and loved ones can return, igniting hope. Higuera uses an open but hopeful ending to show that shared stories can help people connect.
Invite two or three pairs to share their reflections.
Say: Now you’re going to use the same thinking to plan your own conclusion. As you prepare to write, ask yourself:
What does the reader know for sure by the end of my story?
What does the reader still not know?
Why might I leave those questions open?
How does my ending shape the overall meaning I want the reader to take away from my story?
Say: You have analyzed how authors craft conclusions by showing what has changed and leaving the reader with a lasting idea or question. Next, you will apply these same moves to write your own conclusions, ensuring the endings follow from the events of the narrative and clearly convey meaning.
Students will draft the conclusion to the narrative scene they have been developing across the unit. Remind them that the ending should follow from the narrated events, not introduce an unrelated twist.
Say these Directions: Return to your narrative draft. Reread the narrative you have developed thus far, then write a conclusion that:
follows from what has already happened,
helps the reader understand what has changed by the end of the story, and
leaves the reader with a clear idea, feeling, or question to carry forward.
Display the following writing model if needed for support and guidance:
Near the broken launch gate, I paused, the silence pressing in around me. The system had promised safety, but it had taken too much. I didn’t know what would come next, only that I couldn’t go back to who I was before.
Think aloud to guide students through the steps of drafting a conclusion:
Say: First, I look back at my scene and ask, “What changed?” because my ending should come from that change.
Say: Next, I decide what I want the reader to understand by the end. I want the reader to see what my character realizes in this moment.
Say: Then I decide what I want to leave open. I don’t need to explain everything—I want the reader to keep thinking after the story ends.
Say: Now I begin drafting. I start by grounding the moment with a concrete setting detail, using a phrase like “Near the broken launch gate” to place the reader clearly in the scene. Then I add reflection to show what the moment means.
Teacher Tip |
|---|
Circulate and provide real-time feedback as students draft and revise their conclusions. Focus feedback on clarity, connection to the narrative, and depth of reflection. Look for:
If students need support, prompt them to:
|
Pair students intentionally so each writer receives specific feedback. Use the Unit 8.4 Performance Task Rubric to guide peer feedback, with a focus on the Theme, Message, and Conclusion (W.8.3.e). Ensure feedback is specific, text-based, and actionable.
Say these Directions: Exchange drafts with your partner.
On your first read, read the full narrative to understand the story.
On your second read, focus only on the conclusion.
Use the rubric to give feedback on how effectively the conclusion:
follows from the events of the narrative,
reflects on what has changed, and
leaves the reader with something to carry forward.
Be sure to point to a specific line in your partner’s conclusion when you give feedback. You may use the following frames for your feedback:
One strength in your conclusion is ___ because ___.
To strengthen your conclusion, you could ___.
After you receive feedback, take a few minutes to review your partner’s comments, and then either:
revise one sentence in your conclusion based on the feedback, or
write a note to yourself about one change you will make as you continue revising your narrative.
Be ready to explain how this revision or note will strengthen your conclusion.
Provide students with a Reflection (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.
Reflection |
|---|
Reflect on your ability to write a conclusion that follows from and reflects on your narrative using the Reflection routine.
|
Transition students into pairs. Have students reflect on their narrative writing development across the unit.
Say these Directions: Reflect on your narrative writing. Discuss with a partner:
What is one strength you will feature in your Performance Task?
What is one area you will continue to improve?
I’m going to feature my narrative strength of adding sensory language and details that show a lot of description.
Students read their independent reading book for 20 minutes and complete a reading log entry.
Read your independent reading book for 20 minutes. In your reading log, record the date and pages you read, write 1–2 sentences about what happened or what you learned, and respond to this week’s prompt using evidence from the text.