Lesson 5: The Last Cuentista, Chapters 4–6

Retell & Paraphrase Partner Check

Organize the class into partnerships. Have pairs use the Retell and Paraphrase Partner Check routine to review Chapters 4–5 of The Last Cuentista.

• Say these Directions: Work with your partner to review the notes you made for Chapters 4–5 for homework.

  • Say: Partner A: Share one passage you marked from Chapters 4–5 where a rule or system felt important or unsettling. Read the passage aloud or describe it.

    • One rule I marked as unsettling appears on pp. 29–30, when Ben tells Petra's family that people in stasis are separated by age. Ben explains that they "have orders to sort and store by age for efficient observation" (p. 30), and Petra compares this to "eggs in a carton" (p. 21). The family was not aware of this rule in advance, and they are clearly uncomfortable with it. I'm worried that separating them could make it difficult for the family to reconnect or stay together.

  • Say: Partner B: Paraphrase what Partner A shared.

    • So you're saying that the parents will be in stasis in a different part of the ship than Petra and Javier, and this feels unsettling because the family did not know about this rule and thought they would be together during their entire journey.

  • Say: Then switch roles.

Invite two or three quick responses from partners.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, we will discuss the different rules and systems introduced in Chapters 4–6 and how they relate to information sharing and memory.

Introduce New Words Using Morphology

Target Words: botany, geology

Say these Directions: We’re learning about the words botany and geology today. They show up in The Last Cuentista to describe the scientific specialties of Petra's parents. Let’s explore these words more deeply.

Introduce the Word: Present the word botany to students and pronounce it.

• Ask: Have you seen the word botany before? Where?

Identify the Root: Underline the root bot in botany. Explain that bot comes from Greek botanē, meaning “plant.”

• Ask: Do you know any other words with the root botan?

Language Connection: Connect to botanical, botanist (both relate to plants).

Identify Affixes: Circle -y in botany.

• Ask: What do you think the suffix -y might mean based on words you know, like anatomy or philosophy?

  • study of

• Say: The suffix -y means “the study of.”

Determine Meaning:

• Ask: Using what we know about botan- and -y, what do you think botany means?

  • Botany means the study of plants.

• Language Connection: Spanish has botánica with a similar meaning (the study of plants).

Build Word Relationships: Write botanist next to botany.

• Say: The suffix -ist means a person who practices or specializes in.

• Ask: Based on this information, what might a botanist do?

  • A botanist is a person who studies plants.

Verify the Definition:

• Say: Verify your guess by rereading for context or checking a dictionary. Revise your understanding if needed.

Repeat the routine with geology:

Introduce the Word: Present the word geology and pronounce it.

• Ask: Have you seen the word geology before? Where?

Identify the Root: Underline the base word geo in geology. Explain that geo relates to the Earth's structure (land, rock, soil).

• Ask: What are some words you know that connect to geology?

  • geography, geometry

Language Connection: Connect to cognates in other Latin-based languages (Spanish: geografía; French: géographie; Italian: geografia).

Identify Affixes: Circle -logy in geology.

• Ask: What do you think the suffix -logy- might mean based on words you know, like biology, oceanography, or paleontology?

  • study of

Determine Meaning:

• Ask: Using what we know about geo and -logy, what do you think geology means?

  • the study of Earth's structure

Verify the Definition:

• Say: Verify your guess by rereading for context or checking a dictionary. Revise your understanding if needed.

Build Word Relationships: Write botany next to geology.

• Ask: What is the relationship between botany and geology?

  • Both botany and geology are scientific studies of Earth's natural world. Botany is the study of Earth's plants (living things), and geology is the study of Earth's structures (land, rock, and soil).

• Say: Let's use the text excerpt from the novel to make sure we understand the words botany and botanist.

Read the following excerpt from The Last Cuentista: "Even though Hyperion's true location is protected, anyone with a botanist for a parent would know about the famous tree. My mom even saw it in person once. She said she hugged it and cried" (p. 20).

• Ask: How does this excerpt help us understand the correct meaning of botanist and botany?

  • Botany is the scientific study of plant life, while a botanist is the actual scientist who specializes in studying plants. A botanist studies botany.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: In Chapters 4–6, we learn more about Petra's parents and the significance of their jobs in rebuilding a new life on the planet Sagan. Petra's mom is a botanist, a person who studies botany, and her dad is a geologist, a person who studies geology. Both Petra and Javier will gain knowledge about these two scientific fields while in stasis on the ship. Use these target words in your discussion of the text during today's lesson.

Part A: Small-Group Reading and Quick Write (RL.8.3, W.8.4) (15 minutes)

Organize the class into small groups of three to four students. Have students work within their groups to orally partner read Chapter 6 of The Last Cuentista (pp. 44–50). Have students keep the following question in mind as they read: What feels different or unsettling about life on the ship so far?

Say these Directions: In your small groups, take turns reading Chapter 6 of The Last Cuentista aloud. Each group member should read one to three paragraphs of text before the next partner takes a turn. Each group member should read aloud at least twice. Keep the following question in mind as you read: What feels different or unsettling about life on the ship so far?

Quick Write

Say these Directions: When you finish reading the text, independently complete a Quick Write in response to the following prompt:

• What feels different or unsettling about life on the ship so far?

  • One part that feels unsettling about life on the ship is how much control the Monitors have over the passengers. In Chapter 6, when Petra overhears the conversation between Ben and the Lead Monitor about "a change in the mission" (p. 49), it becomes clear that the passengers do not know what the Monitors are planning. As a result, the passengers have no choice in how the mission will unfold.

Invite two or three students to share their responses with the class.

Part B: Analysis of Rules and Systems (RL.8.3) (15 minutes)

Transition students into a whole-class setting. Guide students in a close read of selected passages from Chapters 4–6 to discuss the connections between rules or systems that control behavior, information sharing, and memory and individuality.

Provide each student with a 3-Column Chart graphic organizer.

Say these Directions: As we revisit passages from Chapters 4–6, track the following ideas using the 3-Column Chart graphic organizer:

• Rules or systems that control behavior or choice

• What information is shared versus what is withheld

• Early signs that memory or individuality are at risk

Read aloud the following passages. Instruct students to read along with their own copy of the novel. After reading each passage, pause to give students some time to add details to their 3-Column Chart graphic organizers.

• pp. 29–30, "Dr. and Dr. Peña, you'll be on the fore-starboard of the ship . . ." through "‘It’ll be okay, sweetheart,’ she says.”

• pp. 40, “Ben pulls on new gloves and lifts one of the Cogs from the box.” through "'We thought we had more time.’"

• pp. 41–43, "Dad directs me back to the pod.” through "The only thing I can think of to help are Lit’s prayers for me."

• pp. 49–50, "Soon after, the Lead Monitor returns." through the end of the chapter.

After reading the text excerpts, lead a brief class discussion using the following prompt.

Say these Directions: After rereading the text excerpts, let’s consider the following question:

• Ask: How do the rules and systems introduced in Chapters 4–6 begin to threaten memory, identity, or choice?

Display the 3-Column Chart and record students' responses into three categories:

• Rules or systems that control behavior or choice

• What information is shared versus what is withheld

• Early signs that memory or individuality are at risk

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

Have students reflect on their learning in the lesson by responding to a Quick Write prompt.

Say these Directions: Respond to the following prompt in two to three sentences.

• Say: In Chapters 4–6, identify one rule or system that controls behavior or information. Explain how it affects memory, identity, or choice.

  • In Chapters 4–6, one system or rule that feels threatening is the En Cognito system because it puts knowledge directly into a person's brain without their active choice. For example, Ben tells Petra's family that the children will learn "botany and geology in the sciences" (p. 33) through the system, and the Lead Monitor did not include Petra's mythology and storytelling elective. As a result, this system could affect Petra's identity by replacing the knowledge she values, her family's cuentos and cultural stories, with only what the Monitors decide is important.

Have students read Chapters 7–9 of The Last Cuentista. Instruct students to take notes in their Journal using the following prompt:

As you read Chapters 7–9, annotate the text using the following guiding question:

• How do characters respond to the systems around them, and what choices do they make?