Lesson 10: The Last Cuentista, Chapters 12–13

Retell & Paraphrase Partner Check

Instruct students to take out their homework from the previous lesson, in which students read Chapters 12 and 13 of The Last Cuentista and took notes on the kind of society the Collective has created on the ship.

Transition students into partnerships. Have student partners use the Retell & Paraphrase Partner Check routine to review Chapters 12–13 of The Last Cuentista.

Say these Directions: Work with your partner to review one of the scenes you annotated in your homework last night. Direct your partner to the passage and then provide a brief retelling of the event or a paraphrase of the situation that caught your attention. Your partner should then check your retelling or paraphrase for accuracy. Switch roles when your turn is finished.

Allow partners to determine who will go first.

• Partner A: One passage I marked was at the start of Chapter 13, when Petra realizes that the other Zetas are already awake and dressed; she also notices that Zeta-4 has her hair braided like members of the Collective. She has to scramble to catch up and feels the pressure to be convincing in her attempt to conform.

Partner B: Don’t forget that Petra is really worried about messing up her chances to find her parents. That’s what makes her feel so nervous about not convincing the others.

Invite two or three quick responses from partners.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, we will analyze Chapters 12–13 to examine how the Collective builds and enforces its control over people’s individuality. Keep the scene you discussed with your partner in mind as you revisit and analyze the text.

Using Context Clues

Display the target words.

Target Words: defective, aberration, variance

• Say: Today, we are going to use context clues to figure out what unfamiliar words mean. We will read the surrounding sentences, identify clues, infer a meaning, test that meaning in the sentence, and then verify the definition. As we do this, pay attention to how these word choices show the Collective’s attitude toward Petra and other people who are different.

Display and read aloud the following key sentences from The Last Cuentista:

Key Sentences

• “She stares at the scope. "Hmm, defective."” (p. 80)

• "But I'm no aberration. If I'm going to be purged, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind on my way out." (p. 81)

• "I believe we have done enough to absorb this one small physical variance, don't you?" (p. 81)

Remind students that Petra has an ocular disease called retinitis pigmentosa, which is a genetic eye disorder that causes the light-sensitive cells in the retina to gradually break down, leading to progressive vision loss and possible night blindness.

Read the Surrounding Sentences

Instruct students to reread pp. 80–81 from “Chancellor? I think you will want to see this . . .” to “Thanks to us and their programming, their minds have some value, and that is . . .”

Say these Directions: Reread pp. 80–81 to review the context in which these words are being used to describe Petra and her condition. Underline any nearby words or details that help you understand what is happening in the moment.

Identify Context Clues

Instruct students to work briefly with a partner to answer the following questions.

• Ask: What clues around the word defective help you infer its meaning?

  • The Chancellor and Crick are examining Petra after waking her up from stasis to ensure that she is healthy. The part where the Chancellor describes her ocular disease as a physical failing makes me think that defective means not normal or not working properly.

• Ask: What clues around the words aberration and variance help you infer their meaning?

  • Petra responds that she might be purged as a result of her physical difference, so I think aberration could mean something not normal, usual, or ordinary. Crick and the Chancellor describe Petra’s ocular disease as a “physical variance,” which indicates that variance might mean a difference.

Infer a Meaning

Say these Directions: In your Personal Dictionary, write a short inferred meaning for each word based on the clues you identified.

Test the Meaning in Context

• Say: Replace each target word with your inferred meaning and reread the sentence. If the sentence still makes sense, your meaning is probably close. If it does not, revise your meaning.

Verify Definitions

• Say: Check your inferred definition using a dictionary or other reference material. Revise your definitions as needed so they match the way the words are used in the novel.

Quick Application

• Say: Create one original sentence that uses at least two of these words accurately: defective, aberration, or variance.

• The Collective treated Petra’s physical variance like something defective, but Petra knew her difference was not an aberration.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: As you reread Chapters 12–13, pay attention to how words like defective, aberration, and variance help reveal the Collective’s beliefs about sameness, control, and who gets treated as fully human.

Part A: Understanding the Collective’s Dogma (RL.8.2, RL.8.3) (20 minutes)

Introduce the word dogma to students.

• Say: In this lesson, we are going to focus on the Collective’s beliefs and how they use their dogma to enforce rules and structures that impact the ship’s inhabitants.

Display and read over the definition of the word dogma and the first use of the word in the text from Chapter 3.

• dogma: a fixed, authoritative set of principles or beliefs that are stated and expected to be accepted without doubt or question

  • “‘Equality’s good. But equality and sameness are two different things. Sometimes those who say things without really contemplating what it truly means . . . That dogma runs a thin line’” (p. 19).

• Ask: Which idea in the Collective’s dogma is Petra’s father challenging, and what does he suggest is the difference between equality and sameness?

  • He questions the idea that being the same means being equal. He suggests that equality isn’t dependent on everyone being alike.

Remind students of Unit 8.2, in which they studied Animal Farm. Ask students to recall the revolution’s original ideals and what happened to those ideals over the course of the revolution.

Turn-and-Talk

Transition students to partners. Instruct students to turn and talk about the following question.

Say these Directions: Recall Unit 2, in which we studied Animal Farm. Think about the revolution’s original ideals and what happened to those ideals over the course of the revolution. Discuss the following questions with your partner.

• After Napoleon’s coup, what dogma were the pigs asserting or upholding, either directly or indirectly?

  • The pigs upheld a totalitarian or authoritarian dogma that they were intellectually superior, that they deserved exclusive privileges like the use of the farmhouse, and that their leadership was essential to prevent the return of Jones or a human master.

• What evidence from the text demonstrated the pig’s dogma?

  • The pigs take over the farmhouse and start sleeping in human beds, even though that was against the original commandments. They use the excuse that they are the brains behind the farm and deserve these privileges. Additionally, the pigs continue to change the commandments to align with their dogma. For example, they end up changing the commandment that all animals are equal to some animals are more equal than others. And the pigs never allowed the animals to question Napoleon’s authority, which shows how the pigs were able to enforce their dogma with total control.

Have a few students volunteer their responses.

Transition students back to a whole-class discussion about the introduction of the dogma in The Last Cuentista.

• Say: We were first introduced to the Collective's dogma in Chapter 3 when Petra listened to her parents' conversation as they watched the news. Then, we learned a little more about their beliefs when Petra woke briefly from stasis in Chapter 8.

Instruct students to take out their copy of The Last Cuentista. Display pp. 17–19 of the text to model annotation for all students to observe.

Direct students to the last paragraph of p. 17, "A man with his hair cut sharply . . ." and read through p. 19 “That dogma runs a thin line.” Model annotating the passage for key details that convey information about the Collective’s dogma and the reactions that the characters have to it.

Highlight the sentence “Without differences in culture, in appearance, knowledge . . .” (p. 17).

• Say: I highlighted this sentence because it is a key factor in the Collective’s dogma. It names their plan for creating a world with no war. They plan to eliminate individual differences, which is kind of scary.

Draw students’ attention to the final paragraph of the excerpt, highlighting Dad’s comment, “Equality and sameness are two different things.”

• Say: Petra’s dad’s response is key in supporting the theme of the importance of individuality. He understands that what the Collective proposes is a threat.

Transition students to the close-reading activity.

Say these Directions: Reread the selected passages from Chapters 12 and 13 with a partner. You will annotate for the Collective’s dogma, Petra’s and others’ reactions and actions, and events that drive the plot and create tension. Use these annotation codes as you reread the text:

Display the following annotation codes.

• T (Theme) = a detail that shows the Collective’s dogma or resistance to it

• C (Character) = how characters are developed and what their actions and reactions suggest

• E (Events) = incidents that add tension, reveal character, or drive the plot forward

Direct students to reread and annotate the following passages from Chapters 12–13:

• Excerpt A: Begins with “Her eyes don’t appear different . . .” through “. . . that is all we are interested in.” (pp. 80–81)

• Excerpt B: Begins with “The Chancellor slithers between . . .” through “I think I’ve found the Crow.” (p. 98–100)

• Excerpt C: Begins with “‘Regarding Len . . . Chancellor, . . .” through the end of Chapter 13 (pp. 102–103)

When students finish their annotations, have the partners share with another partner set one of their annotation choices, and explain how the annotated text supports their understanding of theme, character, or events.

Say these Directions: When you finish your annotations, share with another set of partners one of your annotation choices, and explain how the annotated text supports your understanding of theme, character, or events.

• In Excerpt C, I marked Crick’s dialogue that begins the selection with a C. It shows that Crick cares about Len and the other people, perhaps more than what the Collective would want. I also marked “Unity demands sacrifice” (p. 102) with a T. It is a statement of the Collective’s dogma and, in this context, shows that the Collective values its beliefs and ideals more than human life.

Part B: Analyzing the Collective’s Dogma (RL.8.2, RL.8.3) (10 minutes)

Pair students and explain that they will use their annotations of Chapters 12–13 to support their responses as they discuss ideas and answer questions with their partners. Remind students to cite at least one piece of text evidence to support each response.

Turn and Talk

Say these Directions: Work with your partner to answer the following questions about Chapters 12–13 based on your close reading and annotations. Cite at least one piece of text evidence to support each response.

Display the following questions.

• What specific rules or systems in Chapters 12–13 make questioning dangerous?

  • One system that makes questioning dangerous is the Collective's pursuit of consensus and “unanimity” (p. 95). Len has been told that he will chaperone the Zetas to the surface of Sagan, even though he could die in the process. The Chancellor responds to Crick’s questions about Len and the trip by saying “Sacrifice comes with a price” (p. 201), demonstrating that the Collective values their collective ideals over individual human life.

• How does the Collective enforce compliance with its dogma?

  • One way the Collective enforces compliance with its dogma is through special tonics that control how members think and feel. The Zetas are given trays of tonics to pass out at the meeting. The tonics are designed to keep the Collective "tranquil" and prevent members from getting too emotional or from challenging ideas they might disagree with (p. 98).

• What do we learn about the members’ reaction to the Collective’s dogma through different characters’ words, thoughts, and actions?

  • The Chancellor strictly adheres to the dogma of the Collective and enforces it across the members. Obviously, Petra rebels against that dogma as she finds herself trapped and hoping to find her parents. The surprising revelation is Crick’s challenge of the Chancellor—first when he notes with sarcasm, “They are physically . . . unique,” (p. 81) and then when he asks repeated questions about the safety of Len on p. 102.

Transition students back to the whole-class setting. Lead a brief discussion to support students as they synthesize ideas across the chapters.

• Ask: How do the Collective and its members treat the Zetas? How does the Chancellor perceive them?

  • The Chancellor sees them as tools to benefit the Collective, not as individual people. When Petra’s eye problem is discovered, the Chancellor says, “Thanks to us and their programming, their minds have some value, and that is all we are interested in” (p. 81), demonstrating that all the Collective cares about is what the Zetas’ brains can do for the Collective. Then, it is announced that the Zetas, along with Len, will be sent out into the atmosphere of Sagan to test whether it will kill them. The Zetas are clearly expendable to the Chancellor as she keeps repeating the dogma of “sacrifice” to explain why they have to test Sagan’s viability (p. 103).

• Ask: How does this treatment and perception of the Zetas work against the original dogma of the Collective?

  • The original dogma of the Collective was about equality and peace. For example, in Chapter 3, the Collective states that their beliefs are about “unity” and the erasure of “inequality” (pp. 17–18). However, the Collective does not attempt to treat the Zetas equally. The Collective uses them as pawns and only has interest in their “brains” and what they can contribute to the current population’s success (p. 81). It goes against everything the Collective preaches.

Check for Understanding

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

3–2–1 Summary

Instruct students to reflect on their learning from the lesson by collaborating with the same partner from the Learning in Action parts of the lesson to co-create a 3–2–1 Summary.

Say these Directions: Work with a partner to co-create a 3–2–1 Summary of Chapters 12–13. In your summary, include:

• 3 important words or phrases

• 2 key details or ideas

• 1 gist sentence telling what the text is mostly about

Instruct students to complete the following homework before the next lesson.

• Review Chapter 13 of The Last Cuentista and annotate how Petra uses the Fox and Crow story to understand her situation.