Esperanza Rising Mid-Unit Assessment Ch. 1-9

Which is the best summary of chapter 9, Las Ciruela (Plums)?

• Esperanza made food for the babies. She did a great job! Even though she burned the beans, everyone was proud. They could not afford to strike. Mama, Hortensia, and Isabel looked like racoons because of the dust storm.

• Esperanza had to watch the babies by herself; it did not go very well, but she figured out what to do. There was a dust storm that covered everything in dust and made Mama sick. Esperanza is worried Mama might die.

• The babies ate plums and made a mess, while Esperanza burned beans. It was the day of the strike. The orange cat was covered in dirt from the storm.

• The workers all celebrated the harvest by eating raw plums. And boy, was it windy! Everyone, especially mama, enjoyed the cool breeze.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.W.5.4

This chapter is titled “Las Ciruelas/Plums.” Why do you think Pam Muñoz Ryan chose this title for the chapter? How does this title relate to the main events or ideas in this chapter?

• The plums caused the babies to get sick, just as the dust made mama sick. Their bodies were not used to them.

• Esperanza loves eating plums!

• Plums needed to be picked by the camp workers at that time.

• Esperanza had to make plum juice by stepping on plums.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

What challenge does Esperanza face on pages 139-143?

• Esperanza did not know what to do when the babies got sick.

• The cat was left outside in the dust storm.

• Mama developed a cough.

• Marta is spreading rumors and gossip.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.1

How did Esperanza respond to the challenge of taking care of the babies?

• Esperanza kept changing the babies’ diapers to try to keep them clean.

• Esperanza made rice water to feed the babies, hoping it would make them feel better.

• Esperanza forgot about the beans, and they burned because she was so busy trying to take care of the babies

• All of the above.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

Make an inference: What does Esperanza’s response to the challenge on pages 139–143 tell us about her as a person?

• Esperanza has a lot of experience taking care of babies.

• Esperanza must have worked in a kitchen because her beans were so delicious.

• Esperanza gives up easily.

• Esperanza is a problem solver, trying to figure out what to do in hard situations based on things that she knows from her own experiences.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.W.5.9A

What piece of text evidence proves Esperanza is a clever problem solver who uses her past experiences?

• “What did Hortensia give her when she was a child and was sick? ... Rice water!” (p. 142)

• "Esperanza wondered who was worried more, she or Isabel?" (p.139)

• "A bowl of ripe plums sat on the table." (p.140)

• "A different spell greeted her. The beans!" (p. 141)

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.2

Read the following excerpt from page 157, and then answer the questions below: “Esperanza felt Alfonso behind her, putting his hands on her shoulder. She felt the blood drain from her face. She wanted to tell the doctor that she could not lose Mama, too. That she had already lost Papa and that Abuelita was too far away. Her voice strangled with fear. All she could do was whisper the doctor’s uncertain words ‘If she survives.’”

In one sentence, summarize the challenge Esperanza and Mama are facing at this point in the novel.

• Esperanza and Mama are struggling with the possibility of Mama's death.
• Esperanza is celebrating Mama's recovery.
• Esperanza is planning a surprise for Mama.
• Esperanza is reminiscing about happier times.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.SL.5.2

What does it mean to have blood drain from your face?

• It means you are experiencing shock or a strong emotional response.
• It indicates you are experiencing a headache.
• It suggests you are about to faint from hunger.
• It means you are feeling very happy.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.4A

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.4

What does it mean to say Esperanza’s voice was strangled with fear?

• She was too scared to sing.

• It indicates she was angry and couldn't express it.
• It means her fear was so overwhelming that it choked her ability to speak freely.

• It suggests her voice was loud and clear despite her fear.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.4

How does the author’s use of the words drain and strangled help us understand how Esperanza is feeling?

• The words drain and strangled paint a detailed picture for readers, helping them see it as if they were there.

• The author helps us hear that Esperanza feels overwhelmed and stifled.

• The author helps us feel that Esperanza feels indifferent and detached.

• It helps us see that Esperanza feels joyful and liberated.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.4