Esperanza Rising: Lesson Adaptation

If your intention is to adapt the concepts of this book to use with students between the ages of 5 and 8, I recommend teaching the concept of immigration on a much more basic level. Obviously, the lessons and activities that I have developed around this book and concept are very much developmentally inappropriate for use in kindergarten through second grade classrooms. However, the concept of immigration itself is very much adaptable. Many of your students may have experience with moving to a new town, city, or school. Drawing upon those relevant experiences would be a great place to begin. Otherwise, you may wish to discuss what it was like when you first came to school, and what it was like adjusting to the classroom’s culture, then relating this experience to the way immigrants feel when they arrive in a new country.

If your intention is to adapt this novel and concept for use with students between the ages of 9-11 years, I suggest utilizing the vocabulary activities that I have included. While tiers 2 and 3 may be a bit complex for many students, the tier 1 vocabulary words should be more than developmentally appropriate. This age group should also be able to think abstractly about immigration. In other words, they should be able to hypothetically put themselves into the shoes of an immigrant, and empathize with their situation. Therefore, they will probably be able to relate with Esperanza. It is a longer book for students at this age, so you may want to provide students with the opportunity to read most of it together as a group in class.

I designed the lessons and activities specifically for students between the ages of 12-14 years. Therefore, I encourage you to use whatever you feel comfortable with using. Students within this age group will be able to relate well with Esperanza, as they too are undergoing a series of changes and struggling to formulate a personal identity. The reflective journal questions in particular will be able to help the students draw parallel between their lives and the life of Esperanza. They should be more than capable of grasping the many concepts I have included within this unit framework. Enjoy!

Go to:

• Lesson Ideas 
• Introduction to the Great Depression  
• The Dust Bowl And The Great Migration To The West
• Hard Times In The Migrant Labor Camps
• Growing Up
• Lesson Adaptation  
• Vocabulary  
• Activities
• Resources  
• Dorothea Lange
• Voices From The Dust Bowl
• Pam Munoz Ryan  
• Immigration: A Voice Thread  
• Collaborative Group Project - Immigration

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• Esperanza Rising Homepage
• Children's Literature
• Building America Front Page