ENGAGE

The book The House on Mango Street is taught to all ages, from preschools to universities, across the United States. As we know, it is the story of a young Latina girl, Esperanza Cordero, growing up in Chicago, forming her personality and identity from her heritage, family, community, etc. 

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When you hear the expression  “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” what does it make you think of? Why?

 

Today we will take some time to walk in the shoes of Esperanza’s mother. To do this we will Read “A Smart Cookie.” 

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Punctuation to Punctuation (10 min.) 

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Let’s take time to read “A Smart Cookie” together outloud. 

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(Round 1) A designated participant will begin to read the text aloud; they will stop when they arrive at a punctuation mark (-- : ; , . ! ?). Then, the next participant in the circle will read until they reach a punctuation mark. This may mean that a person reads only one word, e.g., or an entire sentence. Keep reading around the circle, punctuation to punctuation, until everyone gets an opportunity to read and the text has ended. Re-start the text again from the beginning if necessary. (Round 2) Next, the text is re-read from the beginning, changing readers at each punctuation, but this time participants also say “Stop!” if there is a word that is confusing or not understood. When stopped, the group works together to make meaning of the confusing word or phrase; continue until the full text has been read and all “Stops” are answered.

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Afterwards you could ask:

• What information did you learn about Esperanza’s mother?

• How does Esperanza’s mother feel as a result of her choices?

• How does Esperanza’s mother’s identity shape her experiences? And how do her experiences shape her identity?     

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EXPLORE

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Role on the Wall (10 min)

Draw a large outline of Esperanza’s mother (e.g. head/shoulders or human figure) on the blackboard or a large piece of paper; leave plenty of space to write inside and outside the figure. Invite the group to name out words, phrases, or messages that Esperanza’s mother received. Write responses on the outside of the figure. When a “message” is offered, invite students to think about where it comes from. Connect messages to the messenger visually on the paper through color or a line and encourage students to find multiple answers. Types of responses can also be grouped together (for example: positive on one side of figure, negative on the other) to provide further visual organization. Next, ask students how Esperanza’s mother might feel inside, based on the outside messages, and write those feelings on the inside of the figure with another color. Finally, ask students to connect specific “outside” messages to the inner feelings, and draw lines between those connections on the figure.

 

Reflection

• What messages, people, or factors impact Esperanza’s mother the most? Why?

• Is this a realistic portrait of Esperanza’s mother? Why or why not?

• Does this character ever shift or change? What (or who) could make a change?

 

Transition: This is a great portrait to get us reflecting on the different elements that impact our identities and our perceptions of ourselves. I would like us to continue thinking about all the aspects of our identity and how they shape and change us.

 

Visual Mapping (15 min.)

Start by giving 3-5 small pieces of paper or large Post-It notes and a marker to each student and ask them to write multiple responses to a single, open-ended prompt. The prompt is: My identity is defined by____. One response is put on each piece of paper. All papers are collected and spread out on the floor or a large desk surface or wall (if paper/tape or the sticky-backed paper is used). Invite students to read responses and then organize or “map” out responses in related groups. Once grouped, participants can provide a name for each category of group of responses if desired, or consider how some responses might bridge or connect between categories. If working with a large group (over 15) split the group in two and let each group make their own visual map of their responses. Then share the two maps together to compare ideas and groupings.

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Reflection

• What categories emerged? How did you choose to title each category group? Why?

• What new insights or information does this map give you?

• What do you notice about yourself or the group during this process?

 

Transition: We can see that, just like Esperanza and the other characters in The House on Mango Street, who we are, our identities, are shaped by many external and internal factors. Let’s take a moment to reflect on our work today:

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FINAL REFLFECTION  (5-10 min)

• Describe: What parts of our identity did we explore today? 

• Analyze: What parts of our identity do you feel are determined by others, by society, or by chance? Why?

• Relate: What factors shape our identities? What is culture and how does it influence identity?