Workbook & Identity mini-lesson for “Confessions of an Ecuadorkian”
by Zoraida Córdova
A short story from Come On In: 15 Stories About Immigration and Finding Home.
Pgs. 1-3 Reading comp. questions
Pg. 4 Vocabulary. Short writing activity, introspection.
Pg. 5 Maps
Pg. 6 Flag
Pg. 7 Plotline graphic organizer
Pg. 8 Character graphic organizer
Pgs. 9-10 Post-reading short essay
Pg. 11 Story review form
Pg. 12 Key
Pg. 13 Identity mini-lesson & short writing activity
WORKBOOK
> 39 reading comprehension questions
> Three types of questions:
- Short Response (complete sentences not required)
- Written Response (complete sentences required)
- True/False
> Students will have to dig deeper into the text with this resource.
> Questions are designed to push students to think critically about character development, culture, and identity.
> Some questions are 'no wrong answer' or sketch style responses - to encourage independent thinking and creative engagement.
> Extended writing activity has four topics to select from. Each has many 'starter questions' to get students' ideas rolling. Length of assignment is up to teacher.
> Use of the extended response/essay activity may add 1-4 days, depending on length and formatting requirements of the teacher.
> Character graphic organizer is specific to the story, not generic.
> Story review form AND plotline graphic organizer are career-long re-usables (can be reused with no changes for stories, books, film, and epic poetry).
Pre-reading...
> Teacher may want to use the identity mini-lesson & short writing activity prior to reading the story. It can be used as a starting point for a variety of self-reflection activities having to do with identity.
> Provides definitions & detailed examples of: ethnicity, nationality, culture, and, race.
> Use to provide or clarify background knowledge 1-2 weeks before reading.
> Use it to deep dive into characters' identities when it is a story/book/play/film/poem theme.
During or post-reading...
> Use it to compare characters' self-identity to how they are treated by others characters. Use it to consider how & why a character identifies themselves. (Example questions: If a character's nationality is Peruvian, is it "wrong" if other characters assume their race to be Mexican? How much does the protagonist care how they are identified by others? In this story, should the protagonist correct others or would that make situation X worse? What seems to carry the most weight in the protagonist's self-identity -- their ethnicity, nationality, culture, or, race)
> The mini-lesson is a career-long re-usable.
> Themes: identity, search for belonging, self-reflection, communication ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Identity mini-lesson purchased separately:
$13
> Workbook purchased separately: $9
Same resource on TeachersPayTeachers: $19
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