esperanza rising essay questions

In Esperanza Rising , author Pam Muñoz Ryan shares the story of Esperanza Ortega, a young child forced to flee her home in Mexico after her father is murdered. After a long, difficult journey, Esperanza and her mother settle in a camp for Mexican farmworkers in California and endure hard labor, financial struggles, and discrimination.

For young readers of Esperanza Rising , this novel provides an opportunity to learn about the plight of Mexican workers during the Great Depression and reflect on what it takes to rise above tragedy, adversity, and the harsh realities immigrants often face . This novel also presents complex themes related to race, class, courage, and compassion to your students, while introducing them to the power of passionate storytelling .

During reading, encourage your students to reflect on the experience of Esperanza through writing and discussion. The following 18 prompts will not only help boost your students’ comprehension of the story, but they’ll also help your young readers connect with Esperanza’s inspiring story in a deeper and more meaningful way.

1. Why does the author open with a scene of Esperanza and her father lying down to hear the heartbeat of the earth? How does this shared experience seem to affect Esperanza's relationship with her father?

2. Explain Mama's reasons for leaving Mexico. Would you have been willing to make the same decision if you were in her situation? Why or why not?

3. Esperanza and Miguel take a train ride together as young children. Compare this train ride to the one they take when going to live in America.

4. What does Esperanza mean when she says to Miguel that there is a "deep river" that runs between them? Does this change in California? If so, describe how their relationship changes and give reasons for why this might happen.

5. Describe the cabin where Esperanza must live in America. How does this home compare to her home in Mexico? When Esperanza points out these differences, why does Mama become angry with her? Is Mama right to be angry with her? Why or why not?

6. A poor woman on the train to Los Angeles explains that although she is poor, she is rich. How can a poor person be rich? How can a rich person be poor?

7. Why does Esperanza dislike Marta when they first meet? What makes Esperanza change her mind about Marta?

8. After the dust storm, Mama is the only one of the workers in the cabin to become ill. Why is this so? How does her illness affect Esperanza? Why does Esperanza agree to cut the eyes out of the potatoes?

9. When Esperanza is told she cannot visit her mother for several weeks, she describes her life as going through "the motions of living." Have you ever felt this way? If so, describe how. What does Esperanza do to increase the amount of joy in her life?

10. Why does Miguel drive out of his way to shop at the Japanese store? What does Alfonso mean when he tells Miguel that Mr. Yakota is "getting rich on other people's bad manners"?

11.  Compare the strikers' camp to the camp in which Esperanza lives. How does seeing this camp and its inhabitants affect Esperanza?

12.  Alfonso and Miguel keep telling Esperanza that if is she does good work the farmers will keep employing her. Do you believe that philosophy applies in today's world? Why or why not?

13.  What do you think of "voluntary deportation"? Is this a peaceful or violent way to handle the situation with the strikers? Did Esperanza do the right thing by helping Marta and risking the chance of being deported herself?

14.  Papa's words, "Wait a little while and the fruit will fall into your hands," are said by Miguel in a heated argument with Esperanza. How does this idea relate to the titles of the chapters in this novel? How does this relate to the end of the novel when Esperanza is retelling all the events from California to Abuelita?

15.  When Esperanza finds out Miguel has taken her money orders, she is devastated. Describe how she must feel when Alfonso comes to take her to the train station to pick Miguel up. Is she justified to feel this way? What was Miguel's reason for taking the money? What do his actions mean?

16.  The last section of the novel has Esperanza and Miguel listening to the heartbeat of the earth. What does this parallel to the first chapter mean?

17.  The novel ends with Esperanza teaching Isabel how to crochet the zigzag stitch. How do the "mountains and valleys" compare to the plot of the novel? Is there a skill or talent that someone in your family has that you have learned or would like to learn? Please describe.

18.  Read the last sentence of the novel and explain how it relates to the book's themes.

After reading, invite your students to imagine being taken out of their life right now and put in a work camp like Esperanza’s. Encourage your students to reflect on how they would react and how they would overcome the harsh realities of their new life using the lessons they learned from Esperanza Rising .

Order your class copies of Esperanza Rising below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store . For more teacher resources on the expansive works of Pam Muñoz Ryan, check out this discussion guide .

Esperanza Rising

By pam muñoz ryan.

• Literature /
• Esperanza Rising /
• Discussion & Essay Questions

Cite This Source

Available to teachers only as part of the teaching esperanza risingteacher pass, teaching esperanza rising teacher pass includes:.

• Assignments & Activities
• Reading Quizzes
• Current Events & Pop Culture articles
• Challenges & Opportunities
• Related Readings in Literature & History

Sample of Discussion & Essay Questions

• Esperanza was wealthy and then she became poor overnight. How would you feel if this happened to you? How do you think you would act toward others? Would it be hard to leave school and begin working? Why, or why not?

Tired of ads?

Logging out…, logging out....

You've been inactive for a while, logging you out in a few seconds...

W hy's T his F unny?

Esperanza Rising

Pam muñoz ryan, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Wealth, Privilege, and Class

Esperanza Ortega is a pampered, spoiled only child whose servants teasingly call her la reina —the queen. When her father, a wealthy rancher, dies after being attacked by bandits outside their family’s ranch in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Esperanza, her mother Ramona , and her Abuelita (grandmother) lose everything. Plunged into poverty, Esperanza must confront—and overcome—her misconceptions about class, poverty, and the “ river ” that she believes divides her from “peasants” and servants. Over the course…

Grief and Loss

Though the early pages of Pam Muñoz Ryan’s Esperanza Rising are filled with joy and vitality, very quickly, a staggering and violent loss upends Esperanza Ortega ’s world and plunges her and her family into grief, poverty, and danger. As Esperanza, her mother Ramona , and her Abuelita consider how they can rebuild from the literal and figurative ashes of loss, Muñoz Ryan suggests that though grief and loss are debilitating, destabilizing forces, no life…

Hope and Rebirth

Esperanza Ortega ’s picture-perfect life on a lush, sprawling ranch in Mexico is upended in mere days when her father dies after being attacked by bandits, and her corrupt, lecherous uncles, Luis and Marco , burn the ranch house to the ground after Esperanza’s grieving mother Ramona rejects Luis’s sudden marriage proposal—a proposal meant to consolidate his wealth and power in the town where they all live. Esperanza and her mother are at the depths…

Activism and Solidarity

When Esperanza Ortega and her mother, Ramona , arrive in California to work on a company farm harvesting and preparing fruits and vegetables, they are forced to leave behind the privileged world they once knew. On the farm, a burgeoning labor movement is taking place, and workers, led by the young but fierce Marta , are preparing to strike to demand better wages and living conditions. As Esperanza works to shed her attachment to her…

EL Education Curriculum

You are here.

• ELA G5:M1:U2

Writing to Inform: Threats to Human Rights in Esperanza Rising

In this unit.

• Guiding Questions and Big Ideas

The Four Ts

Content connections.

• Habits of Character

Unit-at-a-Glance

Accountable independent reading, supporting english language learners.

• Texts and Resources to Buy

Preparation and Materials

• Technology and Media

Additional Language and Literacy Block

• Optional Activities

You are here:

• ELA Grade 5

Like what you see?

Order printed materials, teacher guides and more.

How to order

Help us improve!

Tell us how the curriculum is working in your classroom and send us corrections or suggestions for improving it.

Leave feedback

In this unit, students continue to read Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan to make connections to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They also compare and contrast characters' reactions to situations and events in which their human rights have been threatened and interpret metaphors woven throughout the story to determine how they convey themes. For the mid-unit assessment, students independently interpret a metaphor that is woven throughout the novel and determine a theme that it conveys. They also analyze and compare the reactions of two characters to an event in Esperanza Rising .

In the second half of the unit, students choose an event in the novel to write a literary essay that compares and contrasts the reactions of two characters. Students begin by writing a two-voice poem with a partner to really get inside the minds of the characters during that event. They then follow the Painted Essay structure, writing their literary essay one part at a time after analyzing a model. For the end of unit assessment, students revise their literary essay for linking words and phrases, specifically those that signal contrast.

Big Ideas & Guiding Questions

• What are human rights, and how can they be threatened?
• Human rights belong to everyone, but they can look different to different people in different places.
• We can better understand how human rights can be threatened by reading about the experiences of fictional characters in stories.
• We can raise awareness of human rights issues by writing about the issues fictional characters face.
• Topic: Human rights
• Task: Students reread a literary text, and answer selected response questions and write a paragraph about it (mid-unit assessment). Students revise a literary essay comparing and contrasting character reactions to events that threaten their human rights in Esperanza Rising (end of unit assessment).
• Targets (standards explicitly taught and assessed): RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.3, RL.5.10, W.5.2c, W.5.2d, W.5.5, W.5.6, W.5.9a, W.5.10, L.5.2d, L.5.5a, and L.5.6 . 
• Text: Esperanza Rising and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

This module is designed to address English Language Arts standards and to be taught during the literacy block of the school day. However, the module intentionally incorporates social studies content that many teachers may be teaching during other parts of the day. These intentional connections are described below. 

College, Career, and Civic Life C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards:

• D2.Civ.3.3-5: Examine the origins and purposes of rules, laws, and key U.S. constitutional provisions.
• D2.Civ.4.3-5: Explain how groups of people make rules to create responsibilities and protect freedoms.
• D2.Civ.7.3-5: Apply civic virtues and democratic principles in school settings.
• D2.Civ.10.3-5: Identify the beliefs, experiences, perspectives, and values that underlie their own and others' points of view about civic issues.
• D2.Geo.2.3-5: Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions and their environmental characteristics.
• D2.His.2.3-5: Compare life in specific historical time periods to life today.
• D2.His.4.3-5: Explain why individuals and groups during the same historical period differed in their perspectives.
• D2.His.14.3-5: Explain probable causes and effects of events and developments.
• D3.4.3-5: Use evidence to develop claims in response to compelling questions.
• D4.6.3-5: Draw on disciplinary concepts to explain the challenges people have faced and opportunities they have created, in addressing local, regional, and global problems at various times and places.

Habits of Character/Social-Emotional Learning Focus

Central to EL Education's curriculum is a focus on "habits of character" and social-emotional learning. Students work to become effective learners, developing mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration); work to become ethical people, treating others well and standing up for what is right (e.g., empathy, integrity, respect, compassion); and work to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service). 

In this unit, students work to become effective learners . Throughout Unit 2, students practice perseverance and collaboration as they work in pairs to write a literary essay. They practice initiative and responsibility as they revise their essays using peer feedback.

The following student learning targets are a focus for this unit. Please refer to Teaching Notes in the lessons:

• I work to become an effective learner:
• I take initiative.
• I take responsibility.
• I persevere.
• I collaborate.

Each unit is made up of a sequence of between 5-20 lessons. The “unit at a glance” chart in the curriculum map breaks down each unit into its lessons, to show how the curriculum is organized in terms of standards address, supporting targets, ongoing assessment, and protocols. It also indicates which lessons include the mid-unit and end-of-unit assessments.

View the unit-at-a-glance chart

The ability to read and comprehend texts is the heart of literacy instruction. Comprehension is taught, reinforced, and assessed across both components of this curriculum: module lessons and the Additional Language and Literacy Block. Refer to the 5M1 Module Overview for additional information.

In this unit, students continue to read research texts independently for homework, collect new academic and domain-specific vocabulary, and engage in frequent research reading shares during the module lessons for accountability.

The Meeting Students' Needs column in each lesson contains support for both ELLs and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and some supports can serve a wide range of student needs. However, ELLs have unique needs that cannot always be met with UDL support. According to federal guidelines, ELLs must be given access to the curriculum with appropriate supports, such as those that are specifically identified as "For ELLs" in the Meeting Students' Needs column.

• Prioritizing lessons for classrooms with many ELLs: To prepare for the Unit 2 assessments, consider prioritizing and expanding instruction in Lessons 1-4, which establish the pattern of reading and analyzing character reactions to events in Esperanza Rising , and interpreting metaphors and answering questions about their meaning. Also prioritize the analysis of essay structure using the color-coding system and the Language Dive in Lessons 12-15. If necessary, consider condensing instruction in Lessons 6-9, which continue the patterns established in previous lessons, but do not introduce as many new concepts.
• Language Dives: ELLs can participate in an optional Language Dive in Lesson 12. This Language Dives is designed to help students notice and apply the English subject-predicate structure using the subordinating conjunction while. Most lessons also offer optional Mini Language Dives for ELLs. Language Dives are guided conversations about the meaning of a sentence from the central texts, models, or learning targets. The conversation invites students to unpack complex syntax, or "academic phrases," as a necessary component of building both literacy and habits of mind. Students then apply their understanding of language structure as they work toward the assessments and performance task. All Language Dives follow a Deconstruct-Reconstruct-Practice routine, in which students discuss and play with the meaning and purpose of the sentence and each chunk of the sentence; put the chunks back together into the original order and any possible variations; and practice using the chunks in their own speaking and writing. To maximize language practice and accommodate time, consider dividing or reviewing each Language Dive over multiple lessons. A consistent Language Dive routine is critical in helping all students learn how to decipher complex sentences and write their own. In addition, Language Dive conversations can hasten overall English language development for ELLs. Avoid using the Language Dive Guide to lecture about grammar; the Guide is designed to prompt students as they grapple with the meaning and purpose of the chunks and the sentence. Consider providing students with a Language Dive log inside a folder to track Language Dive sentences and structures and collate Language Dive note-catchers. Assure students that this log will not be graded; however, consider inviting students to use their log and note-catchers to gauge the progress of their speaking and writing skills. For more information on Language Dives and supporting English language learners, see the Tools page . 
• Diversity and inclusion: Investigate the languages, routines, practices, rituals, beliefs, norms, and experiences that are important to ELLs and their families. An ideal context for inclusiveness emerges as students are invited to add their feelings and experience in regards to Esperanza Rising and the UDHR. Create a safe space for students to express their experiences and feelings, in both their home language and English, about the sensitive issues embedded in the texts, knowing that these discussions may help create equity or unearth trauma or both. Consider integrating this background into the classroom as students discuss Esperanza's immigrant experience, culture, history, and language in E speranza Rising , and as students read about human rights in the UDHR. Consult with a guidance counselor, school social worker, or ESL teacher to further investigate diversity and inclusion.
• Goal 1 Conversation Cues: Continue to encourage productive and equitable conversation with Conversation Cues, which are questions teachers can ask students to help achieve four goals: (Goal 1) encourage all students to talk and be understood; (Goal 2) listen carefully to one another and seek to understand; (Goal 3) deepen thinking; and (Goal 4) think with others to expand the conversation (adapted from Michaels, Sarah and O'Connor, Cathy. Talk Science Primer . Cambridge, MA: TERC, 2012. Based on Chapin, S., O'Connor, C., and Anderson, N. [2009]. Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn , Grades K-6. Second Edition. Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications). Refer to the Tools page  for the complete set of cues. Goal 1 Conversation Cues are introduced in Unit 1, Lesson 3. Heightened language processing and development is a primary potential benefit for ELLs.
• Strategic grouping: As students are invited to pair up to analyze characters' reactions to events in Esperanza Rising , to make connections between the events and the UDHR, and interpret metaphors and theme, seriously consider grouping ELLs with partners who have greater language proficiency. The conversations that happen as a result of such strategic grouping will greatly serve the language development of both partners. Be aware that partnering with, looking at, talking with, or touching the opposite gender may be uncomfortable and inappropriate for some students. In addition, some students may believe it is inappropriate to speak with other students at all during class. Let them know that, in the United States, speaking with a peer of either gender when the teacher gives the signal is appropriate, and it is one way that students can become independent learners and develop their content knowledge and language ability. At the same time, tell them you respect their needs, and if necessary, seek alternative arrangements for students according to their cultural traditions. 
• Metaphor and theme: Students will analyze metaphors in Esperanza Rising and explore how metaphors that run throughout the story contribute to themes in the book. Support student understanding of the concept of metaphors by inviting students to share examples of metaphors and their meanings in their home languages, and consider working closely with students who need additional support in understanding the figurative language and answering questions about metaphors.
• Essay organization: Students will receive explicit instruction in how to craft an informational essay: introductory paragraph, focus statement with points 1 and 2, Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2 with a transition, and concluding paragraph. Students will use the Painted Essay format. Organization may be difficult to grasp for some students who may struggle to comprehend the language itself. Use color-coding and manipulatives inspired by the Painted Essay routines, such as sentence strips, to support this skill. Also, this essay structure may be different from the text structure students may be familiar with in their home languages. Compare and contrast home language text structure whenever possible. As students work on writing complete sentences, color-code sentences to support students' understanding of subject-predicate sentence structure.
• Celebration: Celebrate the courage, enthusiasm, diversity, and bilingual assets that ELLs bring to the classroom.

Texts to Buy

Texts that need to be procured. Please download the Trade Book List for procurement guidance.

See full list of texts, including recommended texts

• Prepare two individuals (e.g., students, other teachers, adult guests, etc.) to perform the model two-voice poem in Lesson 11. This will require them to read parts both independently and in unison.
• Prepare materials for the Painted Essay lesson plan in Lesson 12:
• Paintbrushes (one per student)
• Read, yellow, blue, and green watercolor paint (one set per pair)
• Cups of water (one per pair)
• Painting an Essay lesson plan (for teacher reference) 
• Red, yellow, blue, and green colored pencils (one set; for teacher modeling)
• Prepare technology for students to type their final literary essays in Lesson 16. 
• The following materials are introduced in this unit and referenced both throughout the module and the school year:
• Peer Critique Protocol anchor chart
• The Painted Essay template
• Painting an Essay lesson plan
• Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart
• Parts of Speech anchor chart
• Linking Words and Phrases handout

Technology and Multimedia

• Google Docs  - Complete note-catchers: Students complete their note-catchers, write their essays and monologues, and create their programs in Google Docs.
• Speech to Text (Many newer devices already have this capability)- To create writing by speaking: Students complete their note-catchers and create written work by speaking rather than writing or typing.
• Seesaw  - Create student learning portfolios to share with other students, families: Video/audio record students reading aloud their monologues to share with families and other students.
• The Mexican Revolution  - Additional reading and research: Students read more about the Mexican Revolution with adult support. 
• Knight, Alan. "The Mexican Revolution." History Today May 1980: n. pag. History Today. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
• The Mexican Revolution: November 20th, 1910  - Additional reading and research: Students read more about the Mexican Revolution with adult support.
• "The Mexican Revolution: November 20th, 1910." EDSITEment. National Endowment for the Humanities, n.d. Web. 3 June 2016.
• Mexican Revolution  - Additional reading and research: Students read more about the Mexican Revolution with adult support.
• "Mexican Revolution." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
• Immigration Past and Present  - Additional reading and research: Students read more about immigration.
• "Immigration Past and Present." Accessed June 3, 2016.
• Teach Unicef  - Additional reading and research: Students read about current events that are threats to human rights.
• "Teach Unicef." Unicef. Web. Accessed Jun 3, 2016.
• Human Rights Education  - Additional reading and research: Students read about current events that are threats to human rights.
• "Human Rights Education." Amnesty International. Web. Accessed Jun 3, 2016.
• Human Rights Watch  - Additional reading and research: Students read about current events that are threats to human rights.
• Human Rights Watch. Web. Accessed Jun 3, 2016.

The Additional Language and Literacy (ALL) Block is 1 hour of instruction per day. It is designed to work in concert with and in addition to the 1-hour Grades 3-5 ELA "module lessons." Taken together, these 2 hours of instruction comprehensively address all the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

The ALL Block has five components: Additional Work with Complex Text; Reading and Speaking Fluency/GUM (Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics); Writing Practice; Word Study and Vocabulary; and Independent Reading.

The ALL Block has three 2-week units which parallel to the three units of the module.

ELA G5:M1:U2:L1

Analyzing character reactions: esperanza rising: “las cebollas”, ela g5:m1:u2:l2, metaphors in esperanza rising: “las almendras”, ela g5:m1:u2:l3, analyzing character reactions: esperanza rising: “las ciruelas”, ela g5:m1:u2:l4, metaphors in esperanza rising: “las papas”, ela g5:m1:u2:l5, making connections: “los aguacates” and article 2 of the udhr, ela g5:m1:u2:l6, analyzing character reactions: esperanza rising: “los espárragos”, ela g5:m1:u2:l7, analyzing character reactions: esperanza rising: “los duraznos”, ela g5:m1:u2:l8, writing a character reaction paragraph: esperanza rising: “los duraznos”, ela g5:m1:u2:l9, metaphors in esperanza rising: “las uvas”, ela g5:m1:u2:l10, mid-unit 2 assessment: interpreting metaphors and analyzing character reactions, ela g5:m1:u2:l11, character reactions in esperanza rising: writing a two-voice poem, ela g5:m1:u2:l12, writing a literary essay: analyzing a model, ela g5:m1:u2:l13, writing a literary essay: introduction, ela g5:m1:u2:l14, writing a literary essay: proof paragraphs, ela g5:m1:u2:l15, writing a literary essay: conclusion, ela g5:m1:u2:l16, end of unit 2 assessment: revising a literary essay, optional: community, experts, fieldwork, service, and extensions.

• If students have families with experience with some of the issues described in Esperanza Rising , consider inviting them in to speak to students about their experiences.
• If students come from Spanish-speaking families, consider inviting adults to come in to share some words with students in Spanish.
• If you have a number of English language learners speaking the same native language, invite family members to come into the classroom to talk with ELLs in their native language about human rights.
• If students have families with experience of some of the current threats to human rights that students will read about in research in Lesson 9, consider inviting them in to speak to students about their experiences.
• Invite experts on local human rights issues or immigration in your area to come in to talk to the students about the work that they do and about the local population.
• Have experts on human rights or immigration come in to talk with the students about the work that they do.
• Have experts on dramas and plays come in to talk with students about writing and performing monologues.
• Take students to exhibitions about immigration or about Mexican history or culture.
• Take students to performances of monologues.
• Reach out to local immigration charities to find out if students can participate in any charity events or work or if they can raise funds for a specific cause.
• Identify a local threat to human rights that students could learn more about and take action on.

Extensions:

• Encourage students to read other articles of the complete version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Encourage students to consider other ways to raise awareness about human rights issues.

Copyright © 2013-2024 by EL Education, New York, NY.

Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.

Help us improve our curriculum..

Tell us what’s going well, share your concerns and feedback.

Terms of use . To learn more about EL Education, visit  eleducation.org

Esperanza Rising

By pam muñoz ryan.

• Esperanza Rising Summary

The novel opens in el Rancho de las Rosas in Aguascalientes, Mexico. 12-year-old Esperanza lives a charmed life with her Papa , Mama , Abuelita , and several servants and workers. Esperanza is very close to Papa. He feels a strong connection to the land and teaches Esperanza how to listen to the heartbeat of the earth. The day before Esperanza's thirteenth birthday, she pricks her finger on a thorn - a sign of bad luck. Later that night, Esperanza and her family receive the terrible news that Papa has been killed by bandits.

Papa's stepbrothers, Tío Luis and Tío Marco , are both powerful men in Aguascalientes. Together, they try to manipulate the situation after Papa's death in order to seize el Rancho de las Rosas. Tío Luis offers to marry Mama and threatens her when she turns him down. Shortly after Papa's death, Esperanza wakes up to find their home on fire. Everybody escapes, but Abuelita hurts her ankle and all of the crops are burnt to a crisp. Without a home or any source of income, Mama agrees to marry Tío Luis. Later, she tells Esperanza that her acceptance is simply a diversion so she can plan their escape to the United States. One night, Alfonso , Hortensia , and Miguel sneak out of Aguascalientes and leave Mexico for good. Abuelita must stay behind in a convent because her injury prevents her from traveling.

Newly penniless, Esperanza struggles to adjust to her new social status during the journey to the United States. After several days on the train, the group arrives in California. Alfonso's brother, Juan , comes to pick them up. Juan and his wife, Josefina , have three children: Isabel , who is a bit younger than Esperanza, and twin babies, Pepe and Lupe. Esperanza is shocked to see her new home: a cramped, shared cabin in a migrant workers' camp.

Isabel teaches Esperanza how to do household chores. Once Isabel goes to school, Esperanza must care for the babies and the house on her own while everyone else works in the fields. She has never done manual labor before and struggles to learn. She develops a rivalry with Marta , a young politically-minded woman who is organizing the migrant workers to strike for better living conditions.

One day, a dust storm ravages the San Joaquin Valley. Everyone returns home safely, but Mama becomes sick with Valley Fever. Unwell and unable to work, Mama stays at home while Esperanza starts working in the field. Mama becomes sicker and must be moved to the hospital. In order to pay the medical bills, Esperanza takes on more work, despite the danger that the upcoming strike may pose.

The strike occurs during the asparagus harvest. However, immigration officials break it up and haul several strikers away to be deported. Esperanza later finds Marta hiding in a shed. Instead of turning her in to the officials, Esperanza helps Marta escape. In her new role as head of the house, Esperanza grows tremendously and is able to balance all of her chores while looking after Isabel and the babies.

Eventually, Mama returns from the hospital. Esperanza's contentment is short-lived, though, when Miguel loses his mechanic job to workers from Oklahoma who are willing to work for less. Esperanza becomes outraged and picks a fight with Miguel about the social position of Mexican migrant workers in the United States. Miguel is gone the next morning. Soon after his departure, Esperanza discovers that the money she had been saving to bring Abuelita to the United States is gone. Frustrated and angry, Esperanza throws herself into her work.

A few days later, Miguel returns to California with Abuelita, whom he managed to sneak out from under the watchful eye of Tío Luis. It turns out he took Esperanza's money to do exactly what she had planned to do with it. In the year after Papa's death, Esperanza's life comes full circle. Her family is together and she has found happiness once again.

Esperanza Rising Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Esperanza Rising is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What happened to Esperanza's hands? What did Hortensia do to make them better?

Due to all of the work she has been doing, Esperanzas's hands have become rough and calloused. Hortensia makes an avocado salve to soothe her injuries, but Esperanza knows that no remedy will ever restore her hands to their former softness.

I'm sorry, did you have a question regarding Esperanza rising?

What are some things the strikers do to try to accomplish their mission? Do you agree or disagree with their methods? Explain.

There are people holding signs all over the camp, urging everyone else to join the strike. Some throw rocks and hurl insults at the workers going in. I can understand their frustrations at the bad working conditions and low pay. It seems like a...

Study Guide for Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising study guide contains a biography of Pam Muñoz Ryan, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Esperanza Rising
• Esperanza Rising Video
• Character List

Lesson Plan for Esperanza Rising

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Esperanza Rising
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Esperanza Rising Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Esperanza Rising

• Introduction
• Plot synopsis
• Main characters and personalities
• Background information
• Critical reception

Esperanza Rising

57 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-7

Chapters 8-11

Chapters 12-14

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

Pam Muñoz Ryan is the award-winning author of over 40 books for new readers, middle-grade students, and young adults. Esperanza Rising (2000) is one of her most popular works and was honored with the 2001 Southern California Judy Lopez Award and the 2001 Arizona Young Adult Book Award. It also became a 2001 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. Other titles by the same author include Riding Freedom (1998), Becoming Naomi Léon (2004), Paint the Wind (2007), The Dreamer (2010), and Echo (2015).

Esperanza Rising is categorized as children’s historical fiction. It is intended for readers in grades 3 through 7. The novel draws on Muñoz Ryan’s Mexican heritage and her memories of growing up in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The character Esperanza is based on Ryan’s grandmother and her experience as a migrant worker in a company camp during the Great Depression.

Get access to this full Study Guide and much more!

• 7,600+ In-Depth Study Guides
• 4,850+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
• Downloadable PDFs

The story begins in 1924 in Aguascalientes, Mexico, but quickly skips forward to 1930 and covers events from autumn 1930 to autumn 1931. Most of the action takes place in a migrant worker camp in Arvin, California. The story is told using limited third-person narration from the perspective of 13-year-old Esperanza Ortega .

Esperanza begins life as the pampered only child of a wealthy Mexican landowner, but her world is shattered on her 13th birthday when her father is killed by bandits. She is separated from her grandmother and forced to flee to America with her mother to escape the clutches of greedy relatives. The author uses Esperanza’s transformation from a princess to a peasant to explore the themes about the true meaning of wealth , the importance of family , and how to embrace new beginnings in life.

The SuperSummary difference

• 8x more resources than SparkNotes and CliffsNotes combined
• Study Guides you won ' t find anywhere else
• 100+ new titles every month

The page citations in this study guide refer to the Kindle edition of the book.

Plot Summary

Esperanza Ortega lives a life of luxury on a ranch in Mexico with her father, mother, and grandmother. They are attended by their faithful servants, Hortensia and Alfonso . Their servants’ son Miguel has been Esperanza’s lifelong friend. On the eve of her 13th birthday, Esperanza proudly participates in the ritual of initiating the grape harvest. That night, she learns that her father and his men have been killed by bandits. Esperanza is devastated as are her mother, Ramona , and Abuelita , her grandmother. Her father’s greedy stepbrothers soon take control of the estate. Her uncle Luis tries to force Ramona to marry him by setting fire to the house and burning all the family’s possessions. Esperanza, Ramona, and Abuelita escape and take shelter with their servants, but Abuelita sprains her ankle and must stay at a local convent until she recovers.

Meanwhile, the servants smuggle Esperanza and Ramona out of the country, and everyone finds jobs as migrant farmworkers in the San Joaquin Valley. Esperanza has a terrible time adjusting to the hard work and cramped living conditions in her new home. She constantly laments the loss of her father and fortune until Ramona falls ill with Valley Fever. Fearing to lose her mother too, Esperanza steps up to the challenge and goes to work to earn enough money to bring her grandmother to California.

Esperanza’s troubles multiply when Ramona develops pneumonia. Meanwhile, other migrants are pressing to form a union and are threatening those workers who don’t want to join. Between union agitators causing trouble and a raid by the Immigration Bureau, Esperanza is terrified that she and her friends will be harmed or sent back to Mexico. Fortunately, Miguel finds a way to bring Abuelita to America and reunite her with Ramona and Esperanza. The novel ends on a hopeful note as Esperanza finally lets go of her lost past and looks forward to a better future for herself and her family.

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now

Related Titles

By Pam Muñoz Ryan

Becoming Naomi Leon

Pam Muñoz Ryan

Riding Freedom

Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs

The Dreamer

Pam Muñoz Ryan, Illustr. Peter Sis

Featured Collections

Coming-of-Age Journeys

View Collection

Popular Study Guides

Poverty & Homelessness

Required Reading Lists

Esperanza Rising Novel Study: Activities to Engage All Readers

Finding meaningful historical fiction that students can connect with on a deeper level can be challenging when you’ve got struggling or reluctant learners. That’s one reason I love using Esperanza Rising as part of my classroom novel units.

This book is perfect for a whole-class novel study. Use it as a read-aloud for a class of struggling readers, or upper elementary and early middle schoolers will enjoy the book as part of a book club or literature circle.

This novel study for Esperanza Rising comes in print and digital formats and is the perfect way to build important reading comprehension skills and vocabulary with this amazing story of overcoming adversity.

Summary of Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising is a powerful and thought-provoking novel about Esperanza Ortega, a Mexican girl who was born into the poverty of rural Mexico in 1917.

Esperanza’s family loses their farm to bandits after her father is killed during the Mexican Revolution. She is forced to flee with her mother and brother to California where they must work as migrant laborers picking fruit for meager wages under grueling conditions.

Overall, Esperanza struggles with issues of self-identity as she navigates adolescence. When the experience turns dark, she finally gains a voice and pushes through personal tragedy to heal her soul.

What reading level is Esperanza Rising ?

Esperanza Rising is a Guided Reading Level V and has a Lexile score of 750L. This equates to a DRA level of 40-50, which means it is best suited for 4th-6th grade learners.

As a historical fiction text, it will be important that teachers do some pre-teaching activities to help students understand the historical context of the novel. However, it is definitely worth it! In fact, I’ve even included this as one of my 20 Best Books for 5th Graders .

This Esperanza Rising book study unit includes…

This 10-day literature unit breaks this book into manageable sections. Therefore, each day’s work includes both comprehension activities and vocabulary without extra fluff.

In addition, there are two weeks of daily lesson objectives and paper-saving printables included in this resource.

Here’s more about what you’ll find inside this Esperanza Rising Novel Study:

• Instructional guide with daily comprehension skill, objective, and key Tier 2 & text-based vocabulary
• Comprehension trifolds (provided in color and black & white)
• Reader’s notebook comprehension prompts (matching trifolds)
• Word of the Day text-based vocabulary flipbooks
• Trifold answer keys for easy grading
• Enrichment Mini-Book with engaging projects & activities related to the text

Reading comprehension skills targeted

These novel study resources were purposefully selected to align with the details and plotline of Esperanza Rising . In fact, the materials were written to focus on reading comprehension skills that are often more difficult for struggling readers.

Some of the comprehension skills addressed in this novel study include:

• Generate Predictions
• Compare & Contrast Characters
• Analyze Dialogue
• Make Connections
• Problem & Solution
• Analyze Character Traits
• Cause & Effect
• Perspective Taking
• Generating Summaries
• Evaluating Author’s Craft

The daily lessons target one comprehension skill. This was one for two reasons. First, this lets students focus on quality rather than quantity when it comes to responding to literature.

Unlike many novel studies, this format makes sure your students understand and can apply their knowledge to Esperanza Rising and other texts they read. There isn’t any long list of chapter questions that just require students to regurgitate text here!

The novel study format

Comprehension prompts are provided in three formats, selected to reduce copies while still offering materials for student use.

Here’s an overview of each of the comprehension response formats:

Trifold Novel Format

The trifold format was the original design for this novel study.

Esperanza Rising Book Study foldables use only one piece of paper. Each foldable covers one week of comprehension instruction.

Students respond to a targeted question each day that focuses the day’s reading on the comprehension skill.

From the student’s perspective, the benefit of the trifold is that it is extremely approachable. Each day’s work only takes up a third of the page, and this keeps reluctant writers from shutting down.

From the teacher’s perspective, it easy to collect and grade. Many students use the trifold as a bookmark, helping prevent missing papers.

Learn more about the trifold format .

Reader’s Notebook Format

The Reader’s Notebook prompts are perfect for advanced students, who provide a more in-depth analysis, and struggling writers, who may need more space to write their response.

For advanced readers, the notebook prompts can be used to generate a longer, more detailed response to the daily prompt. This pushes the students to analyze and defend their answers.

However, the notebook prompts are also great for students with fine motor or writing issues because they can be glued onto specialized paper or within a notebook to give students with large handwriting more room to respond.

Regardless of the format selected, the prompt is the same so you can easily have some students working on the trifolds while others use the notebook prompts.

Digital Slides Format

This version is made available through Google Slides. The Digital Novel Study Slides are perfect for virtual learners or for use when students have accommodations that allow for typing instead of written responses.

Both the daily vocabulary and comprehension prompt are included on a single slide. This makes it easy for students to keep track of what they need to complete. This prevents overwhelm and allows you to quickly and easily review work daily.

Finally, graphic organizers and links to external resources are built right into the slides when needed to make things easy for learners.

Academic vocabulary in this Esperanza Rising Literature Unit includes…

The instructional guide includes 40+ academic vocabulary terms. These include general academic vocabulary and skill-specific vocabulary.

First and foremost, it is crucial to teach academic vocabulary explicitly and within context. Struggling learners often lack the vocabulary essential to perform well in school. This includes standardized assessments! This is an easy way to incorporate these into your regular instructional practices. Learn more about why academic vocabulary is important.

Here is a small sample of the academic vocabulary you’ll find included in this Esperanza Rising Book Study:

General vocabulary:

Skill-focused vocabulary:.

• perspective

Text-based vocabulary in Esperanza Rising

Each lesson includes one text-based vocabulary word for students to study. This word comes from the day’s reading. Some of the vocabulary words included in this literature guide are:

• premonition
• unrelenting

In addition to being visually appealing, these vocabulary flipbooks record students’ understanding of the new terms. Designed with conserving copies in mind, the flipbooks require only a half-piece of paper per week.

The Word of the Day Flip Book is designed for use in interactive reading journals.

To use the flipbooks, cut around the outer edge, cut the tabs, and glue them into their notebook. Leave the flaps unglued so they can be lifted. This allows students to write under them.

You can have them generate a definition of the day’s word. Alternatively, you could generate a list of synonyms and antonyms. You can even have students draw a picture of the meaning.

Esperanza Rising Book Study Mini-Book (Bonus)

Finally, we all know how important it is to have students reflect and work through some post-novel study activities . That’s why I’ve added a special bonus to this novel unit.

Students reflect on the big ideas and key elements of the text in this fun mini-book. Then glue it into a reading journal to refer back to all year.

Alternatively, these activities are great for early finishers to complete after the daily activities. You can use them after you finish the book to wrap up the story and engage students in meaningful discussion.

Optional activities you’ll find in this Esperanza Rising Book Study Activity include:

• Character Analysis
• Examining the Elements of Fiction
• Rating & Recommend
• Write a Letter to the Author
• Create a Comic Story Summary
• Character Social Media Profile
• Record and Analyze Figurative Language
• Identify & Analyze Symbolism
• Analyze Text Quotes
• Explore Author’s Message
• Create a Spanish-English Dictionary

Therefore, students get more from the story with these engaging Esperanza Book Study activities because they are fun and meaningful. However, they are provided in a way that doesn’t overwhelm learners. Unlike other novel studies, they’ll never require long written responses or lists of required questions.

How to purchase this Esperanza Rising Novel Study

This Esperanza Rising novel study unit can be purchased directly or from my Teachers Pay Teachers.

"Esperanza Rising" Mini-assessment ©

• Description

Includes an excerpt from the novel Esperanza Rising , ten text-dependent questions (including one optional constructed-response prompt for students), and explanatory information for teachers regarding alignment to the CCSS.  Learn more about creating your own  text-dependent questions .

Supplemental Resources

Understand how college- and career-ready assessment is d….

All of the mini-assessments presented are designed to highlight one or more aspects of the ELA/literacy Shifts. Although…

1. Sort Reading Mini-assessment Items by Standard

The Literacy Mini-Assessment Sorter is a Microsoft Excel file that can be used to find specific information about the qu…

ESPERANZA RISING Essay Questions, Speech Writing Prompts DIGITAL Thesis

• Google Apps™
• Microsoft OneDrive

Description

Esperanza Rising Essay Topics will get learners engaging with meaningful topics the novel raises:

★ Starting Over

★ Esperanza & Maturity

★ American & Opportunity

Our essay prompts are ideal for . . .

→ End-of-unit conversation starters

→ Writing journals

→ Literary analysis essays

→ Literary analysis speeches

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION

Learners will choose from a few deep topics to either write a grade-level essay or turn their essay outline into a speech on the topic. During the speeches, learners will need to understand and chart the speakers’ thesis statements. And for you . . . no-hassle grading rubrics are included to make your teaching life easier and for easy, effective grading and feedback. These discussions really bring home the biggest topics of the story and guide learners through discussing the text in an analytical writing process.

The Response to Literature rubrics are also digital and have been refined over years of essay grading to include most of the comments you'd want to write on an essay. This makes the grading process much faster but still allows the teacher the ability to give some feedback . Essays can take so long to grade, can't they? But a rubric like this really speeds up the process for us.

All of the notes from the learners will be easily completed in Google Drive. They can then choose to write an essay or deliver a speech on their ideas.

TEXT : ESPERANZA RISING by Pam Munoz Ryan

LEVEL : 5th - 7th

COMMON CORE :

→ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1,2,3

→ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1,9

→ CCSS.ELA-SpeakingListening.SL4,6

→ Based off the 2000 Edition [ISBN: 0439576172].

→ Our activities easily integrate w/ Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Canvas, Schoology, Edmodo, Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace, Sakai, Showbie, Remind, & more.

→ Grading Rubrics included

Enjoy and let's rise again, with new life ahead of us!

··········································································································································

⭐⭐ Get the Spanish Print version of this activity . ⭐⭐

⭐⭐ Get the English Print version of this activity . ⭐⭐

Save $$$ and buy the bundle. → → → Print Version → → → Digital-only Version → → → Combo Version

WHAT OTHER TEACHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS ESSAY RESOURCE

♥ I LOVED using this. I loved how there were multiple options of responses for my students to choose from and how all of them really required them to think about their responses and all we have learned in ELA. The rubrics were also perfect for assessing their responses and I used them for all my Literary Analysis assessments. Thanks!

♥ This is an excellent lesson because it allows the student to choose the topic they will analyze ( character, setting or theme ) and also a choice between essay or speech.  Only 3/34 chose to do the speech, and they surprised me with their very thorough analysis. I did find, however, that the students need a lot of pre-writing (small group discussion) of the topics in order to come up with an outline.  It was absolutely one of the best writing process essays we did.

♥ The students loved the fact that they had a choice of an essay topic. The essential questions that were asked made my students think beyond basic character analysis . The essay rubric and scoring was a time saver as well. 

♥ This was a great assignment. The organization of the assignment made it easy for my students to prepare and write quality essays. I like this response to literature as well as the checklists for students to make sure they've included mechanics . The rubric was thorough and made it easy to be consistent in grading .

♥ Loved these prompts! There was something for everyone! I was able to use this as a final exam prompt for my class and the responses I got were fantastic!

WHAT IS CREATED FOR DIGITAL?

★ Our Created for Digital resources take all the trusted, quality instructional tools you know and love and convert them into the digital format you need for your online learners.

Why go Digital?

··· Paperless. No printing.

··· Instant saving ... students work in the file.

··· Technology Proficiency

··· Easy integration w/ these Learning Management Systems (as of 9/24/2020) : Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Canvas, Schoology, Edmodo, Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace, Sakai, Showbie, Remind, & more.

··· Works on Chromebooks, Android Tablets, and other devices

··· Engaged students

··· Easy group work

··· Paper trail of revisions for teacher to see

··· Teacher Tutorial - access link and how to use this with your learners

··· Microsoft OneDrive user instructions - a step-by-step visual tutorial. This will only take minutes!

··· All slides can be used over and over again.

OTHER ESPERANZA RISING HOPES

→ Digital 1:1 Complete Unit

→ For-Print Complete Unit

→ Digital-Print Combo Unit

OUR VAST NOVEL UNIT LIBRARY

→ We've got 35+ more complete novel units for you, ready to save you precious time and sanity so you can have your life back to do what you do best ... teach!

POETRY UNITS

→ Poetry Unit Complete PowerPoint and Packet - Genres, Forms, Techniques, Devices

Bored w/ Teaching GRAMMAR ?

→ Introduce your learners to The Grammar Ninjas!

Questions & Answers

Created for learning - ela novel studies.

• We're hiring
• Help & FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Student privacy
• Terms of service
• Tell us what you think