1. Nonfiction Information & Persuasion Assessment Review your +’s and  ’s

2. Building Background The Civil Rights Movement As you watch the video, ask yourself “Why do people risk their lives to get equality?”

3. Examine “American History” Infer and RAP handout The author will tell us about a teenage girl’s experience as a Puerto Rican immigrant Examine the example on the handout of one scene in the narrative where there is “disparity” between whites and immigrants Write 2 events or scenes in the narrative where you see disparity

4. Text Evidence (quote or summary from the story) Craft used Explanation (+) How does this text evidence prove there is disparity between whites and immigrants in the story? Elena sits on the fire escape at El Building, looking down longingly from high above at the house and yard where white families live. Imagery (you can SEE the author’s words) The image of Elena sitting on the fire escape looking down longingly from afar on the lives of the white families living in the house emphasizes the distance that separates immigrants like Elena from the American Dream. The house and yard may be next door to El Building, but a wide gulf separates the lives of the Puerto Rican immigrants in the squalid El Building from the lives of the whites in the house next door. ACTIVITY: What can you infer? Question: How does Ortiz let the reader know there are disparities (inequality) between whites and immigrants like Elena?

5. Writing Instruction & Practice Whenever you speak or write, assume your audience doesn’t have a clue what you are talking/writing about. R If you don’t restate the question somewhere in your response, your audience will spend most of their time trying to figure out what you’re talking/writing about. A If you don’t answer in detail, they will only get a superficial (fluffy) idea of what you’re thinking. P If you don’t use an example or evidence, they will think you don’t really have any proof to back up your idea. + If you don’t explain your proof, they will wonder whether it really proves what you’re saying or whether you just threw something out there hoping it will help prove your point.

6. Question: How does Ortiz let the reader know there are disparities (inequality) between whites and immigrants like Elena? Example of well-written response: Ortiz illustrates the disparity between immigrants’ and white American’s lives with the image of Elena sitting on the fire escape high above Eugene’s house. Elena reports that the fire escape was “my favorite spot,” because she could safely observe the lives of her white neighbors. “I had to resist the temptation to climb down into that yard and water the flowers,” Elena says. The fact that the balcony is her “favorite spot” and that she wishes she could climb down to water that flowers shows that Elena desires what the white family has but it is out of reach for Elena at this point in her life. The fact that Elena is sitting high above the house emphasizes the distance that separates immigrants like Elena from the American Dream. She can see the lives of her white neighbors. The house may be next door to her building, but a wide gulf separates the lives of the Puerto Rican immigrants in El Building from the lives of whites.