1. Case Study: Esperanza Rising
Module 1 Unit 2 Lesson 1
Building Background Knowledge:
Learning About the Historical and Geographical Setting of Esperanza Rising

2. Learning Targets I can define historical fiction.
I can describe the geographical setting of Esperanza Rising.
I can describe the historical setting of Esperanza Rising.

3. Distributing Esperanza Rising
What is historical fiction?
A story that is based on real events, real settings, and some real people, but also includes many imagined events and characters.
As you receive your copy of the book:
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?

4. Read Aloud of Pages 1-3 of Esperanza Rising
You may have noticed that land at the bottom of the cover. Today, we will begin to get a feel for the setting, or place and time where the events in this novel occur.
Follow along as I read pages 1-3.
What is this short chapter mostly about?

5. Visualizing the Geographical Setting
Reread the first paragraph on page 1. Try to picture in your mind what it is like where Esperanza lives.
Turn and Talk: What is it like where Esperanza lives?

6. Visualizing the Geographical Setting
What is a vineyard?
What are gentle slopes?
What might Papa mean when he says, “Our land is alive”?

7. Visualizing the Geographical Setting
Chapter 1 is called “Aguascalientes, Mexico, 1924”
Does anyone know what aguascalientes is?
In Spanish, agua means water and calientes means hot. There will be many Spanish words and phrases in this book that we must use context clues to figure out.

8. Visualizing the Geographical Setting

9. Visualizing the Geographical Setting

10. Visualizing the Geographical Setting

11. Visualizing the Geographical Setting

12. Visualizing the Geographical Setting

13. Understand the Historical Setting
In order to fully understand the setting of the novel, not only do we need to understand the geographical place, but also the historical time period.
To do this, we are going to focus on three topics:
1. Government and Revolution
2. Neighbor to the North
3. Rich versus Poor

14. Understand the Historical Setting
In order to fully understand the setting of the novel, not only do we need to understand the geographical place, but also the historical time period.
To do this, we are going to focus on three topics:
1. Government and Revolution
2. Neighbor to the North
3. Rich versus Poor

15. Understand the Historical Setting
You are going to become an expert in one of these there topics, then share with the other members of your group.
Directions:
1. Read your assigned topic.
2. Review the pictures.
3. Take notes about key points and questions you still have.

16. Debrief: Understand the Historical Setting
Government and Revolution
Key Points:
to 1880 and 1884 to 1911, Mexico
ruled by dictator named Porfirio Díaz
- Mexican Revolution (1910) - the
poor and working-class people of
Mexico rebelled against the wealthy
landowners and Díaz
- They wanted fair pay, equal rights,
and to have better opportunities
- Mexican Constitution written in 1917

17. Debrief: Understand the Historical Setting
Neighbors to the North
Key Points:
- Mexican-American War ( )
- Mexico lost nearly half of its territory
after the U.S. won the war
- Mexico was forced to sell the land
that is now Texas, California, Arizona,
and New Mexico
- Mexico and U.S. had a very bad
relationship after the war

18. Debrief: Understand the Historical Setting
Rich Versus Poor
Key Points:
Families lived and worked on farms that surrounded small villages
Workers did not make very much
money
More than 70% of Mexico’s
population in the 1920s was
extremely poor