Bell Ringer

• If you could ask someone to help you with one thing in your life, what would you ask them to help you with? Why would you pick that one thing?

Be specific AND answer both parts!

Journal Question

• What values have your parents instilled in you? What values do you want to pass along to your friends or children someday?

Bell Ringer

1. Write about a time in your life when you struggled with a choice.

2. Did you make the right or wrong one? 3. What did you learn from it?

SummaryNailed into a crate in the back of a truck, fifteen-year-old Maria, her older sister, Julia, their little brother, Oscar, and a boy named Tomas endure a terrifying and torturous journey across the U.S. border and then north to Chicago. There they struggle to find work-cleaning, sewing, washing dishes-always fearful of arrest and deportation back to the cruelties of El Salvador. By turns heartbreaking and hopeful, this moving story of the secret lives of immigrants is not to be missed.

The author of Journey of the Sparrows suggests that family values and determination can help you get through difficult circumstances.

What does Maria learn?

Maria learned that undocumented immigrants looking for the “American Dream” face hardships in finding food, a place to stay and jobs. They endure discrimination and are subjected to injustices in the work place.

Maria learned the importance of education and how a corrupt government can keep control of a group of people by simply denying them quality education.

Maria learned how love is sometimes expressed through risk and sacrifice.

What does the title suggest?

A sparrow often symbolizes good luck. Sparrows are land birds and sailors used to look for them to feel safe since they were probably closer to land.

Journey of the Sparrows suggests perhaps that they were being lead on a journey by good luck. It is a hopeful title even though they encounter lots of bad luck. The fact that the end of the novel is left open, makes us hope that good luck will finally lead them to happiness.

The fact that sparrows is plural might also suggest that they are the lucky ones already. Maybe they will bring luck to the United States instead of the United States bringing luck to them.

What does the conflict teach us?

Maria and her family want a better life. They want one that is safe and allows them to have the basic necessities such as food, a home, a job, and happiness. To improve the quality of their life, they had to leave El Salvador and look in the United States. This conflict reminds us how difficult people in other countries have it and how the U.S. offers poor people an option. It reminds us to take advantages of the opportunities that we have here in the U.S.

What does the story suggest about what is right and wrong?

The novel clearly portrays how badly undocumented immigrants are treated in the United States.

It also portrays how the family’s values and determination help them confront their difficulties.

“La Jaula de Oro” by Los Tigres del NorteAqui estoy establecido,En los Estados Unidos,Diez anos pasaron ya,En que cruce de mojado,Papeles no he arreglado,Sigo siendo un ilegal,Tengo mi esposa y mis hijos,Que me ls traje muy chicos,Y se han olvidado ya,De mi MEXICO querido,Del que yo nunca me olvido,Y no puedo regresar,De que me sirve el dinero,Si estoy como prisionero,Dentro desta gran nacion,Cuando me acuerdo hasta lloro,Aunque la jaula sea de oro,No deja de ser prision,

" Y ESCUCHAME HIJO, TE GUSTARIA QUE REGRESARAMOS A VIVIR A MEXICO,"What's talkin about dad,I don't wanna go back to MEXICO,No way dad,Mis hijos no hablan conmigo,Otro idioma han aprendido,Y olvidado el espaol,Piensan como americanos, Niegan que son MEXICANOAuque tengan mi color,De mi trabajo a mi casa, No se lo que me pasa,Que aunque soy hombre de hogar,Casi no salgo a la calle,Pues tengo miedo que me hallen, Y me pueden deportar, De que me sirve el dinero,Si estoy como prisionero,Dentro desta gran nacion,Cuando me acuerdo hasta lloro,Aunque la jaula sea de oro,No deja de ser prision,

The author of “La Jaula de Oro” suggests that determination and ambition without family values can help you get through difficult financial circumstances, but will not bring you happiness.

What does the singer learn?

The singer learns that while working hard to provide a better life for his children, he lost touch of the values and morals he wanted his children to grow up with.

His kids assimilated to the culture so they “fit in,” but was that what a better life is?

He learned that money doesn’t buy you family values. His determination was to provide financially, not to provide emotionally.

What does the title, “La Jaula de Oro,” suggest?

The title suggests that even though his prison is made of a desirable material, it is still a prison. He still has limitations so he still isn’t fooling anyone.

What does the conflict teach us?

The conflict teaches us that what we might be out to get, might not always be what is worth getting. While he “made it” in the United States, he is still in hiding because of his undocumented status.

The conflict also lies in that his children have taken on completely different values that are not his own.

What does the story suggest about what is right and wrong?

The song clearly suggests that it is wrong to disregard imparting your values to your children because children will take on values, but it might not be the ones you hold.

The song suggests that it is right to want to give your children more, but it is wrong to give them only material things.

What does the audience learn?

The audience learns that they need to push through the difficult times in order to get to the good times. For example “ So hold your head up and tell yourself there is something more” This shows the singer is telling us that even when we feel there is nothing else out there for us, we need to remember to tell ourselves there is.

What does the conflict teach us?

The conflict teaches us that there are going to be days in our life where we feel like everything has gone wrong. However we need to stand tall and eventually everything will be okay.

What does the title “Every Storm Runs Out of Rain” suggest?

The title suggest that eventually rough times in our life will fade away. The storm represents the difficult time in our life. However “Runs out of Rain” represents the bad times ending.

What does the song suggest about right and wrong?

The song suggest that it is wrong to give up even when you feel like nothing is going to get better or has hit “rock bottom”

The song suggests that it is right to hold your head up high and keep pushing. “It's gonna run out of painIt's gonna run out of sting”

The author of this song suggest that we should never loose faith through the difficult times in our life. Instead of loosing faith, we should become more stronger and motivated.

Requirements

1) Summary and picture of the novel2) Theme graphic organizer of the novel(2

pieces of specific evidence) 3) Lyrics of a song that has a similar theme4)Theme graphic organizer of the song(2 pieces

of specific evidence) 5) Universal Theme 6) Critique of the Theme