“Inside Out”from The Circuit

by Francisco Jiménez

Francisco is the son of migrant workers new to America. He attends an American school and struggles to learn the language. A misunderstanding with a bullying classmate embarrasses him, but he feels better when his drawing wins first prize in a contest. During the year he studies a caterpillar in the classroom, eventually watching it cocoon and become a butterfly. (PB 51)

Skill Lessons Genre

Realistic Fiction Comprehension

Compare and Contrast (PB 53, 57, 58) Author’s Purpose (PB 56)

Words to Know (SE 144-145) Vocabulary (PB 54) Word Structure (PB 55)

Research and Study Skills Reference Book (PB 59-60)

Genre Realistic fiction deals with characters and

actions that seem real but come from the author's imagination. Added details make characters and the setting come to life.

Comprehension: Compare and Contrast

When you compare two or more things, you show how they are alike. Clue words such as like or as show comparisons.

When you contrast two or more things, you show how they are different. Clue words such as but or however show contrasts.

Comprehension: Author’s Purpose

The author’s purpose is the reason or reasons the author has for writing.

An author may write to persuade, to inform, to entertain, or to express himself or herself.

Words to Know: Vocabulary Caterpillar Cocoon Disrespect Emerge

Migrant Sketched Unscrewed

Caterpillar The wormlike larvae of insects

such as butterflies and moths

Cocoon Case of silky thread spun by the larvae of

various insects, to live in while they are developing into adults

Disrespect To show a lack of respect; to

be rude

Emerge To come into view; come out;

come up MSN Encarta (video of emerging butterfly)

Migrant A worker, especially a farm

worker, who travels from one area to another in search of work

Sketched Drawn roughly and quickly

Unscrewed Loosened or taken off by

turning

Word Structure A prefix is a syllable added at the beginning

of a base word to change its meaning. Sometimes you can use prefixes to figure out

the meaning of an unfamiliar word. The prefixes un- and dis- usually mean “the

opposite” or “to do the opposite.”