Apply

pp y the Model

Preview the Model

BEFORE READIN
READING
G

The 11:59

DURING READIN
READING
G

At a Glance

Objectives
Studying this lesson will enable
students to
use reading skills such as note
taking
analyze character development
explore the work of Patricia and
Frederick McKissack
synthesize content from different
texts to appreciate a story about a
dedicated worker

AFTER READING

A Short Story by Patricia McKissack

GUIDED READING

Guided Reading: Reading Model

Reading Level: Moderate
Difficulty Consideration:
Foreshadowing
Ease Factors: Short sentences and
paragraphs

Build Background

Historical Context The Pullman sleeping car was introduced

in 1865 to provide train passengers with comfortable sleeping
quarters for overnight trips. Pullman porters tended to the
sleeping quarters, carried luggage, and assisted passengers. For
nearly a century, these porters were almost exclusively African
American.
Readers Context What if you had only a few more hours to
live? What would you do or think about in those last few hours?

Set Purpose
Preview the title of the story. Then read to determine what
significance the title has for the storys main character.

Analyze Literature

Character Writers make careful choices about how they

describe a storys main character, or protagonist. The
changes that a character undergoes during a story can help to
reveal the writers message, or theme, to the reader. As you
read The 11:59, pay attention to how the writer presents the
main character and think about what you learn from his
behavior and feelings.

Launch the Lesson

Prior to reading The 11:59, ask
students if they have heard the phrase
self-fulfilling prophecy. Then ask for
examples of times when something
seemed to come true because they
believed in it strongly.

Meet the Author

M
P
Patricia
McKissack (b. 1944) is an
aaward-winning writer of fiction and
n
nonfiction for young readers. She grew
u
up in Nashville, Tennessee, in the 1940s
aand 1950s and attended Tennessee State
U
University. After graduation, she married
a longtime friend, Fredrick McKissack;
started a family; and continued her education, earning a
masters degree in 1975. In the 1980s, she and her husband
began to write books for children and young adults.

18

Preview
Vocabulary

meager, 19
chide, 20
mesmerize, 20
worrisome, 21
specter, 24
Reading Literature
RL.1, RL.3

18

Take Notes When you

read a short story, it can
be helpful to take notes.
Writing down the names
of the main characters
and their traits, details of
the storys setting and
conflict, and the outcome
of the events described
can all help you better
understand what you have
read. As you read The
11:59, take notes in a
chart like the one below.
Characters

Setting

Conflict

Lester
Simmons

Preview Vocabulary

meager (m7> g@r) adj., lacking in

quantity or quality
chide (ch8d) v., express mild disapproval
mesmerize (mez> m@ r8z<) v.,
fascinate, spellbind
worrisome (w3r> 7 s@m) adj., causing
worry
specter (spek> t@r) n., spirit or ghost

UNIT 1 FICTION

Words in Use

Common Core State Standards

Use Reading Skills

Selection
Words

finery, 21
fastened, 24
deafening, 25

KEY TERMS

Teaching
Words

exclusively, 18
significance, 18
inevitable, 25
convey, 28
duplicate, 28

SHORT STORY,

18
18
MAIN CHARACTER, 18
PROTAGONIST, 18
THEME, 18
FLAT CHARACTER, 20
ROUND CHARACTER, 20
FORESHADOW, 22
MOTIVATION, 23
DIALOGUE, 28
ANECDOTE, 28

000

CHARACTER,

UNIT 1 FICTION

0018-0029_Lit3eG7_U01_ATE.indd 18

2/1/11 2:08 PM

Teach the Model

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Summary

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Lester Simmons, retired Pullman

porter, enjoys telling the chilling tale
of the porters Death Train. According
to this tale, a porter hears the whistle
of the 11:59 just twenty-four hours
before the Death Train arrives to take
him on his last ride. When Lester
hears the fateful whistle, he spends a
suspenseful day trying to stay safe
from accidents. But as the time nears,
the specter of an old friend appears to
remind him that no one can escape
the 11:59. Lester chuckles with his
friend, the image of the train appears,
and Lesters heart gives out.

The 11:59

IRRORS
W INDOWS


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Ticktock, ticktock.

ester Simmons was a thirty-year retired Pullman car porterhad

his gold watch to prove it. Keeps perfect train time, he often
bragged. Good to the second.
Daily he went down to the St. Louis Union Station and shined
shoes to help supplement his meager twenty-four-dollar-a-month
Pullman retirement check. He ate his evening meal at the porter
house on Compton Avenue and hung around until late at night
talking union, playing bid whist, and spinning yarns with those
who were still travelin men. In this way Lester stayed in touch
with the only family hed known since 1920.

The Mirrors
& Windows
questions
at the end
of the story focus on the theme
of clinging to hope. Before
students begin reading, ask:
What makes hope such a
powerful emotion?

3 PM

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Take Notes Answer: He values

punctuality. A

Analyze Literature

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Character Answer: Lester is a hard

worker, reliable and self-sufficient. He
spends his evenings at the porter
house, which shows that he enjoys
company. B



Program Resources

0002-0028_Lit3eG07_U01.indd 19

Planning and Assessment

Program Planning Guide, Selection Lesson Plan
E-Lesson Planner
Assessment Guide, Lesson Test
ExamView
Technology Tools
Interactive Student Text on CD
Visual Teaching Package
Audio Library
mirrorsandwindows.com

11/30/07 11:06:25 AM

Meeting the Standards

Fiction: Unit 1, Guided Reading, pp. 2935
Differentiating Instruction
Developing Readers, Make Predictions, pp. 13

Quiz

Mirrors
&
Windows

THE 11:59

0018-0029_Lit3eG7_U01_ATE.indd 19

19

1/24/11 1:15:00 PM

Teach the Model

Use Reading Strategies
Make Inferences Model for
students how to use information from
the story and their own knowledge to
make inferences about Lesters
character: Lester has retired, but he
works every day, shining shoes. This
tells me that he is a hard worker
who is probably proud of being
self-sufficient.

Analyze Literature
Character Answer: Lester wants the
younger porters to appreciate and
respect the efforts of the porters who
came before them; the dialogue
suggests that Lester is warm, and
values traditions and people. A

Analyze Literature

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Character Answer: Daddy Joe is a

flat character; he is described only in
terms of a single traithis
superhuman strength. B

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There was nothing the young porters liked more than listening to
Lester tell true stories about the old days, during the founding of the
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first black union in the
United States. He knew the president, A. Philip Randolph,
personally, and proudly boasted that it was Randolph whod signed
him up as a union man back in 1926. He passed his original card
around for inspection. I knew all the founding brothers. Take
Brother E. J. Bradley. We hunted many a day together, not for the
sport of it but for something to eat. Those were hard times, starting
up the union. But we hung in there so you youngsters might have
the benefits you enjoy now.
The rookie porters always liked hearing about the thirteen-year
struggle between the Brotherhood and the powerful Pullman
Company, and how, against all odds, the fledgling
union had won
recognition and better working conditions.
Everybody enjoyed it too when Lester told tall tales about Daddy
Joe, the porters larger-than-life hero. Now yall know the first thing
a good Pullman man is expected to do is make up the top and lower
berths for the passengers each night.
Come on, Lester, one of his listeners chided. You dont need
to describe our jobs for us.
Some of you, maybe not. But some of you, well he said,
looking over the top of his glasses and raising an eyebrow at a few
of the younger porters. I was just setting the stage. He smiled
good-naturedly and went on with his story. They tell me Daddy Joe
could walk flatfooted down the center of the coach and let down
berths on both sides of the aisle.
Hearty laughter filled the room, because everyone knew that to
accomplish such a feat, Daddy Joe would have to have been
superhuman. But that was it: To the men who worked the sleeping
cars, Daddy Joe was no less a hero than Paul Bunyan was to the
lumberjacks of the Northwestern forests.
And when the 11:59 pulled up to his door, as big and strong as
Daddy Joe was... Lester continued solemnly. Well, in the end even
he couldnt escape the 11:59. The old storyteller eyed one of the
rookie porters he knew had never heard the frightening tale about
the porters Death Train. Lester took joy in mesmerizing his
young listeners with all the details.



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 FICTION

Differentiated Instruction

0002-0028_Lit3eG07_U01.indd 20

20

11/30/07 11:06:28 AM

English Language Learning

Enrichment

Students learning English may need help with the

following words and expressions:
hung aroundstayed there for a while, 19
spinning yarnstelling stories, 19
union manmember of an association of workers
that promotes and protects workers rights, 20
rookieinexperienced, 20
berthbuilt-in bed or bunk, as on a train, 20
digslang for understand, approve, 25

Students might enjoy visually representing Pullman

cars. They can depict the interior of the cars by
creating models, dioramas, sketches, diagrams,
drawings, or paintings. Have students showcase
their work in a Pullman car display.

UNIT 1 FICTION

0018-0029_Lit3eG7_U01_ATE.indd 20

1/24/11 1:15:04 PM

000

8 AM

Any porter who hears the whistle of the 11:59 has got exactly
twenty-four hours to clear up earthly matters. He better be ready
when the train comes the next night... In his creakiest voice, Lester
drove home the point. All us porters got to board that train one
day. Aint no way to escape the final ride on the 11:59.
Silence.
C
Lester, a young porter asked, you know anybody who ever
heard the whistle of the 11:59 and lived to tell
Not a living soul!
Laughter.
Well, began one of the men, wonder will we have to make up
berths on that train?
If its an overnight trip to heaven, you can best be believing
theres bound to be a few of us making up the berths, another
answered.
Shucks, a card player stopped to put
in. They say even up in heaven we the
ones gon be keeping all that gold and
silver polished.
Speaking of gold and silver, Lester
said, remembering. That reminds me of
how I gave Tip Sampson his nickname.
Yall know Tip?
There were plenty of nods and smiles.
The memory made Lester chuckle. He
shifted in his seat to find a more
comfortable spot. Then he began. A
woman got on board the Silver Arrow in
Chicago going to Los Angeles. She was
dripping in fineryhad on all kinds of
gold and diamond jewelry, carried twelve
bags. Sampson knocked me down getting
to wait on her, figuring she was sure
for a big tip. That lady was
worrisome! Ooowee!
Come do this.
Go do that.
Bring me
this.

Teach the Model

Use Reading Strategies

Aint no
way to
escape the
final ride
on the
11:59.
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Vocabulary Skills

Dialect
Explain that dialect is a version of a language
spoken by people of a particular place, time, or
group. Point out examples: Keeps perfect train
time, Aint no way to escape, Yall know Tip?
and And I didnt make it no better.
Note that words at the beginning of sentences may
be understood rather than stated. Suggest that

Analyze Literature
Character Ask students to consider
how Lesters interactions with other
characters help reveal his character.
Model a possible response: It seems
that Lester and the porters enjoy
teasing each other. This shows that
Lester is friendly and has a sense of
humor.

Use Reading Skills

Context Clues Answer: Students
may note that the meaning of the
word finery is given using an example
clue. The woman was wearing all
kinds of gold and diamond jewelry.
One might conclude that finery means
accessories or expensive materials.

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THE 11:59

0002-0028_Lit3eG07_U01.indd 21

Make Inferences Ask students what

they might infer from the silence that
falls after Lesters comment. Model a
response. The silence shows that the
men take the tale about the 11:59
seriously. Each one is thinking about
the day the Death Train will come for
him. C



11/17/09 3:57:56 PM

reading dialect aloud can help clarify its meaning.

Model this: Keeps perfect train time doesnt have
a subject, so Ill insert It at the beginning of the
sentence. This makes sense, since Lester is talking
about his gold watch.
Ask students to identify other examples of dialect,
read them aloud, and paraphrase or restate them in
standard English.

THE 11:59

0018-0029_Lit3eG7_U01_ATE.indd 21

21

1/24/11 1:15:08 PM

Teach the Model

Analyze Literature
Character Answer: Lesters story about
Tip reveals that he is a keen observer of
human nature, he treasures fond
memories of his friend, and he has a
good sense of humor. A

Use Reading Strategies

Make Predictions Answer: Students
may say that the news of Tip, along
with the fact that Lester and Willie
Beavers are the only two old-timers
left, foreshadows that the 11:59 will
soon be making another stop, possibly
for Lester. B

History Connection
A. Philip Randolph Asa Philip
Randolph (18891979) was born in
Florida and moved to New York City
in 1911, where he attended City
College. Seeing the need for black
workers to organize, he founded the
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in
1925, serving as president of the
union and securing a contract with
the Pullman Company in 1937.
Randolph worked all of his life to ban
segregation; he was one of the
leaders of the 1963 Civil Rights
March on Washington. He served as
president of the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters until his
retirement in 1968.

Sampson was running over himself trying to keep that lady happy.
When we reached L.A., my passengers all tipped me two or three
dollars, as was customary back then.
When Sampsons Big Money lady got off, she reached into her
purse and placed a dime in his outstretched hand. A dime! Can you
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I havent heard from ol Tip in a while. Anybody know
anything?
You havent got word, Lester? Tip boarded the 11:59 over in
B Kansas City about a month ago.
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Lester looked at his watchit was a little before midnight. The
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B
talkfest had lasted later than usual. He said his good-byes and left,
taking his usual route across the Eighteenth Street bridge behind the
station.
In the darkness, Lester looked over the yard, picking out familiar
shapesthe Hummingbird, the Zephyr. Hed worked on them both.
Train travel wasnt anything like it used to be in the old daysnot
since people had begun to ride airplanes. Progress, he scoffed.
Those contraptions will never take the place of a train. No sir!
Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest. At exactly the same
moment he heard the mournful sound of a train whistle, which the
wind seemed to carry from some faraway place. Ignoring his pain,
Lester looked at the old station. He knew nothing was scheduled to
come in or out till early morning. Nervously he lit a match to check
the time. 11:59!
No, he said into the darkness. Im not ready. Ive got plenty of
living yet.
Fear quickened his step. Reaching his small apartment, he hurried
up the steps. His heart pounded in his ear, and his left arm tingled.
He had an idea, and there wasnt a moment to waste. But his own
words haunted him. Aint no way to escape the final ride on the 11:59.
But Im gon try! Lester spent the rest of the night plotting his
escape from fate.
I wont eat or drink anything all day, he talked himself through
his plan. That way I cant choke, die of food poisoning, or cause a
cooking fire.

& %
 FICTION

Differentiated Instruction

0002-0028_Lit3eG07_U01.indd 22

22

11/30/07 11:06:30 AM

Kinesthetic Learning

Visual Learning

Students can retell Lesters story about Tip. Have

them reread the passage several times, committing
the events to memory. When they are ready, have
them retell the story in their own words, adding
their own embellishments. Encourage students to
use gestures, movement, and facial expression for
emphasis.

Have students draw a portrait of Lester. It should

include detailssuch as the gold watchthat
represent his personality, values, and character.
Some students might prefer to make a collage of
images related to Lesters life.

UNIT 1 FICTION

0018-0029_Lit3eG7_U01_ATE.indd 22

1/24/11 1:15:11 PM

000

0 AM

Lester shut off the space heater to avoid an explosion, nailed shut
all doors and windows to keep out intruders, and unplugged every
electrical appliance. Good weather was predicted, but just in case a
freak storm came and blew out a window, shooting deadly glass
shards in his direction, he moved a straight-backed chair into a far
corner, making sure nothing was overhead to fall on him.
Ill survive, he said, smiling at the prospect of beating Death.
Wont that be a wonderful story to tell at the porter house? He
rubbed his left arm. It felt numb again.
Lester sat silently in his chair all day, too afraid to move. At noon
someone knocked on his door. He couldnt answer it. Footsteps...
another knock. He didnt answer.
A parade of minutes passed by, equally measured, one behind
the other, ticking...ticking...away...The dull pain in his chest
returned. He nervously checked his watch every few minutes.
Ticktock, ticktock.
E
Time had always been on his side. Now it was his enemy. Where
had the years gone? Lester reviewed the thirty years hed spent riding
the rails. How different would his life have been if hed married
Louise Henderson and had a gallon of children? What if hed taken
that job at the mill down in Opelika? What if hed followed his
brother to Philly? How different?
Ticktock, ticktock.
So much living had passed so quickly. Lester decided if he had
to do it all over again, hed stand by his choices. His had been a
good life. No regrets. No major changes for him.
Ticktock, ticktock.
The times hed hadboth good and badwhat memories. His
first and only love had been traveling, and she was a jealous
companion. Wonder whatever happened to that girl up in
Minneapolis? Thinking about her made him smile. Then he laughed.
That girl must be close to seventy years old by now.
Ticktock, ticktock.
Daylight was fading quickly. Lester drifted off to sleep, then
woke from a nightmare in which, like Jonah, hed been swallowed G
by an enormous beast. Even awake he could still hear its heart
beating...ticktock, ticktock...But then he realized he was hearing his
own heartbeat.
Lester couldnt see his watch, but he guessed no more than half
an hour had passed. Sleep had overtaken him with such little

Teach the Model

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Take Notes Answer: The conflict is

between Lester and Death. The
evidence is that no one escapes the
11:59, so it is unlikely that Lester will
prevail. C

Analyze Literature

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Character Answer: Lester is

determined to do everything he can to
stay alive, so he is trying to maintain
tight control over everything around
him. Opening the door would
introduce an unknown, possibly
uncontrollable, factor into the
situation. D

Analyze Literature

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Suspense Ask students how the

author builds suspense in this
passage. Model a response: Lester
keeps trying to reassure himself that
hell survive, but he nervously checks
his watch, and is afraid to answer the
door. His arm goes numb, and
the ticktock sound adds to the
tension. E

Make Connections
Answer: Students may say this makes
it easier for them to accept his
impending death. It is comforting to
know that he has no regrets about the
choices he has made. F

Literary Connection
Jonah In the Bible, Jonah tries to
escape an assignment from God.
Lester is trying to evade Death. G


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THE 11:59

Grammar Skills

0002-0028_Lit3eG07_U01.indd 23

Capitalization
Remind students that a proper noun names a
specific person, place, or thing and a proper
adjective is either formed from a proper noun or a
proper noun used as an adjective. Have small
groups list proper nouns and proper adjectives from
the story. Then ask the groups to sort the names
into categories such as Names of People, Names
of Places, and Names of Organizations.

11/30/07 11:06:30 AM

Based on their categorized lists, have the groups

formulate capitalization rules. Model an example:
The following kinds of proper nouns/adjectives
should be capitalized: names of places, names of
people . . . Have groups share their results.

THE 11:59

0018-0029_Lit3eG7_U01_ATE.indd 23

23

1/24/11 1:15:15 PM

Teach the Model

Use Reading Strategies
Make Predictions Invite students to
review the predictions they made
about whether Lesters plan will work.
Model how to weigh new evidence
and adjust predictions: In spite of all
of Lesters precautions, he has been
having chest pain and numbness in
his arm. Im going to change my
prediction. I think that Lester will
board the 11:59 tonight.

More by This Author

Im too
smart for
that,
Death...

Students who like The 11:59 might

enjoy other stories by Patricia
McKissack from The Dark Thirty:
Southern Tales of the Supernatural.

TEACHING NOTE
Self-Generated Questioning
Divide the class into small groups.
Have the members of each group
brainstorm and jot down questions
they would like to ask Lester. Model a
possible question: Why did you retire?
Instruct each group to pass its
questions to another group. Then each
group should use what they know
about Lester to answer the questions
it receives. Have groups share some
of their questions and answers
with the rest of the class.

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resistance. Would Death, that shapeless shadow, slip in that easily?

Where was he lurking? Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil...The Twenty-third Psalm was the
only prayer Lester knew, and he repeated it over and over, hoping it
would comfort him.
Lester rubbed his tingling arm. He could hear the blood rushing
past his ear and up the side of his head. He longed to know what
time it was, but that meant he had to light a matchtoo risky. What
if there was a gas leak? The match would set off an explosion. Im
too smart for that, Death, he said.
Ticktock, ticktock.
It was late. He could feel it. Stiffness seized his legs and made
them tremble. How much longer? he wondered. Was he close to
winning?
Then in the fearful silence he heard a train whistle. His ears
strained to identify the sound, making sure it was a whistle. No
mistake. It came again, the same as the night before. Lester answered
it with a groan.
Ticktock, ticktock.
He could hear Time ticking away in his head. Gas leak or not, he
had to see his watch. Striking a match, Lester quickly checked the
time. 11:57.
Although there was no gas explosion, a tiny explosion erupted in
his heart.
Ticktock, ticktock.
Just a little more time. The whistle sounded again. Closer than
before. Lester struggled to move, but he felt fastened to the chair.
Now he could hear the engine puffing, pulling a heavy load. It was
hard for him to breathe, too, and the pain in his chest weighed
heavier and heavier.
Ticktock, ticktock.
Time had run out! Lesters mind reached for an explanation that
made sense. But reason failed when a glowing phantom dressed in
the porters blue uniform stepped out of the grayness of Lesters
confusion.
Its your time, good brother. The specter spoke in a thousand
familiar voices.
Freed of any restraint now, Lester stood, bathed in a peaceful
calm that had its own glow. Is that you, Tip? he asked, squinting
to focus on his old friend standing in the strange light.

& %
 FICTION

Vocabulary Skills
Context Clues
Write this sentence on the board: You can often
figure out the meaning of a word by looking for
clues in the context, or the surrounding words and
sentences. Point out that in this sentence, the
comma and the word or signals that context is the
surrounding words and sentences. Tell students
that to find context clues they can look for commas,

24

000

dashes, and such signal words or phrases as such

as, that is, or, and in other words.
Have students identify the context clues for the
underlined words in this sentence:
Sam knew he would still be hungry after he ate his
meager breakfast.

UNIT 1 FICTION

0018-0029_Lit3eG7_U01_ATE.indd 24

1/24/11 1:15:18 PM

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THE 11:59

Speaking & Listening Skills

Evaluate and Interpret Literary Texts

Have students analyze what makes Lester a good
storyteller. Suggest that pairs concentrate on
Lesters character and work together to make a list
of the storytelling techniques he uses. Then have
students practice telling Lesters story. Students who
complete the Creative Writing activity on page 28

Answer:
Responses
will vary.
Clinging to
hope may give a person
strength and determination.

+5/
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0002-0028_Lit3eG07_U01.indd 25

Character Answer: It is not

surprising, because talking to his old
friend Tip helps him realize that
although he will leave some
relationships behind, other
relationships will continue. A

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Analyze Literature

1 AM

Its me, ol partner. Come to remind you that none of us can

escape the last ride on the 11:59.
I know. I know, Lester said, chuckling. But man, I had to try.
Tip smiled. I can dig it. So did I.
Thatll just leave Willie, wont it?
Not for long.
Im ready.
Lester saw the great beam of the single headlight and heard the
deafening whistle blast one last time before the engine tore through
the front of the apartment, shattering glass and splintering wood,
collapsing everything in its path, including Lesters heart.
When Lester didnt show up at the shoeshine stand two days
running, friends went over to his place and found him on the floor.
His eyes were fixed on something quite amazinghis gold watch,
stopped at exactly 11:59.


1. (a) He spends his evenings with the

porters, playing cards and telling stories.
(b) He enjoys their company.
2. (a) He feels a sharp pain in his
chest, numbness and tingling in his
left arm, and stiffness in his legs.
Later, he feels an explosion in his
heart, has trouble breathing, and feels
as if there is a great weight on his
chest. (b) He is having a heart attack.
3. (a) The watch says 11:59.
(b) That is when Lester died.

Make Judgments
4. (a) The story gives a good general
picture of the lives of the porters.
(b) They share stories.
5. (a) Lester goes from feeling jovial
to feeling terrified, then determined to
fight for his life. (b) Lester enjoys life
and doesnt want to leave his friends;
he is determined and resourceful.
6. (a) He feels calmer. (b) Lester now
accepts what is happening.

11/30/07 11:06:31 AM

may choose, instead, to present their dialogues

about how Lester outsmarts Death.
Encourage students to use the storytelling
techniques from the lists they have made to add
drama and suspense to their tale. Suggest that they
tell the story to the class.

THE 11:59

0018-0029_Lit3eG7_U01_ATE.indd 25

25

1/24/11 1:15:21 PM