House On Mango Street Unit

CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET 6TH GRADE UNIT
Student Packet
Directions: Use your book to fill out the information on the lines below. Then write your
name on this packet.
Title: The House on Mango Street

Author: ________________________________
Genre: ________________________________
Concepts: Point of View, Setting, Character, Compare and Contrast, Plot,
Sequence
Name: _________________________________________________
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© 2010 Urban Education Exchange. All rights reserved
Student Packet
Genre Lesson Independent Practice: Examining a Short Story

Name: _____________________________ Date: _____________
Directions: Record the information about the story elements from the first story in The
House on Mango Street in the inner circles. Then, write questions about what the author
chose not to include in the short story around the appropriate story element.
Characters
Example: Why did the family

move so many times?
Setting
Plot Problem and Solution
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Student Packet
Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________________

Vocabulary Activity: Four Square
“The House on Mango Street” — “Gil’s Furniture Bought & Sold”
Directions: For each word below, write the definition, examples of the word, and non-
examples of the word. You may use a dictionary if you are unsure of the meaning of the
words.
1. Word Examples 2. Word Examples
temporary inherit
Definition Non-examples Definition Non-examples
4. Word Examples
3. Word Examples
sassy
raggedy
Definition Non-examples
Definition Non-examples
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Student Packet
Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________

Comprehension Questions
Directions: Read the questions and answer them in complete sentences or choose the
correct answer. Use the book to help you, if needed. Use details from the text to support
your answer. Record the Concept of Comprehension© on the line next to each question.
_____ 1. Describe the house that Esperanza and her family live in on Mango Street and
compare it to the house that Mama and Papa thought they would live in.
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_____ 2. “But my mother’s hair . . . is the warm smell of bread before you bake it,” (p. 6)
is an example of a(n):
a. idiom
b. simile
c. metaphor
d. pun
_____ 3. What can you tell about how Esperanza feels about herself when she says, “I
am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor”? (p. 9)
a. She wishes her brothers were nicer to her and her sister.
b. She wishes Nenny was not her sister.
c. She wishes she could go somewhere else.
d. She wishes that she could have more friends, but her responsibility is her
sister.
_____ 4. What point of view is the story told from? Choose one sentence from the story
to support your answer.
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_____ 5. Which word best describes how Esperanza feels about name?
a. honored
b. happy
c. satisfied
d. dislike
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Student Packet
Comprehension Questions (continued)

_____ 6. Number the following events from the story in the order that they happened.
Esperanza buys a bike with Esperanza and Nenny go to Cathy says she will be
Lucy and Rachel and a junk store. Nenny wants Esperanza’s friend, but only
becomes their friends. to buy a music box, but the until Tuesday because she
owner tells her it is not for will be moving away.
sale.
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____ 7. Explain why you think Esperanza gave Rachel five dollars.
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_____ 8. How does Esperanza want to be different than her great-grandmother? How
are they similar?
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____ 9. Read the following sentence from the story.

“And we’d have a basement and at least three washrooms so when we took a
bath we wouldn’t have to tell everybody.” (p. 4)
Which word is a synonym for washrooms in the sentence above?
a. kitchens
b. laundries
c. bathrooms
d. bedrooms
_____ 10. Describe Gil’s Furniture Store.
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Student Packet
Lesson 1 Independent Practice: Pointing Out the Point of View

Name: _____________________________ Date: _____________
Directions: Determine the point of view of three different versions of House on Mango
Street by examining excerpts from the story in the boxes below. Then, using clues
found in the excerpts, explain how you came to your conclusion.
“One day we were passing a house that looked, in my mind, like houses I had seen
in Mexico. I don’t know why. There was nothing about the house that looked exactly like the
houses I remembered. I’m not even sure why I thought it, but it seemed to feel right.”
‘Look at that house, I said, it looks like Mexico.”
“Rachel and Lucy look at me like I’m crazy, but before they can let out a laugh,
Nenny says: Yes, that’s Mexico all right. That’s what I was thinking exactly.” (pp. 17-18)
PoV: ___________________________________________________________
How I know: _____________________________________________________
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“One day, they were passing a house that looked, in her mind, like houses she had
seen in Mexico. She didn’t know why. There was nothing about the house that looked exactly
like the houses she remembered. She wasn’t even sure why she thought it, but it seemed to
feel right.”
“’Look at that house,” she said. “It looks like Mexico.’”
“Rachel and Lucy look at her like she’s crazy, but before they can let out a laugh,
Nenny says, ‘Yes, that’s Mexico all right. That’s what I was thinking exactly.’” (pp. 17-18)
PoV: ___________________________________________________________
How I know: _____________________________________________________
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“One day, they were passing a house that looked like houses she had seen in Mexico.
There was nothing about the house that looked like the houses in Mexico.”
“’Look at that house,’ she said. ‘It looks like Mexico.’”
“Rachel and Lucy look at her, but before they can let out a laugh, Nenny says, ‘Yes, that’s
Mexico all right. That’s what I was thinking exactly.’” (pp. 17-18)
PoV: _________________________________________________________________________
How I know: _________________________________________________________________
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Student Packet
Name: ______________________________ Date: ___________
Vocabulary Activity: One of These Words Is Not Like the Others

“Meme Ortiz” — “A Rice Sandwich”
Directions: Read each group of words. Cross out the word that does not belong in the
group. Then explain why the remaining words belong together.
1. jutting extending bulging cave in
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2. independently automatically manually mechanically
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3. pleated folded creased straightened
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4. rise descend drop dip
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5. shrink swollen enlarged expanded
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6. steady wobble wiggle shake
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Student Packet
Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________

_____ 1. What is unique about Meme Ortiz’ house?
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_____ 2. Which of the following sentences shows an example of how the story could be changed from
first person point of view to the third person omniscient point of view?
a. “Esperanza got in the car and Louie’s sister sat on her lap.”
b. “Esperanza thought to herself that the seats in Louie’s cousin’s car were big and soft like
a sofa.”
c. “He is my brother’s friend really, but I know he has two cousins and that his T-shirts never
stay tucked in his pants.”
d. “We hardly had time to think when the cop car pulled in the alley going just as fast.”
_____ 3. What does the following sentence from the story mean?
“The nose of that yellow Cadillac was all pleated like an alligator’s and except for a bloody lip and
a bruised forehead, Louie’s cousin was okay.”
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_____ 4. What problem do people have coming into Esperanza’s neighborhood? What problem does
she face when she leaves her neighborhood?
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_____ 5. What does it mean when Esperanza describes Rosa Vargas’ kids by saying that they, “bend
trees and bounce between cars and dangle upside down from knees and almost break like fancy museum
vases you can’t replace”?
a. The throw their mother’s fancy vases to the ground while sitting in trees.
b. They like visiting museums and looking at vases.
c. They are so active and wild that they almost get seriously hurt.
d. They are so strong that they can break trees in half with their bodies.
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Student Packet

_____ 6. Compare and contrast the Alicia’s life with Marin’s life.
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_____ 7. Which of the following sentences indicate that Esperanza is not happy living on Mango Street?
a. “All brown all around, we are safe.”
b. “But next year Louie’s parents are going to send her back to her mother with a letter
saying she’s too much trouble, and that is too bad because I like Marin.”
c. “But what you remember most is this tree, huge, with fat arms and mighty families of
squirrels in the higher branches.”
d. “Here there is too much sadness and not enough sky.”
_____ 8. What is the problem in the story, “And Some More”?

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_____ 9. The chart below shows Esperanza’s with the high heels. Which event belongs in Box C?
A neighbor gives Esperanza, Rachel, Lucy and Rachel’s
Esperanza, Rachel, and Lucy practice mother throws away
and Lucy old high walking around in the the high heels.
heel shoes. heels. A neighbor
says they are too
young to wear them.
Box A Box B Box C Box D

a. The girls want to trade and take turns wearing the high heels.
b. Lucy hides the shoes under a basket on the porch.
c. Rachel kisses a bum and he gives her a dollar.
d. The girls laugh at Rachel’s foot with a high heel and a girl’s sock.
_____ 10. Why is Esperanza embarrassed in “A Rice Sandwich”?

a. The nun asks her to go home in front of the entire canteen.
b. She does not have enough food to eat like the other students.
c. The nun tells her she lives close to home and does not have to eat at school. She points to
old homes that are not where Esperanza lives and she feels ashamed that the nun thinks of her
that way.
d. The nun yells at her for misbehaving in class.
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Student Packet
Lesson 2 Independent Practice: Picturing Perspective
Name: _____________________________ Date: _____________
Directions: After reading “Those Who Don’t,” draw a picture of Esperanza inside the
frame. Record her thoughts and feelings about other people driving through her
neighborhood in the thought bubble. Then, record details about Esperanza’s cultural
background that might affect her perspective.
Thoughts and Feelings about

the Scared Drivers
Cultural Background
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Student Packet
Lesson 2 Independent Practice: Picturing Perspective (continued)
How did Esperanza’s culture influence her perspective on the scared drivers?
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Student Packet
Name: ______________________________ Date: ___________
Vocabulary Activity: Opposite Meanings

“Chanclas” — “Minerva Writes Poems”
Directions: Read the sentences from the stories. The definition of each bold word has
been provided for you. Write two to four antonyms of the word on the line provided.
Then write a sentence using the word.
1. “Here a pillar of bees and this a mattress of luxury.” (“Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water,”
p. 63)
luxury: expensive, beautiful items that make life enjoyable
antonyms: ____________________________________________________________
sentence: _____________________________________________________________
2. “Ain’t it a shame." (“Geraldo No Last Name,” p. 66)

shame: pity or sad thing to have happened
antonyms: ____________________________________________________________
sentence: _____________________________________________________________
3. “’But answer came there none—and this was scarcely odd, because they’d
eaten every one . . . ‘” (“Edna’s Ruthie,” p. 69)
scarcely: hardly, barely
antonyms: ____________________________________________________________
sentence: _____________________________________________________________
4. “They send ferocious roots beneath the ground.” (“Four Skinny Trees,” p. 74)
ferocious: fierce, wild, vicious
antonyms: ____________________________________________________________
sentence: _____________________________________________________________
5. “¡Ay! Mamacita, who does not belong, every once in a while lets out a cry,
hysterical, high, as if he had torn the only skinny thread that kept her alive, the only
road out to that county.” (“No Speak English,” p. 78)
hysterical: a large cry due to being frightened or angry
antonyms: ____________________________________________________________
sentence: _____________________________________________________________
6. “Rafaela who drinks and drinks coconut and papaya juice on Tuesdays and wishes
there were sweeter drinks, not bitter like an empty room, but sweet sweet like the
island, like the dance hall down the street where women much older than her throw
green eyes easily like dice and open homes with keys.” (“Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut
& Papaya Juice on Tuesdays,” p. 80)
bitter: harsh, sour
antonyms: ____________________________________________________________
sentence: _____________________________________________________________
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Student Packet
Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________
_____ 1. Why does Esperanza not want to dance at her cousin’s baptism?
a. She does not want to dance with her uncle.
b. She is embarrassed that her shoes are old.
c. She does not know how to dance.
d. She does not feel well.
_____ 2. What problems does Esperanza have at her job?

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_____ 3. What does “abuelito” mean? What does Esperanza say that helps the reader
to figure out what “abuelito” means?
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_____ 4. Why does the author title the section, “Born Bad”?
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_____ 5. Describe Elenita’s home.

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Student Packet

_____ 6. Number the following events from when Esperanza visited Elenita in the order
that they happened.
Elenita tells Esperanza she Elenita tries to get Elenita uses cards to read
sees a house of the heart. Esperanza to see Esperanza’s future. She tells
Esperanza is disappointed. something in the water, but Esperanza that she will soon
she does not. go to a wedding. Esperanza
wants to know if Elenita sees
a home in her future.
_______ ________ ______
_____ 7. When Esperanza describes Earl’s dogs as, “They don’t walk like ordinary
dogs, but leap and somersault like an apostrophe and comma,” (p. 71) she means that
a. they often scare people.
b. they are very active and energetic.
c. they have a problem with walking.
d. they are often sick.
____ 8. What does Esperanza wish for in “Sire”?
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____ 9. Why are the four trees that grow outside Esperanza’s house important?
a. She likes the trees because they shade her house from the sun.
b. She feels she does not have any friends and the trees are the only ones
that keep her company.
c. She feels the trees are beautiful to look at and the only thing keeping her
in her neighborhood.
d. She feels that she does not belong in the neighborhood, just like the trees.
However, the trees have grown even though there is concrete, so they help to
inspire her.
_____ 10. Why is Esperanza’s neighbor, Mamacita, so upset?

a. She does not understand English, is uncomfortable in the U.S., and her son
learns to speak and enjoy English and she can’t understand him.
b. Everyone in the neighborhood makes fun of her because she is fat.
c. She becomes sick when she comes to the U.S.
d. She does not have enough money to care for her son in the U.S.
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Student Packet
Lesson 3 Independent Practice: Dueling Perspectives
Name _____________________________ Date__________________
Directions: Identify the main problem in the story, “Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water”.
On either side of the problem, record each character’s thoughts, feelings, and actions
about the problem. Use these feelings to compare and contrast the characters’
perspectives on the next page.
Character #1 Character #2
___________________ ___________________
The Problem
Thoughts, actions, and Thoughts, actions, and
feelings about the feelings about the
problem. problem.
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Student Packet
Lesson 3 Independent Practice: Dueling Perspectives (continued)
Compare and contrast the perspectives of Esperanza and Elenita.
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Student Packet
Name: ______________________________ Date: ___________
Vocabulary Activity: Have You Ever?

“Bums in the Attic” — “Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes”
Directions: Think about the meaning of the following words from The House on Mango Street.
grumble, tame, porcelain, sour, bazaar, trudge
Answer the following questions about the vocabulary words.

1. Why would someone grumble?
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2. Would you like to be described as a tame person? Explain.
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3. Why must you be careful with something made of porcelain? Explain.
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4. Do you enjoy things that are sour? Explain.
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5. Give an example of something that you could buy at a bazaar.
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6. Why might someone trudge? Explain.
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Student Packet
Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________
_____ 1. Describe the type of house Esperanza hopes to live in one day.
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_____ 2. Compare and contrast how Esperanza and Nenny feel about getting married,
as they have discussed in “Beautiful & Cruel”.
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_____ 3. Why does Esperanza’s mother feel disappointed in herself?

a. She can’t speak English very well.
b. She dropped out of school when she was younger. She wants to be more
independent and not rely on her husband.
c. She does not have many friends.
d. She does not like her clothes.
_____ 4. How does Sally deal with getting beaten by her father?
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_____ 5. How does Esperanza try to help Sally in, “The Monkey Garden”?
a. She goes to the boys with a brick and threatens them.
b. She explores the garden with Sally.
c. She gets Sally’s keys back from the boys.
d. She hides under a tree.
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Student Packet

_____ 6. When Esperanza says, “I wanted to be dead, to turn into the rain, my eyes
melt into the ground like two black snails,” (pp. 97-98) it is an example of a:
a. metaphor
b. simile
c. hyperbole
d. personification
____ 7. What causes Esperanza feel guilty in “The Three Sisters”?
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_____ 8. Compare and contrast Alicia and Esperanza’s views of Esperanza’s home.
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____ 9. Which of the following best describes the house that Esperanza imagines
having?
a. A place with garbage to be picked up.
b. A porch with purple petunias.
c. A flat owned by her father.
d. An apartment.
_____ 10. What does Esperanza plan to do when she leaves Mango Street?
a. Go away and never come back to Mango Street.
b. Forget everyone she met on Mango Street.
c. Take her sister Nenny with her.
d. Come back and visit with the people on Mango Street that cannot leave.
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Student Packet
Lesson 4 Independent Practice: Retelling Plot Chart

Name____________________________ Date________________________
Directions: Fill in the Plot Chart with details from “The Three Sisters.”
Climax – the point of the story when the reader knows how the problem is solved
Climax
__________________
__________________
__________________ Falling action – events that
Rising action – events that
lead to the problem in the story __________________ lead to the solution of the
__________________ problem in the story
_____
Problem: _______________________________
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____________________________________ Resolution: _________________________

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Student Packet Answer Key
The House on Mango Street

(Page references refer to the page that the activity appears on in the student packet.)
Examining a Short Story, p. 2
Genre Lesson Independent Practice
Characters: Mama, Papa, Carlos, Kiki, Nenny, and Narrator
Questions about Characters: How old are the siblings and the narrator? What do the parents
do for a living?
Setting: House on Mango Street, located far on the other side of town; small, red, with steps
in the front; has small windows and crumbling bricks; the door is hard to get through; no front
yard, but has four elm trees planted by the curb; small garage and yard; one bathroom and
shared bedrooms
Questions about Setting: Why did the parents choose to live in the house on Mango Street
over another house? Why did the parents tell the children that the house on Mango Street
was different then it really is? What state is the house located in? What are the other homes
on the street like? Who else lives on the street? How do the other characters feel about this
house?
Plot Problem and Solution: Narrator does not like the house on Mango Street and dreams of
living elsewhere; Narrator’s parents tell her the house on Mango Street is temporary, but she
does not believe them.
Questions about Plot Problem and Solution: Why is it so important for the narrator to move to
the house she describes? Will the family ever move again?
Vocabulary Activity: Four Square, p. 3

1. Definition: Something that lasts for a short amount of time; Examples: A cold; your age; Non-
examples: ink; being someone’s daughter or son
2. Definition: To receive a title, money, or a name from someone who has died; Examples: Being
named after someone, receiving your grandmother’s house after she died; Non-examples: Buying a
toy in the store, sharing your food with a friend
3. Definition: Old, torn, and worn out; Examples: An old shirt, an old car; Non-examples: A new toy,
a new car
4. Definition: Rude, disrespectful; Examples: Calling out in class, leaving dinner without asking to be
excused; Non-examples: Saying “please” and “thank you,” helping someone cross the street
Comprehension Questions, pp. 4-5

1. S, Co/Co The House on Mango Street is a small, red brick house. The house is old and
crumbling. There is no front yard and a small back yard. There is a small garage on the property. The
house has one bathroom and everyone has to share a bedroom. This is different from the house that
Mama and Papa wanted to live in which would have a basement, three bathrooms, a big yard with
many trees, and a white fence.
2. FL c. metaphor
3. FL, C d. She wishes that she could have more friends, but her responsibility is her
sister.
4. PoV The story is told from the first person point of view of Esperanza. Sentences that students
choose will vary, but should include pronouns that indicate that it is told from the first person point of
view, such as “I,” “me,” or “my.” For example, “In English, my name means hope.” (p. 10)
5. C d. dislike
6. SEQ. 2, 3, 1
7. P, DC Esperanza probably gave Rachel five dollars for the bike because she was lonely. Her
brothers would not talk to her outside the house. She had to watch Nenny all the time and her only
friend, Cathy was moving away. She knew that when she gave Rachel the money, it was a chance for
her to get to know Rachel and her sister, and maybe become their friend.
1
8. C, Co/Co Esperanza wants to go out and see the world. She wants to be happy. Her great-
grandmother was sad her whole life and did not experience much in life. Esperanza and her great-
grandmother both had the same name and they were both strong women.
9. ViC c. bathrooms
10. S Gil’s Store is a small junk store with one small window. The store is very dark. The owner only
turns on the lights when someone wants to buy something. There are rows of dusty tables,
refrigerators, TV’s and couches piled on top of each other.
Pointing out the Point of View, p. 6

Lesson 1 Independent Practice
Excerpt 1:
PoV: First Person
How I know: “We” refers to the narrator and the narrator’s friends. The narrator is referring to
what “I remembered” and what “I was thinking.”
Excerpt 2:
PoV: Third Person Omniscient
How I know: The main character is referred to as “her”, and her friends as “they”. What “I” was
thinking is in quotations, so it does not mean that it is first person. Yet, the reader gets a glimpse
of what the narrator is thinking and feeling. “It seemed to feel right,” is a clue to her inner
thoughts.
Excerpt 3:
PoV: Third Person Limited
How I know: This is written in third person because “they” were passing a house. The only way
the reader knows the main character’s internal thoughts are through spoken words and
quotations. The narrator can’t get inside her head, therefore, this is written in limited voice.
Vocabulary Activity: One of These Words Is Not Like the Others, p. 7

1. cave in; The remaining words belong together because they can all be used to describe
something that sticks out.
2. manually; The remaining words belong together because they can all be used to describe
something that works on its own.
3. pleated; The remaining words belong together because they can all be used to describe
something that is bent or crumpled.
4. rise; The remaining words belong together because they can all be used to describe something
that moves down or is lowered.
5. shrink; The remaining words belong together because they can all be used to describe something
that has become larger.
6. steady; The remaining words belong together because they can all be used to describe
something that is unstable.

1. S Meme’s house has slanted floors, no closets, and a huge tree in the back that squirrels live in.
2. PoV b. “Esperanza thought to herself that the seats in Louie’s cousin’s car were big
and soft like a sofa.”
3. FL The car that Esperanza was riding in was greatly damaged in the accident. The front of the
car was all banged up and bent and folded.
4. P When people come into Esperanza’s neighborhood, they are scared and think that the people
who live in the neighborhood are dangerous and will attack them. When Esperanza leaves her
neighborhood, she no longer feels safe as she is of a different race then the people outside of her
neighborhood.
5. FL c. They are so active and wild that they almost get seriously hurt.
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6. Co/Co, C Marin lives with her aunt and cousins, sells Avon, and takes care of her cousins.
She seems to be a bit of a rebel and her aunt feels she is too much trouble. She does not really have
a plan for her life. Alicia lives with her father and takes care of him. She is smart and goes to college
because she wants a better life for herself.
7. P, C d. “Here there is too much sadness and not enough sky.”
8. P The problem in the story, “And Some More” is that the kids are all picking on each other and
making fun of each other for no reason.
9. SEQ. b. Lucy hides the shoes under a basket on the porch.
10. C c. The nun tells her she lives close to home and does not have to eat at school.
She points to old homes that are not where Esperanza lives and she feels ashamed that the
nun thinks of her that way.
Picturing Perspective, pp. 10-11

“Those Who Don’t”

The The Event Identify the Character’s Cultural Identify the Character’s
Character Background Thoughts and Feelings
about the Event
Esperanza People who do Esperanza and her family are from Esperanza does not like
not live in Mexico. The neighbors in her that the people who come
Esperanza’s neighborhood are probably also from into the neighborhood are
neighborhood there or African-American because scared and think that
drive through the Esperanza describes the people as, “All Esperanza and her
neighborhood. brown all around.” neighbors are dangerous
and have knives. She says
Esperanza and the neighbors seem that “they are stupid people”
tough and unafraid of outsiders. She and “we are safe.”
says that, “we aren’t afraid.”
How did Esperanza’s culture influence her perspective on the scared drivers?
Esperanza knows what the people in her neighborhood are like. When she says, “we are all brown all
around, we are safe” it shows that the people who live in her neighborhood are all alike and comfortable
with each other. Since she lives there and knows that her neighbors are harmless, she feels that the people
who drive though her neighborhood are “stupid” to think that Esperanza and her neighbors are “dangerous”
and will “attack them with knives.”
Vocabulary Activity: Opposite Meanings, p. 12

1. poor, poverty, need
2. pride, honor, respect
3. commonly, frequently
4. gentle, tame, calm
5. calm, peaceful
6. sweet, pleasant

1. C b. She is embarrassed that her shoes are old.
2. P, C The problems that Esperanza has at her job are that she has to lie about her age in order
to get the job; she does not know if she is allowed to sit down; she feels lonely during her break and
stays in the coatroom; she eats her lunch in the bathroom; and an older man kisses her and makes
her feel uncomfortable.
3
3. ViC Abuelito means grandfather. Esperanza’s grandfather has passed away. The reader knows
what abuelito means because Esperanza says, “And I think if my own Papa died what would I do.”
Her grandfather is Papa’s father and Esperanza is imagining how she would feel if Papa died.
4. AP The author titles the section, “Born Bad” because Esperanza, Rachel, and Lucy make fun of
Esperanza’s Aunt Lupe who became sick as an adult. They did not realize she was going to die. After
she dies, Esperanza thinks something bad will happen to her.
5. S Elenita’s home has a color TV. in the living room with red, furry couches covered in plastic.
Her refrigerator has colored candles, a saint, and a cross on top of it; she has a picture of a voodoo
hand on the wall. Her sink is filled with dirty dishes.
6. Seq. 3, 1, 2
7. FL b. they are very active and energetic.
8. P Esperanza wishes that she could take the place of Lois, who is Sire’s girlfriend. Sire is a
boy that Esperanza has a crush on. She wishes she had a boyfriend.
9. S, C d. She feels that she does not belong in the neighborhood, just like the trees.
However, the trees have grown even though there is concrete, so they help to inspire her.
10. P a. She does not understand English, is uncomfortable in the U.S., and her son
learns to speak and enjoy English and she can’t understand him.
Dueling Perspectives, pp. 15-16

Problem: Esperanza wants a nicer house.
Esperanza’s thoughts: Esperanza is disappointed that the witch woman didn’t say she saw a
new and improved house in Esperanza’s future. She saw a “home in the heart.” Esperanza is
sad.
Elenita’s thoughts: Elenita is busy taking care of her own family and is not too concerned with
looking into Esperanza’s future. She can tell Esperanza is sad, so she double checks her
predictions.
Compare and contrast the perspectives of Esperanza and Elenita.

Esperanza is disappointed because she wants a new home that is nicer than her current house
on Mango Street. Elenita, on the other hand, is older and knows how difficult it might be for
Esperanza’s family to get a newer home. She has the wisdom to know that home is in the heart.
Vocabulary Activity: Have You Ever, p. 17

1. grumble: to complain about something
2. tame: unexciting or dull
3. porcelain: hard ceramic material used to make cups and dishes; it is easily breakable
4. sour: having an acid or tart taste
5. bazaar: a street marketplace where many goods are sold
6. trudge: to walk very slowly with a lot of effort

1. S Esperanza hopes to live in a house that is on a hill with gardens. She wants her home to be
close to the stars where nothing wakes her up except the wind. She does not want to worry about
anything.
2. Co/Co, C Esperanza worries that she is not attractive enough to get married and she will have
to live with her parents for the rest of her life. Nenny feels beautiful, wants to get married and move
out of the house, but does not want to have a baby and then have to move.
3. P, C b. She dropped out of school when she was younger. She wants to be more
independent and not rely on her husband.
4. C/E Sally deals with getting beaten by her father by telling people that she fell. She also tries
to take her things and move in with Esperanza.
4
5. P, C a. She goes to the boys with a brick and threatens them.

6. FL b. simile
7. C, C/E Esperanza feels guilty in “The Three Sisters” because Lucy and Rachel’s aunts tell
Esperanza to make a wish and she wishes to be able to move out of the neighborhood. Esperanza
feels guilty because she realizes that it is selfish.
8. Co/Co Esperanza feels like she really does not have a home like Alicia does because Alicia is
from Guadalajara. Esperanza feels that she will not have a real home until she leaves Mango Street.
Alicia thinks that Esperanza’s home is her house on Mango Street.
9. S b. A porch with purple petunias.
10. P d. Come back and visit with the people on Mango Street that cannot leave.
Retelling Plot Chart, p. 20

Rising Action: Rachel and Lucy’s sister died of a high fever. The family held a funeral, and the
three sisters attended, along with Esperanza.
Problem: Esperanza wishes to leave her house and Mango Street behind.
Climax: The three sisters grant her wish.
Falling Action: Esperanza is surprised that they knew what she silently wished for. The sisters tell
her that she must come back for the others.
Resolution: The sisters disappear like a dream, and Esperanza is left wondering what they
meant.
5
Unit Assessment
Name: _______________________________ Date: ________________
Sixth Grade Short Stories Unit Assessment

The House on Mango Street
Directions: Read each question. Circle the correct answer, or respond by writing
complete sentences. You may use your book to help you find information from
the story.
1. Short Stories:
a. have multiple plot problems.
b. have more than two main characters.
c. show a long journey over time.
d. show a slice of life.
2. Read the following excerpt from “My Name.” Identify the point of view and
explain how you figured out the point of view.
“I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry
because she couldn’t be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza. I
have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the
window.” (p. 11)
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. How does being named after her great-grandmother impact Esperanza?

a. She wants to carry on her family’s tradition.
b. She wants to get married and taken care of like her grandmother did.
c. She wants to be strong like her grandmother was.
d. She wants to live her life and experience things, unlike her great-
grandmother who let her life pass her by.
4. What does the author purposely leave out from the story, “Meme Ortiz”?
a. Where Meme lived before moving into Cathy’s house.
b. If Meme’s father lives with the family.
c. The names of Meme’s two dogs.
d. All of the above.
1
Unit Assessment
5. Read the following excerpt from “A Rice Sandwich”:

“In the canteen, which was nothing special, lots of boys and girls
watched while I cried and ate my sandwich, the bread already greasy
and the rice cold.” (p. 45)
How can the excerpt above be rewritten in the third person omniscient?
a. “In the canteen, which was nothing special, lots of boys and girls
watched while I cried and ate my sandwich.” “The nun asked me, ‘Why
are you crying?’”
b. “In the canteen, which was nothing special, lots of boys and girls
watched while I cried and ate my sandwich.” “I asked a boy, ‘Why are
you looking at me?’”
c. “In the canteen, which was nothing special, lots of boys and girls
watched while Esperanza cried and ate her sandwich.”
d. “In the canteen, which was nothing special, lots of boys and girls
watched while Esperanza cried and ate her sandwich. She thought to
herself that the bread was already greasy and the rice was cold.”
6. How is Mamacita’s perspective of her son speaking English influenced by her

cultural background in “No Speak English”?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. Which of the following is the main problem of the book, The House on Mango
Street?
a. Esperanza cannot get over the death of her aunt and grandfather.
b. Esperanza is struggling to make friends in her neighborhood.
c. Esperanza is trying to find where she fits into her neighborhood.
d. Esperanza is trying to break away from her sister Nenny, who she has
to care for.
2
Unit Assessment
8. Retell “The First Job” using the language of the plot elements.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________
9. How is the main plot conflict in The House on Mango Street resolved in
“Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes”?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
10. Compare how Alicia of “Alicia Who Sees Mice” and Marin of “Marin” feel
about living on Mango Street.
a. Marin wants to leave Mango Street and will do so by getting an
education, while Alicia wants to stay on Mango Street.
b. Alicia wants to leave Mango Street and will do so by getting an
education, while Marin wants to stay on Mango Street.
c. Alicia and Marin both want to leave Mango Street, but Alicia will do so
by getting an education, while Marin plans to find a man who will take
her away from the neighborhood.
d. Alicia and Marin both want to leave Mango Street, but Marin will do so
by getting an education, while Alicia plans to find a man who will take
her away from the neighborhood.
3
Unit Assessment
11. Describe how Esperanza believes she is like the four skinny trees on her
street in “Four Skinny Trees.”
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
12. Which of the following events from “A Rice Sandwich” belongs in Box C?
Esperanza asks Her mom finally Esperanza sits

her mom to write agrees and in the canteen
a note to the sends her to crying and
principal so she school with the eating her cold
can eat in the note and a rice rice sandwich.
canteen. sandwich.
Box A Box B Box C Box D

a. Esperanza’s mother says she does not want Esperanza eating at the
canteen.
b. Esperanza tells her mom that if she ate at school, there would be fewer
dishes to wash.
c. The nun embarrasses Esperanza by making her point out her house.
Esperanza does not tell her she is pointing to the wrong one.
d. Nenny says that she does not want to eat at school.
13. Compare and contrast how Esperanza and Darius of “Darius & the Clouds” feel
about living on Mango Street.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4
Unit Assessment
14. How does Esperanza’s experience living on Mango Street impact her
opinion of the hill houses where her father gardens in “Bums in the Attic”?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
15. Which of the following best describes the house that Esperanza wants in “A
House of My Own”?
a. A house that she can live in with her family.
b. A house that is safe, has a porch, and does not belong to a man.
c. A house that has many bedrooms and bathrooms.
d. The house that she lives in on Mango Street.
16. Choose one of the following places on Mango Street and describe the
setting below.
Elenita’s House Gil’s Furniture Store The Monkey Garden
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
17. What do Esperanza’s mother, great-grandmother, Mamacita, and Rafaela have

in common?
a. They are not happy and fulfilled.
b. They cannot speak English.
c. They are not young enough to go dancing anymore.
d. They love coconut and papaya juice.
18. In “Hips,” what does Esperanza mean when she says Nenny is “too many light
years away”?
a. Nenny is not very smart and does not pay attention to Esperanza.
b. Nenny is still a child and does not understand growing up.
c. Nenny is dreaming of space travel.
d. Nenny is much better than the other girls at jumping rope.
5
Unit Assessment
19. Retell “Born Bad,” making sure to include key elements of the plot.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
20. How does Esperanza’s perspective of Mango Street change by the end of
the book?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
6
Unit Assessment Answers
1. d. show a slice of life.

2. This excerpt is told from the first person point of view because it uses “I.”
3. d. She wants to live her life and experience things, unlike her great-grandmother who let
her life pass her by.
4. d. All of the above.
5. d. “In the canteen, which was nothing special, lots of boys and girls watched while
Esperanza cried and ate her sandwich. She thought to herself that the bread was already
greasy and the rice was cold.”
6. Mamacita’s perspective of her son speaking English is influenced by her cultural
background because Mamacita may not feel like she chose to travel to the United States.
She may feel isolated. When her son learned to speak English, she may have felt like he was
viewing the U.S. as his new home and leaving his old culture behind. By not learning English,
Mamacita is hanging onto her culture.
7. c. Esperanza is trying to find where she fits into her neighborhood and her world.
8. In “The First Job,” the rising action is that Esperanza needs to get a job to help pay for
school. Her Aunt Lala finds her a job working at the photo finishers. The problem in the story
is that she became tired at her job, she was scared to eat in the lunchroom, and did not know
what to do during her break. The climax of the story is when she becomes friends with a man
who works the night shift. The falling action is when Esperanza does not feel nervous
anymore. The resolution is that he tricks her into being her friend, grabs her face, and kisses
her.
9. The main plot conflict in The House on Mango Street is resolved when Esperanza
realizes that she fits in on Mango Street. She accepts her neighborhood and herself. She
realizes that she can use her writing as a way to escape from the neighborhood. If she does
leave, she wants to return and see how the people are doing.
10. c. Alicia and Marin both want to leave Mango Street, but Alicia will do so by getting an
education, while Marin plans to find a man who will take her away from the neighborhood.
11. Esperanza believes she is like the four trees on her street because like the trees, she
sees herself as someone who does not belong on the street and is stuck there. She also feels
that she is strong like the trees and knows she will grow like them, despite it being difficult.
12. c. The nun embarrasses Esperanza by making her point out her house. Esperanza
does not tell her she is pointing to the wrong one.
13. Esperanza does not like living on Mango Street because she feels like the view of the sky
and clouds is blocked. She also does not think there are enough flowers in her neighborhood.
Darius has a positive outlook and imagines that a cloud in the sky looks like God.
14. Esperanza’s experience living on Mango Street impacts her opinion of the hill houses
because even though she wants a house like the ones on the hill, she is too embarrassed to
go visit them because she feels like people are staring at her. She also feels that her parents
are making a false promise to live in a house like those on the hill because they previously
promised her that and then they moved to the house on Mango Street. She decides that while
she does want to live in a house like those on the hill, she will buy it on her own, rather then
wait for her parents to buy one.
15. b. A house that is safe, has a porch, and does not belong to a man.
16. Elenita’s House: Her house is filled with children and is messy. Kool-Aid is spilled on the
table. There is a living room with cartoons playing on the color T.V. The furniture in the living
room is red, furry, and covered in plastic. In the kitchen, the refrigerator has holy candles on
the top of it along with a plaster saint, and a dusty cross. There is a picture of a voodoo hand
taped to the wall. The sink is filled with dirty glasses. Gil’s Furniture Store: The store is a
small junk store with no lights and one dirty window. The store is filled with upside down
tables, refrigerators, couches, and T.V.’s The items are set so close together that the aisles
are very narrow. The store is very dusty. The Monkey Garden: The garden is a place in the
neighborhood that a monkey used to live until he moved to Kentucky with his owners. The
neighborhood kids play in the garden that was filled with sunflowers, cockscombs, bees, fruit
flies, peach trees, roses, thistle, pears, weeds, and green apples when the monkey was there
1
The earth was damp and smells like rotting wood. Rocks were on the ground along with
yellow spiders, worms, ants, and lady bugs. Now that the monkey has left, the garden is
overgrown and filled with weeds. People leave old cars in the garden. The kids make a
clubhouse in the back of an old car.
17. a. They are not happy and fulfilled.
18. b. Nenny is still a child and does not understand growing up.
19. Answers will vary, but students should retell the plot making sure to include the rising
action, problem, climax, falling action, and resolution. Rising Action: Esperanza, Rachel, and
Lucy play a game making fun of people they know. They make fun of Esperanza’s Aunt Lupe.
Problem: Aunt Lupe dies. Climax: Esperanza, Rachel, and Lucy think they will go to hell
because they made fun of Aunt Lupe before she died. Falling Action: Esperanza remembers
that her aunt listened to her poems and encouraged her. Resolution: Esperanza realizes that
even though she was mean to her aunt, she needs remember have how her aunt encouraged
her.
20. Esperanza perspective of Mango Street changes by the end of the book because when
she first moves to Mango Street, she feels upset and embarrassed. She feels like her parents
mislead her to moving into a house that she did not want. Later in the book, her parents go
looking at houses that Esperanza would like to move to, but she refuses to go with them
because she feels like people are looking at her. She also feels like her parents are
misleading her. She decides she will get the house that she wants on her own. When she
visits her aunt, her aunt encourages her to write. At the end of the book, still wants to move
away from Mango Street, but decides to come back to remember where she came from. She
also wants to visit her neighbors and tell them about her new house and experiences, which
they may never get the chance to do.
2
Unit Assessment Analysis

Use the Unit Assessment Answers to mark each student’s assessment. Then
refer to the following table to formally assess your students’ performance on their
Unit Assessment. The table shows how each question is aligned to the
concepts in this Unit. If a student gets question 1 wrong on the assessment, you
will know that this student may benefit from a reteaching of Genre, since question
1 is a Genre question. Use the table to pinpoint what Concepts your students
need additional practice with.
Concepts
Seq. DC G PoV FL Cl/Ca C P C/E S Co/Co
Question #
1 X
2 X X
3 X X
4 X
5 X X
6 X X X
7 X X
8 X X
9 X X
10 X X X
11 X X X
12 X
13 X X X
14 X X
15 X
16 X
17 X X X
18 X
19 X X
20 X X X
3
Use the following table to find the questions that are specifically aligned to the
lessons and learning outcomes for the unit.
Question Lesson(s) Learning Outcome(s)

1 Genre Students will be able to examine the depth and breadth
of a short story.
2 1 Students will be able to identify the point of view in

multiple short stories, including third person limited and
omniscient.
4 Genre Students will be able to examine the depth and breadth

of a short story.
5 1 Students will be able to identify the point of view in

multiple short stories, including third person limited and
omniscient.
6 2 Students will be able to interpret how character’s
perspective is influenced by his or her cultural
background.
7 4 Students will be able to retell a short story’s plot using

the language of the plot elements.


10 3 Students will be able to compare and contrast multiple

perspectives in a collection of short stories.



4

House On Mango Street Unit

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CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET 6TH GRADE UNIT

Title: The House on Mango Street

Genre Lesson Independent Practice: Examining a Short Story

Example: Why did the family

Plot Problem and Solution

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________________

Definition Non-examples Definition Non-examples

Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________

Comprehension Questions (continued)

_______ ________ ______

____ 9. Read the following sentence from the story.

_____ 10. Describe Gil’s Furniture Store.

Lesson 1 Independent Practice: Pointing Out the Point of View

Name: ______________________________ Date: ___________

Vocabulary Activity: One of These Words Is Not Like the Others

1. jutting extending bulging cave in

2. independently automatically manually mechanically

3. pleated folded creased straightened

4. rise descend drop dip

5. shrink swollen enlarged expanded

6. steady wobble wiggle shake

Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________

Comprehension Questions (continued)

_____ 8. What is the problem in the story, “And Some More”?

Box A Box B Box C Box D

_____ 10. Why is Esperanza embarrassed in “A Rice Sandwich”?

Lesson 2 Independent Practice: Picturing Perspective

Name: _____________________________ Date: _____________

Thoughts and Feelings about

Lesson 2 Independent Practice: Picturing Perspective (continued)

Name: ______________________________ Date: ___________

Vocabulary Activity: Opposite Meanings

2. “Ain’t it a shame." (“Geraldo No Last Name,” p. 66)

Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________

_____ 2. What problems does Esperanza have at her job?

_____ 5. Describe Elenita’s home.

Comprehension Questions (continued)

____ 8. What does Esperanza wish for in “Sire”?

_____ 10. Why is Esperanza’s neighbor, Mamacita, so upset?

Lesson 3 Independent Practice: Dueling Perspectives

Name _____________________________ Date__________________

Lesson 3 Independent Practice: Dueling Perspectives (continued)

Compare and contrast the perspectives of Esperanza and Elenita.

Name: ______________________________ Date: ___________

Vocabulary Activity: Have You Ever?

Answer the following questions about the vocabulary words.

2. Would you like to be described as a tame person? Explain.

3. Why must you be careful with something made of porcelain? Explain.

4. Do you enjoy things that are sour? Explain.

5. Give an example of something that you could buy at a bazaar.

6. Why might someone trudge? Explain.

Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________

_____ 3. Why does Esperanza’s mother feel disappointed in herself?

Comprehension Questions (continued)

____ 7. What causes Esperanza feel guilty in “The Three Sisters”?

Lesson 4 Independent Practice: Retelling Plot Chart

____________________________________ Resolution: _________________________

Student Packet Answer Key

The House on Mango Street

Vocabulary Activity: Four Square, p. 3

Comprehension Questions, pp. 4-5

Student Packet Answer Key

Name: ________ Date:

Name: _________________ Date: _

_

Name: ____________________ Date: _

Name: _________________ Date: _

Name: _________________ Date: _

Name: ____________________ Date: _

Name: _________________ Date: _

Name ___________ Date

Name: ____________________ Date: _

Name: _________________ Date: _

____________ Resolution: _

Name: _______________ Date: