lesson 9 teacher’s guide searching for my father

Number of Words: 2,703

L E S S O N 9 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Searching for My Father by Edwin Hernandez

Fountas-Pinnell Level XRealistic FictionSelection SummaryMatino knows two things about his father— Roberto Clemente had been a big infl uence in his life and he always had more time for other people than for his own family. After his father dies, Matino goes to Puerto Rico where a visit to The Roberto Clemente Sports City helps him gain insight about his father.

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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Realistic fi ction

Text Structure • Six chapters with descriptive subtitles • Details to help readers understand causes and effects

Content • Roberto Clemente and his legacy• Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Themes and Ideas • Real-life heroes and legends• Personal integrity• Achieving dreams

Language and Literary Features

• Some unassigned dialogue• Use of fi gurative language: fi t . . . like a glove

Sentence Complexity • Complex sentences—phrases, clauses, compound• Split dialogue

Vocabulary • Words related to Old San Juan: El Morro, ramparts, dungeons, sentry posts• Proper nouns: Brooklyn; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Nicaragua

Words • Spanish words: barrios, piraqua, niños, garitas, Tía, poppi, Señor• Compound words such as broomstick, countryside, earthquake, freeway

Illustrations • Illustrations without captions • Illustrations that show characters’ emotions and story setting

Book and Print Features • Seventeen pages of text, some without illustrations• Main character’s thoughts in italicized sentences

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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Target Vocabulary

array – an impressive, orderly arrangement of things, p. 6

consequences – the natural, or logical, results of an action or a condition, p. 18

defy – to challenge, resist, or oppose, p. 16

immaculately – something that is done perfectly, p. 4

permeated – spread or fl owed throughout, p. 4

poised – something still and carefully positioned to carry out a task or move at any moment, p. 15

rigid – something strong and unbending, p. 10

rudimentary – something simple, basic, or in an early stage of development, p. 17

sparsely – with few things, p. 17venture – to do an activity

bravely, despite the risk, p. 7

Searching for My Father by Edwin Hernandez

Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge about Puerto Rico to visualize the text. Build interest by asking questions such as the following: Where is Puerto Rico? What language do people speak in Puerto Rico? What’s the climate like there? Do you know anyone who has lived in Puerto Rico? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Tell students that this selection is realistic fi ction, and ask them what kind of features they can expect to fi nd in this type of selection.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions:

Pages 2–3: Explain that this is a story about Matino, a boy who travels to Puerto Rico to learn something about his father who died recently. Suggested language: Look at the illustration of Matino on page 2. Where do you think he is? What do you notice about the scene outside the window?

Page 4: Point out the Spanish word barrios on this page. Suggested language: There are many Spanish words in this text. They are printed in italics.

Page 15: Read the subtitle on page 15 and look at the illustration. Who do you think Roberto Clemente was? What do you think Roberto Clemente has to do with the story?

Pages 17–18: Draw students’ attention to the illustration on page 18. Matino notices that children are playing baseball with rudimentary gear, such as a broomstick for a bat. What do you think rudimentary means? What other rudimentary gear could be used in a baseball game?

Now turn back to the beginning of the story and read to fi nd out what Matino learns about his father, during his trip to Puerto Rico.

2 Lesson 9: Searching for My Father Grade 6© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text as needed.

Remind students to use the Visualize Strategy to use details from the text to create their own images of what is happening as they read the text.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the text. Suggested language: This story is an example of realistic fi ction. Do you think the problem in the story is realistic? Why or why not? Do you think Matino is a realistic character? Why or why not?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Roberto Clemente dedicated his life to helping others.

• Roberto Clemente was a huge infl uence on Matino’s father.

• By gaining an understanding of Roberto Clemente, Matino was able to appreciate his father.

• Dreams can sometimes be attained as a result of hard work.

• Real-life heroes can have a big infl uence on people.

• The trip to Puerto Rico helped Matino deal with his father’s death.

• The inclusion of Spanish words makes the text more authentic.

• The chapter subtitles help readers make predictions about the story.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to participate in choral reading. Remind them to use a louder

tone to refl ect the importance of certain words, as one would do in oral language to emphasize important words. Also have students use a louder tone to express when a character might be exclaiming.

• Comprehension Based on your observations of students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.

• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with using the context of a sentence or a paragraph to help determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Demonstrate how to fi gure out the meaning of the word imposing in this text on page 15: “Señor Martinez was a very imposing fi gure. He wore an expensive straw hat and a fi ne suit of clothes.” Discuss that Señor Martinez’s clothing sounds impressive, so an imposing fi gure could be an impressive person. Discuss how the word expensive in this passage contributes to deciphering the meaning of imposing.



Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 9.8.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillCause and Effect

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that when they look for causes and

effects in text, they think about how events are related and how one event causes another. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

“He liked baseball” is a cause entered on the chart. The effect can be fi gured out by saying a sentence that begins with “because.” Say, “Because his father liked baseball, Matino became interested in baseball.” Add this detail to the chart. Under cause add that Matino’s father believed in hard work. Under effect list that this helps Matino understand why his father admired Roberto Clemente. In this way, causes and effects have been clarifi ed.

Practice the SkillHave students share other examples of causes and effects in other stories they have read.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Assessment Prompts• Which sentences from page 2 support the idea that Matino didn’t understand his

father completely?

• What does the word spellbound mean in the last line on page 15?

• What can the reader conclude about Old San Juan as described in this story?



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text Why does Matino hear Puerto Rican tree frogs

for the fi rst time?

2. Think within the text Why are Julia and Isabel hesitant to send the

boys to Sports City alone?

3. Think beyond the text What elements of Matino’s story do you best

relate to? Explain.

4. Think about the text What characteristics of Searching for My Father

make it realistic fi ction?

Making Connections What other stories have you read about relationships between children and their parents? Compare one of these stories to Searching for My Father.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Name Date

Searching for My FatherCritical Thinking

Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Lesson 9B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 9 . 8

Grade 6, Unit 2: Common Ground10

Matino has never been to Puerto Rico before.

Julia and Isabel believe the boys might get lost.

Matino’s need to understand his father better is what I best relate

to. The things my parents do sometimes make me confused, and I

wish I could understand them better.

The story deals with the death of loved ones. I think that’s very

realistic subject matter. I also think Matino’s confusion over his

father’s death seems very real.

Possible responses shown.

09.08_6_246260RNLEAN_Crtl Thk.in10 10 6/15/09 12:52:26 PM

English Language DevelopmentReading Support Check regularly on students’ oral reading to determine accuracy, fl uency, and comprehension.

Cognates Draw attention to selection words with Spanish cognates. Some of these words are baseball (béisbol), hero (héroe), emergency (emergencia), police offi cer (policía), and discrimination (discriminación).

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: Why did Matino go to Puerto Rico?

Speaker 2: to learn about his father

Speaker 1: Who was his father’s hero?

Speaker 2: Roberto Clemente

Speaker 1: Who was Roberto Clemente?

Speaker 2: a baseball player

Speaker 1: Why did Matino want to go to The Roberto Clemente Sports City?

Speaker 2: He wanted to understand why Roberto Clemente was his dad’s hero.

Speaker 1: How were Roberto Clemente and Matino’s dad alike?

Speaker 2: They both helped other people.

Speaker 1: Why did Matino not understand his father?

Speaker 2: His father spent a lot of time helping strangers and not much time with him.

Speaker 1: At the end of the story, Matino feels that he sees his father “in a whole new light.” What does that mean?

Speaker 2: It means that instead of not understanding his father, he now sees him as a giving person who always helped those in need.



Name Date

Searching for My FatherThinking Beyond the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in two paragraphs.

Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

At the end of the story, Matino puts on his new baseball jersey. He is proud to wear number twenty-one. How do you think Matino would have felt if he had been given the same jersey before he visited The Roberto Clemente Sports Center? By helping strangers, do you think Matino’s father set a good example for Matino? Why or why not?



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text Why does Matino hear Puerto Rican tree frogs

for the fi rst time?

2. Think within the text Why are Julia and Isabel hesitant to send the

boys to Sports City alone?

3. Think beyond the text What elements of Matino’s story do you best

relate to? Explain.

4. Think about the text What characteristics of Searching for My Father

make it realistic fi ction?

Making Connections What other stories have you read about relationships between children and their parents? Compare one of these stories to Searching for My Father.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.


Name Date

Searching for My FatherCritical Thinking

Lesson 9B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 9 . 8


1414

505

Student Date Lesson 9

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 9 . 1 2

Searching for My FatherRunning Record Form

Searching for My Father • LEVEL X

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

ˆcat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

2 As soon as the in-flight movie ended, Matino Torres raised his

window shade. The island he had come to see was now

entirely visible beneath him. They would be landing soon and

then his search would begin in earnest. Matino had high hopes

for this trip. He wanted to find answers to the questions he had

about his father, who had died three months earlier.

While the flight attendants prepared for landing, Matino

remembered his father’s funeral. He had stood beside his

mother in church during the service.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read

correctly/89 × 100)

%

Total Self- Corrections



lesson 9 teacher’s guide searching for my father

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