“Liberty” By Julia Alvarez

1. “Liberty” By Julia Alvarez Before, During, and After Reading Skills

2. Student Response “Liberty” Read the text carefully and note the way the author uses story details to reveal information about the characters and conflicts . How well do you think Alvarez uses the story details to tell the readers about the characters and conflicts? Explain your thoughts and ideas and use evidence from the text to support your response.

3. Pre-Reading Pages • Read the pre-reading section on page 55. • What is the “Literary Focus” of this selection? • What skill is the “Reading Focus” of this selection? • What skill is the “Writing” focus of this selection?

4. Author Information • Read the “Meet the Writer” section on page 56. • Make a list of at least three important facts you learn about the author. • What do you think is the most important detail you learned from this information?

5. Before Reading Skills Preview and Predictions • Examine the text features located throughout the selection. • Make a list of the things you “know” or “think you know” based only on the text features. • Make a list of at least 3 things you want to know, but you need to read in order to find out. • What do you think will be the main conflict in the story?

6. During Reading Skills • Analyzing Details • Analyzing story details may help you follow a story’s conflictand its resolution. • In most stories the details hint at the conflicts the main characters face. • As you read, look for the story detailsthat you believe are important. Be sure you can state why you think a detail is important.

7. Quick Write What situation might cause people to leave their homes? How do you think they feel? How would you feel and what would you miss if you had to leave your home and not return?

8. Comprehension/Discussion Questions Pages 57,58,59 A. Literary Focus – Setting and Conflict: How does the story’s setting contribute to the conflict the family faces? ??? B. Reading Focus – Analyzing Details: Mami seems distracted, and then she suddenly starts to cry. What do these details tells you about Mami and the family’s situation? ??? Literary Focus – Setting and Conflict: The two strange men do not have names. In what way do these men help reveal the story’s setting? What conflict do they trigger? ???

9. Page 60 D. Reading Focus – Analyzing Details: Mami finds wires in the house. What might this detail signify? ??? E. Reading Focus – Analyzing Details: The narrator hears the men talk about hunting a goat and thinks their conversation is strange. How might her reaction be a clue to what the men are really saying? ???

10. Pages 61 F. Literary Focus – Setting and Conflict: The narrator and Mami battle over what will happen to Liberty. In what way does this conflict relate to the setting of the story? G. Literary Focus – Setting and Conflict: How are the narrator and Liberty in conflict at the end of the story? ???

11. Stop and Think!!! • Making Inferences – At the beginning of the story, what clues suggest that the family does not currently have “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”? Explain your ideas and thoughts. • Drawing Conclusions – What two meanings does the word “liberty” have in the story? Explain the reasons for your response.