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Lesson 2

We will read “Sixty-Nine Cents,” by Gary Shteyngart, and answer text-dependent questions with a partner.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I recognize and interpret important relationships among key details and ideas (characters, setting, tone, point of view, structure, development, etc.) within texts?

  • Can I use connections among details, elements, and effects to make logical deductions about an author’s perspective, purpose, and meaning in texts?

  • Can I recognize points of connection among texts, textual elements, and perspectives to make logical, objective comparisons?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • The Book of Unknown Americans, Cristina Henríquez, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2015
  • Unit Reader
    • “Sixty-Nine Cents,” excerpt from Little Failure: A Memoir, Gary Shteyngart, Random House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC, 2014

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Discuss

We will work with partners and discuss quotes we identified as important in the novel.

In small groups, discuss your homework entries on the Literary Elements and Narrative Techniques Note-Taking Tool and Vocabulary in Context Tool. Use the discussion to make additions or revisions to your tools.

Activity 2: Read

We will read and analyze the narrative essay “Sixty Nine Cents,” paying attention to its use of literary elements.

Read the narrative essay “Sixty-Nine Cents,” by Gary Shteyngart. As you read, annotate the text for evidence of setting, conflict, point of view, imagery, and theme.

Activity 3: Discuss

We will work collaboratively to analyze an essay using text-dependent questions.

Work with a partner to analyze the essay, using the following text-specific questions, which can also be found on the Section 4 Question Set:

  1. Setting: How does Shteyngart describe Florida? Cite specific details from the text.

  2. Plot and Conflict: What goals does Shteyngart relay to the reader at the beginning of the essay?

  3. Point of View: This is an essay whereby the author shares his narrative in first person. How does the author’s perspective influence the emotions of the reader?

  4. Imagery: Compare the description of Miami Beach to the hotel where the family stayed. What is the effect of placing these two contrasting descriptions in the same paragraph? Cite specific details from the text to support your answer.

  5. Theme: What sentence in the essay functions as the thesis? Why?

Activity 4: Write

We will compare ideas in two texts.

In your Learning Log, compare Shteyngart’s experience to one character or experience from The Book of Unknown Americans.

Activity 5: Read – Write

For homework, we will read pages 238–264 of The Book of Unknown Americans and add to our Literary Elements and Narrative Techniques Note-Taking ToolS.

For homework, read pages 238–264 of The Book of Unknown Americans.

Write down four entries in your Literary Elements and Narrative Techniques Note-Taking Tool. When logging them, think of recurring ideas or themes that are emerging.

Write down new or interesting words in your Vocabulary Journal.