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Stephanie Gonzalez

12/07/15

English 308

Professor Roszak

As a future teacher, I would teach both Esperanza Rising and Letters From Rifka. I would

teach both texts in a fourth grade class. My students will benefit from both texts because both are

historical novels. Letters from Rifka will illustrate to students the struggle Russian Jews went

through before World War II. Esperanza Rising will illustrate to students, examples of various

historical events such as; the railroad industry, immigration, and commercial farming. The text

will allow me to teach my students both historical events and social and emotional lessons. There

are various pedagogical strategies and techniques that I can use to teach both texts. Letters from

Rifka will teach students about immigration and the prosecution Russian Jews faced and

Esperanza Rising will teach students about Mexican immigrants and the constant struggle they

faced while going after the American dream.

Esperanza Rising will allow me to teach students about the history of the rail road

industry. Fourth graders learn about California history; the rail road industry is an important

aspect of California industry. In the text Miguel one of the main characters desires to work for

the rail roal industry, despite the terrible conditions they work in. I would utilize the section of

the book where there strikes of field workers and rail road workers emerge. Miguel decides to

take advantage of the fact he can be employed for the rail road industry during this time. Its the

same at the railroad. I pass the picket lines every day, and listen to the yelling and the

insults.(Munoz Ryan p.203). For this section of the book I would have students do a research

presentation in groups regarding the struggles of field workers and railroad workers faced during
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this period of time. I would have the students present to the class; the reasons why field workers

and rail road workers protested. I would also use this text to compare and contrast what is talked

about in a text book regarding these protest. Esperanza Rising represents a more personalized

version of the things these workers went through. I believe that my students will be able to

understand the history of the through this much more personalized approach.

Diversity in this country is important. The United States is a nation that consists of

immigrants from all over the world. Esperanza Rising will allow me to teach my students about

immigration and the hardship immigrants faced while coming to this country. Millions of people

have come to this country looking for the American dream. The immigration official seemed

angry for no reason. Where are you coming from?(Munoz Ryan, 82). With this passage of text,

I will tell my students about the difficulty immigrants went through in order to come to this

country. I would discuss with my students diversity in the United States, and why it is important

to be aware and accepting of the diversity. I believe this topic is very important at this age

because it is important to educate students about these topics at young age in order for them to be

more culturally relative. As an outside assignment I would have my students create a family tree,

I will instruct them to ask their parents questions regarding their family history.

Intersectionality is an important topic in Esperanza Rising. I plan to teach my students

about gender inequality. Esperanza Rising talks about this issue through the character of

Esperanza and her mother. When Esperanzas father dies, her and her mother can not own the

land they deserve because they are both women. Your husband Sixto Ortega, left this house and

all its contents to you and your daughter. You will also receive the yearly income from the

grapes. As you know is is not customary to leave land to women and since Luis was the banker

on the loan, Sixto left the land to him (Munoz Ryan p. 30). For this section of the book I would
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have my students to a free write regarding if they believe it is fair for this to happen to Esperanza

and her mother. I would like to get a sense of what my students are thinking as far as gender

inequality, before I teach on the topic. An important social and emotional lesson of this text is the

death of a family member, I believe it gives the reader hope despite encountering a tragedy.

Letters from Rifka, is an epistolary novel. I believe this novel will benefit my students in

learning how to write their emotions or things that happen in their lives on a daily basis. Through

this novel students will learn about a young Russian girl and her obstacles she overcomes when

trying to flee a country that discriminates Russian Jews. The fact that the novel is written in a

series of letters Rifka writes to her cousin Tovah will allow students to empathize with her

character. I thought of the thing the Russians had taken from y family as I stood in the train yard

and I was angry. Why, Tovah? Why is it that if a Russian peasant does not get he wants, he feels

justified in stealing it from a Jew? (Hesse, p. 16). As an activity I will have my students create a

journal they will write on everyday, where they will write about what goes in their lives. This

activity will allow students to practice writing more and to express their emotions on paper.

Letters from Rifka consists of various literary elements. I will utilize this text to teach my

students about literary elements. Some of the literary elements in the text are; personification,

similes, intertextuality, and diction. The sister of misfortune, Hope, In the under-darkness dumb

Speaks joyful courage to your hear: The day desired will come. Pushkin (Hesse, p.71). This is

an example of intersectionality in the text. The Pushkin references are used in the beginning of

each chapter and they foreshadow what is to come in that chapter. I would have my students

write on the board what they think the Pushkin means. This will allow me to introduce another

literary element which is foreshadowing.

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Similar to Esperanza Rising, Letters from Rifka, is about immigration. I will have my

students learn about why Russian Jews wanted to come to the United States. To Russian Jews the

United States was a place to come to escape the religious persecution they encountered in their

country. The United States would give them a new opportunity to start all over. Russian Jews

suffered discrimination when trying to come to the United States as illustrated by the text. Rifka

suffers the discrimination herself because she becomes ill and is separated from her family until

she recovers from her illness. So the ringworm isnt gone after all. If they check, they will send

me back for sure (Hesse p. 126). Rifka was afraid they would not allow her to go to the United

States because she believed her illness had returned. For this section of the text I would assign

my students a research project of researching Russian Jews who came to United States during

this time. I will have the students present what they have found to the class, it will be interesting

to see the different information they will find.

I would use both texts in the same course because I believe my students will learn a lot.

Both are historical novels but they are during different periods of time. I believe using these texts

and text books will allow my students to expand their knowledge on the topics presented because

the novels give a more personal perspective. There are many activities and lessons I can use in

the classroom that will allow my students to explore different topics. The texts would allow me

to teach on important historical topics and help my students learn more from the perspective of a

children similar to their age. Not only would both texts benefit the students academically but

they would also learn social and emotional lessons. Social and emotional lessons are important to

students because these lessons prepare students for events they may eventually have to go

through.
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References

Hesse, Karen. Letters from Rifka. New York: H. Holt, 1992. Print.

Ryan, Pam Mun. Esperanza Rising. New York: Scholastic, 2000. Print.