Lesson Guide for Grade __7__
Name of Text ____Amigo Brothers _________Author of Text __Piri Thomas________________ Location of Text _____p. 283_______________
Common Core Standards being addressed __RL7.3, RL7.9, RI7.9____________________________________
Chunk
Begins with
Husky
Bout
1
2
3
4
5
Vocabulary
1st Read Questions
2nd Read Questions
Identify the major goal shared by Based on the information in the text, predict
the friends.
what you think will happen next?
Draw
Pensively
Barrage
What did Thomas mean by
“..they sensed a wall rising
between them”? Cite an action
by one of the amigo brothers to
prove your answer.
Give an example of an action from the text
that describes the friendship between Felix
and Antonio.
“The days in training…”
Tenement
What is the major conflict (type)
in this chunk? What evidence
from the text supports your
answer?
How does Thomas describe the young
people Felix encounters after he leaves the
movie theater the night before the fight?
What can you infer about the
neighborhood?
“The morning of the fight…”
Improvised
Boring
What influential people give
speeches before the fight?
What does this indicate about
the event?
Based on the action of the match and
description of the friends’ injuries, who do
you think won round 1? What evidence
proves this?
Clarity
How does the crowd’s reaction
change from the end of round 2
to the end of round 3?
Was there a resolution to the main conflict?
How do you know?
“Now after a series…”
“Bong! Bong! Round two…”
Sample Performance Tasks:
 PLOT – Small Groups: Each group receives a piece of construction paper (with plot line already drawn), sentence strips,
vocabulary word strips, glue, and scissors (strips attached). Students cut vocabulary strips first and glue down to label
the parts of the plot line. Next, students cut the sentence strips and collaborate to determine where each sentence
detail belongs on the plot line. Rising actions need to be placed in sequential order. Once there is a consensus,
students glue down the strips.
 PLOT – Individual: Students will use pictures to symbolize the action of the plot. Students will cut pictures from
magazines and glue down. Optional: You may limit the number of rising actions that students are responsible for
symbolizing. Students must label the plot line correctly.
 RL7.7/RI7.7 – Review media unique techniques (lighting, sound, camera angles, color). Watch video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kblp3kYuKRU Ask students to pay attention to the media techniques. When
finished, refer to p. 755 for an example of stage directions. In pairs, students will re-write the last two paragraphs on
page 288 and the first three paragraphs on page 289 as stage directions.
 W.1 Write arguments that: (uses) clear, relevant, and organized reasons/evidence
(Begin developing pros/cons)
Which do you think is more important to the story: The external conflict (the fight itself) or the internal conflict (the
feelings the boys struggled with before and during the fight)? Why? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
Use quotations marks if using exact words.
Setting: Manhattan, NYC
Characters: Antonio and Felix
Theme: Friendship is stronger than anything
Was this a fight to the death instead of a boxing match?
The referee and trainers pull Felix and Antonio apart after the bull to
end the round rang.
Antonio and Felix decide to stay away from each other until the day of
the fight.
The morning of the fight, Tompkins Square was a beehive of activity.
Antonio and Felix both dreamed of becoming light-weight champion of
the world.
They are informed they will fight each other in the division finals in
August.
While running, they sense a wall rising between them.
Felix and Antonio get ready for the fight in the junior high school.
Felix’s legs buckled.
Antonio falls to the ground.
Arm in arm the champions had already left the ring.
The crowd no longer was fearful.
The announcer begins to declare the winner.
Rising Actions
Climax
The boys want to knock out the other one quickly to avoid too much
pain.
Exposition
Falling Actions
Resolution
Lesson Guide for Grade __7__
Name of Text: The Powerful Allure of Mike Tyson - Author of Text: Joyce Carol Oates - Common Core Standards being addressed: RL7.3, RL7.9, RI7.9
Location of Text http://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/25/sports/the-powerful-allure-of-mike-tyson.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
Chunk
Paragraphs
Vocabulary
1st Read Questions
2nd Read Questions
1
1&2
Premise
Profound
Undisputed
Oates begins the article with
“It…” What does “it” refer to?
Why was Tyson considered a challenger
against Berbick?
2
3&4
Foregone
Decisively
Cite evidence from the article
that explains why Tyson believed
Biggs needed punishing.
According to the author, what does Tyson do
to create an “unsettling air?”
3
8&9
Quixotic
Honed
Retrospect
According to the author, how
was Biggs like Pinklon Thomas?
Towards the end of the match, was the
crowd excited or calm? How do you know
Sample Performance Tasks:

How is the relationship between Felix and Antonio different from Tyson and Biggs? Cite evidence from the texts to
support your answer.

Compare/contrast the boxing styles of the four boxers. You may need to create a table to organize your evidence prior
to constructing your response.