Name_________________________
Core_________
Date________
“The Jacket”
by Gary Soto
About the author:
Gary Soto is an activist and author who grew up in a poor Mexican American
neighborhood in Fresno, CA. He worked on farms as a kid. Reflecting on his writing he
shared, “Even though I write a lot about life in the barrio, I am really writing about the
feelings & experiences of most American kids.” In addition to writing, he also educates
youth about the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee, founded 1966.
Reading, Reflecting, Discussing and Writing
While listening to the story…
 Read along
 UNDERLINE and ANNOTATE!
Questions for the class discussion…
1. Find three metaphors or similes that show how the protagonist,
Gary Soto, felt about or experienced the jacket? Use these
metaphors in your paragraph to show how the jacket that he wants
is different from the one he gets? (This is great material for a
discussion on internal conflict!)
2. What do you think a theme of the story is? There is not one
right answer! Use three quotes from the story to explain your
claim.
3. What effects does the protagonist claim the jacket has on him and
his life? Use three quotes from the story to support your claims.
(This is great material for a discussion on personification!)
4. Do you feel pressure to have a certain “jacket,” clothing item or
thing? How could this pressure become an issue of social inequality
(some people have access to these items and others do not)? Use
three quotes from the story to support your claims.
Paragraph…
Choose one of the four questions on which to write a paragraph response. Your
paragraph must include all of the components listed below in the meeting standard
section of the rubric. Janet does not expect you to write the perfect paragraph YET, but
she does expect you to show effort in each of the areas. Be sure to review your in-class
notes on what makes a strong paragraph!
Printed Paragraph, Rubric & Annotated Story DUE:
Thursday, October 17
The rubric is for Janet to complete regarding your paragraph:
Meeting Standard
If you would like to go above and beyond…
☐ Written in paragraph form
☐ Effectively uses additional quotes to
support the claims
☐ Indented
☐ Spelling & punctuation checked
☐ Makes references to literary terms used in
the story
☐ Topic Sentence
☐ Quotes cited--“Ugly” (p.3).
☐ Read and edited a first draft; both first and
☐ Clear Flow (connecting words)
second drafts are turned in
☐ Closing Sentence
☐ Uses at least three quotes to support claims
☐ Incorporates question into the responses
☐ Evidence is “sandwiched:” HOW and
WHY the evidence supports the claim
☐ Story is annotated
☐ Paragraph is typed
☐ 12 pt. font
☐ Name, date & core are typed
☐ Font has lower case & upper case
letters.
☐ Story and paragraph are turned in on time
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