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…
Ø Read along
Ø UNDERLINE and ANNOTATE!
Questions for the class discussion…
1. Find two 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 two quotes from
the story to explain your claim.
3. What effects does the protagonist claim the jacket has on him and his life? Use two 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 two 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:
Monday, October 13
The rubric is for Janet to complete regarding your paragraph:
Meeting Standard
If you would like to go above and beyond…
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Written in paragraph form
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Indented
Spelling & punctuation checked
Topic Sentence
Quotes cited--“Ugly” (p.3).
Clear Flow (connecting words)
Closing Sentence
Uses at least two quotes to support claims
Incorporates question into the responses
First quote has a sentence before and after
that explains HOW and WHY the evidence
supports the claim
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Second quote has a sentence before and
after that explains HOW and WHY the
evidence supports the claim
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Story is annotated
Paragraph is typed
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12 pt. font
Name, date & core are typed
Font has lower case & upper case
letters.
Story and paragraph are turned in on time
Comments:
Effectively uses additional quotes to
support the claims
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Makes references to literary terms used in
the story
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Read and edited a first draft; both first and
second drafts are turned in