Learning Contract
Name:_______________________________________
Learning Contract: Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs
Students will:
Know
•Who Victor Flores, Rico Rivera, Reynaldo, Chuy, Miguel Escobar, Julio are
•What it means to achieve the “American Dream”
• Why did Will Hobbs write about this topic?
•The structure of non-fiction (fact/length/types)
•The elements of a novel (plot, characters, setting, point of view, conflict)
Understand
•What Victor and Rico feel is important in life
•Victor’s perceptions and quotes from the story.
•That people fear when someone or something is different
Be able to
•Analyze a character and why the author develops the character in this way
•Write a biographical piece by connecting with a person who is knowledgeable on
this subject
•Identify a piece of work as fiction or nonfiction
•Clearly describe illegal immigration
•Create a diagram showing plot
Learning Contract
Working Guidelines for Learning Contracts
1. Stay on task at all times with the activities you have chosen.
2. Work on the chosen activities only after the required reading or
lesson for the day has been completed.
3. Work quietly so that you do not disturb others.
4. When you need help and the teachers is busy, quietly ask someone
else who is working on the same activity, wait for my attention, or
sign up on the conference sheet.
5. If a classmate cannot answer your question, write down your
question to ask later and begin working on another activity.
6. If you receive permission to leave the room, do so quietly.
7. If you go to the library to work, stay on task there, and continue
following the contract rules.
8. If the teacher is conferencing with another student, do not interrupt
unless you have an emergency.
9. Work on this contract both in class and at home.
10.
Finish the contract by the deadline.
I agree to the above conditions. I understand that if I do not follow them,
I may lose the opportunity to continue with this independent contract.
Student’s signature _______________________
Date__________________
Learning Contract
Reading Contract
Crossing the Wire
Name:_____________________________
Directions: Complete the activities from the following list by the end of class on
Wednesday, December 18th. You must complete Task 1, which will earn you 25
points. Choose from the other list of tasks using any combination that adds up to at
least 35 points.
You may use the following resources to help you: textbooks, library books, Internet,
encyclopedias, family members, OLHMS staff members, people of the community
and “Crossing the Wire”.
Task 1- 25 points
Community Connection- You will interview a person that has immigrated here
from another country or knows someone that did. This can be a family member,
staff member, friend, or with the help of an adult in the library, a person on
Twitter. You will create interview questions, then compile the responses into an
essay. You should also give background information on the country they moved
here from.
Learning Contract
Choose any combination of tasks from the following list to equal
at least 35 points.
Task 3 – 8 pointsStoryboard/Google Presentation- Create a plot line of the story through an illustrated
storyboard or Google Doc presentation. Make sure you include all the elements of
plot: characters, setting, conflict, rising action (ten events), climax, falling action, and
resolution. This will be an ongoing presentation throughout the novel that you will
add to.
Task 4 – 9 points
7th grade Vocabulary Acquisition- Define the following five vocabulary words and
state how they relate to the novel: bilingual, fortitude, scrutinize, tenacious, and
adversity.
Task 5 – 7 points
Spanish Dictionary- There are many Spanish terms in the novel. Choose ten terms.
Define them, use each word in a sentence, and create a picture for each word.
Compile the words in a booklet with a cover. Research other Spanish words and add
to this. Explain how/why you would incorporate these words into the story.
Task 6 – 9 points
Victor: Create a Reading response entry:
* What did you think of Victor as a character? Did you empathize with him?
Do you agree with Victor’s dream for starting a life in America? Why or why not?
Do you think Victor’s own attitude towards the American Dream changed
throughout the story?
Task 7 – 8 points
Research the topic of illegal immigration. Use the link below:
http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/illegal-immigration.html
Write a paragraph summarizing what you discovered and learned.
Include facts from the website.
Task 8 – 10 points
Time Life has voted Victor #11 on their 100 Most Influential People list. Complete
a one page spread for Victor. Feel free to be as creative as you’d like.
Learning Contract
Task 9- 10 points
Look through the novel and find quotes and/or percepts from the story said by
anyone. Choose three to go deeper with: How would you explain what they mean?
How would you illustrate the truths that each one states? How might the message of
these precepts and quotes apply to our lives in class, in school, at home, and in our
community?
Task 10- 10 points
People Magazine has hired you to write an article on two of the people from the
story choose 2 of the following: Victor, Rico, Julio, Jarra, Miguel. They would like
you to tell about each person’s character by comparing and contrasting the two. As
with all writing jobs, your article must be in the correct format and at least 300 words
long.
Task 11- 9 points
The author tells this story in first person, with Victor telling the story. Why does the
author do this? By developing the character in this way, how does this help you, the
reader, understand what he’s going through? Would you have preferred the author
have used a different point of view? Yes or no? Explain. How would this story have
been different if told in third person? Or from someone else’s point of view?
I have chosen Task 1 and Task 2 which equals 25 points
and
I have chosen Tasks ____, ____, ____, ____, ____ , ______which equals
35 points or more.
Student’s Signature ____________________
Date ______________
Teacher’s Signature ____________________ Date _______________
Learning Contract
Task Grouping
Number of Tasks
14
Practical
5
Grouping
Total number of tasks
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Analytic
4
Number
14
2
2
2
2
3
3
Creative
5