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December 20
Sandra Cisneros was born today in 1954.
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| Grades | 6 – 12 |
| Calendar Activity Type | Author & Text |
Winner of a 2016 National Medal of Arts, Sandra Cisneros was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954. Best known for her collection of vignettes The House on Mango Street and her short story collection Woman Hollering Creek, Cisneros has also been awarded MacArthur and NEA Fellowships for her fiction and poetry depicting life of Latino/as in America.
Read aloud or project this quote from Sandra Cisneros:
The older I get, the more I'm conscious of ways very small things can make a change in the world. Tiny little things, but the world is made up of tiny matters, isn't it?
Invite students to select a "tiny little thing" from their lives—an encounter with a stranger, a small object, a physical feature of a loved one, a fragment of remembered dialogue—and freewrite about its significance to their lives. Then read aloud a vignette such as "Hairs"/"Pelitos" (also available as a standalone picture book) and discuss how Cisneros takes something small and finds significance in it. Give students time to write, share, and revise to take up what they learned from hearing Cisneros' writing. Let students choose a form for their writing: narrative prose, poetry, or essay.
- Sandra Cisneros: Author of The House on Mango Street
Cisneros' official website offers a personal glimpse into her life, work, and favorites.
- Sandra Cisneros - Author
Learn more about Cisneros' life at this site from Biography.com.
- President Obama to Award National Medals of Arts
This press release announces Cisneros as a recipient of the 2016 National Medal of Arts and contains links to media associated with the awards ceremony.
- 'House On Mango Street' Celebrates 25 Years
In this NPR interview from 2009, Cisneros discusses the history and impact of The House on Mango Street, then in its 25th year.
- The House on Mango Street - The Story
In this official video interview from KnopfGrou, Sandra Cisneros talks about the story behind The House on Mango Street and its relationships with her own life.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Exploring the Power of Language with Six-Word Memoirs
What do the words we write really have to say about us? In this lesson, students examine the power of word choice as they write six-word memoirs of their lives.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Investigating Names to Explore Personal History and Cultural Traditions
Students investigate the meanings and origins of their names in order to establish their own personal histories and to explore the cultural significance of naming traditions.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Teaching Student Annotation: Constructing Meaning Through Connections
Students examine text closely and create annotations to make personal and meaningful connections with the work.
Grades 8 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Latino Poetry Blog: Blogging as a Forum for Open Discussion
In this lesson, students use blogs to hold discussions about the effect of the factors of culture, history, and environment on Latino poetry.
