Writing Prompt for “The Circuit”
Author Francisco Jimenez chose to write his autobiographical novel The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child from the first-person point of view of a child migrant worker.
How might the story be different if told from the point of view of Francisco’s mother or father? What might the reader discover about his parents’ thoughts and feelings as they anticipate another move? Examine and explain how changing the point of view from the boy to one of his parents might reveal different aspects of what life was like for migrant workers as they faced challenges and hardships. Remember to support your central idea with relevant, well-organized evidence from the text, including quotations, details, and examples, to show how the point of view in a story influences readers’ understanding of characters and their experiences.
Answers
Answer:
YOED 6020
July 2, 2011
Erin Cathey
Writing Prompt for “The Circuit” by Francisco Jimenez
Based on a true story, the historical fictionalized novel, “The Circuit,” by Francisco Jimenez is a story about a young boy who immigrates to Southern California from Mexico in the 1940s with his parents and his older brother, Roberto. Panchito (Francisco) ends up being the second born of six children after the family moves to the United States. He tells about the family’s struggles to survive as poor migrant workers as they move between dilapidated tent labor camps and shacks in search of seasonal crop-picking work. Panchito’s determination to have a shot at success in his future drives him to pursue his education regardless of the challenges that he must face as an illegal immigrant from Mexico. The story will transplant you to another time as you grow with Panchito and truly comprehend the reality of his experiences. This book is recommended for 5-10 grade ESL students with an intermediate - higher level of English proficiency.
“The Circuit; Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child” By Francisco Jimenez
Grade Level: 5th-9th grades Language Proficiency Level: Intermediate - Advanced Strategy: Story Mapping, Vocabulary, Cognitive Mapping, and Writing Literature Selection: “The Circuit; Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child” Author: Francisco Jimenez Date & Publisher: (1997) University of New Mexico Skills: 1. Story Mapping – focusing on map location, characters, plot, and setting 2. Vocabulary – Content related 3. Cognitive Mapping - setting details 4. Writing – reflective writing using writing prompt Materials: Novel- “The Circuit” Student Journals Writing Prompt Map of Southwest U.S. and Mexico Character and Setting Chart Instructional Procedures: Set: The teacher will use a map to show students where the different story settings are located. Students will continue to follow the family’s journeys on the map as they process through the book to show where the family moves each time. Shared Reading: The students will take turns reading the story aloud and will engage in discussion about new vocabulary terms and plot and setting development in the story. Modeled Activities: The students will fill in the setting and character development chart in pairs as they progress through the reading of the book. Writing Reflections: The teacher may choose to introduce the writing prompts after select chapters for reflection to be written into student journals. Otherwise the teacher can assign all of the writing prompts after the students finish reading the book. Ultimately, the entries will then be compiled into individual student autobiographies.
“The Circuit,” by Francisco Jimenez is a fictionalized autobiographical sketch of the life of Francisco Jimenez. Everyone has a story to tell. Imagine that you are writing your own story for others to read. Answer the following questions about yourself using as much detail as possible. 1. Panchito didn’t speak English when he first started school. Tell about your first day at school. _________________________________________________________________
Answer:
Author Francisco Jimenez chose to write his autobiographical novel The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child from the first-person point of view of a child migrant worker.
How might the story be different if told from the point of view of Francisco’s mother or father? What might the reader discover about his parents’ thoughts and feelings as they anticipate another move? Examine and explain how changing the point of view from the boy to one of his parents might reveal different aspects of what life was like for migrant workers as they faced challenges and hardships. Remember to support your central idea with relevant, well-organized evidence from the text, including quotations, details, and examples, to show how the point of view in a story influences readers’ understanding of characters and their experiences.