| Schedule/Lesson Plans |
| Capstone Project Ideas |
| Essay Topics |
| Additional Resources |
| NCTE Standards |
| Credits |
This is a suggested teaching schedule for a 10 class study of Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima. Lesson plans and handouts can be downloaded individually by clicking on the name of the file in the schedule below. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these files.
The CD Audio Guides are available only for the communities participating in The Big Read. If your community is participating, contact the lead community organization to receive a free Audio Guide. If your community is not participating, encourage a local organization (such as a library, museum, literary center, arts council, or similar non-profit organization) to apply.
DAY ONE
FOCUS: Biography
Day One Lesson Plan [54K]
Activities: Listen to the Big Read CD. Create a biographical portrait of Anaya and describe the New Mexican landscape.
Homework: Chapters Uno and Dos (pp. 1-26).*
DAY TWO
FOCUS: Culture and History
Day Two Lesson Plan [53K]
Activities: Listen to the Big Read CD and read Handouts One and Three. Discuss the multicultural nature of New Mexican heritage, and the ways the Spanish and native cultures both conflict and coincide. Write about myths in your own culture.
Homework: Chapters Tres, Cuatro, and Cinco (pp. 27-50).
Handout One [48K]
Handout Three [48K]
DAY THREE
FOCUS: Narrative and Point of View
Day Three Lesson Plan [53K]
Activities: Discuss and write about the many influences on Antonio’s point of view, examining how the beliefs of other characters affect his thinking.
Homework: Chapters Seis, Siete, Ocho, Nueve (pp. 51-82).
DAY FOUR
FOCUS: Characters
Day Four Lesson Plan [53K]
Activities: Read Handout Two. Discuss the ways language creates character, and write about the confusion Antonio encounters as he tries to find his place in a grown-up world.
Homework: Chapter Diez (pp. 83-105).
Handout Two [48K]
DAY FIVE
FOCUS: Figurative Language
Day Five Lesson Plan [53K]
Activities: Discuss how Anaya describes the earth with human traits. Write a paragraph using figurative language.
Homework: Chapters Once, Doce, and Trece (pp. 106-142).
DAY SIX
FOCUS: Symbols
Day Six Lesson Plan [46K]
Activities: Analyze the symbolism of Ultima’s owl, the river, and the golden carp.
Homework: Chapter Catorce (pp. 143-176).
DAY SEVEN
FOCUS: Character Development
Day Seven Lesson Plan [53K]
Activities: Discuss the ways in which the roles of Andrew, Narciso, and Tenorio change in the novel. Write about what Antonio learns concerning the strange ways of men.
Homework: Chapters Quince, Dieciséis, and Diecisiete (pp. 177-202).
DAY EIGHT
FOCUS: The Plot Unfolds
Day Eight Lesson Plan [53K]
Activities: Discuss the sad and terrifying events that unfold quickly in the previous night’s reading. Write about patterns of repetition and variation in the plot.
Homework: Chapters Dieciocho, Diecinueve, and Veinte (pp. 203-235).
DAY NINE
FOCUS: Themes of the Novel
Day Nine Lesson Plan [53K]
Activities: Discuss themes of innocence and knowledge, nature, and language and identity.
Homework: Chapters Veintiuno and Veintidós (pp. 236-262).
DAY TEN
FOCUS: What Makes a Great Book?
Day Ten Lesson Plan [46K]
Activities: Explore the qualities of a great novel.
Homework: Work on essays.
* Page numbers refer to the Warner Books, 1994, edition of Bless Me, Ultima.
