Character Analysis
Vocab
Important Events
Cultural Importance
Misc.
100
Zitlally
A young girl from Mexico who lives in a trailer park with her parents, her two sisters and eventually her best friend Crystal.
100
Definition of "Deportado"
The police had pulled him over a week earlier, and while he was in jail, Mama was on her cell phone all the time.
Deportado, deportado, deportado, she said, in a hushed, dangerous voice.
Deportado = deported
100
Father gets deported
Father gets pulled over by the cops because he is speeding. When he can’t show his documents, the cop finds out that he is here illegally and he gets deported back to Xono.
100
Location
100
Reading Lesson
Reading the book with the class and discussing the what the theme of it is. By using this theme, we could write an alternate ending while keeping with the theme.
200
Star
Star is a white, skinny and dirty dog with a black star on his back who lived in the junkyard.
200
Definition of "Estrella"
My name is Zitlally. Estrella. Star. That's what it means in Nahuatl.
Estrella = star
200
Zitlally finds Star
Z goes to the junkyard to be alone. It is her little forest that she keeps to herself. Shortly after her father has been deported, she finds a dog chained up there, and she decides to help it out. She of course ends up naming it Star.
200
Memories
Picnicking at the spring, mushroom-hunting, venturing to the outhouse - are based on experiences that Laura Resau had in Xono or stories she heard there.
200
Social Studies Lesson
By looking at the different regions of the U.S. we could determine the areas that immigrants might have easier access to, or where they might be drawn to.
300
Crystal
A young, blonde girl who lives in the same trailer park as Zitlally. She lives with her mother and her mothers "dictator" boyfriend. She becomes Zitlally's best friend.
300
Definition of "Secuestrado"
"It's your father, mi vida. He's secuestrado."
I thought I knew what secuestrado meant, but maybe I didn't, because it only happened in movies, not in real life. But then I knew I was right, because Dalia said, in English, "Kidnapped."
Secuestrado = kidnapped
300
Star and Father are kidnapped
As some time has gone on, and Crystal and Zitlally have gotten Star trained and well groomed, they go to the junkyard and find that Star is no longer there. When Zitlally returns home, she receives the news that as her father had crossed the border, he was kidnapped by men who were holding him for ransom.
300
Naguales
Animals who have a spiritual connection to humans. This is traditional among the Aztecs from the region of Puebla. Zitlally associates Star as her father’s Naguales.
300
Science Lesson
Building off of the Science portion, we could look at the different animals that might belong in these different regions and make inferences as to what their Naguales or spirit animals might be based off of that.