Inferences
In the narrative, why do you think Anya cried quietly at night even though she pretended to be brave?
She didn’t want to worry her mother or brother, but she was scared and homesick.
What is the author’s main purpose in writing the narrative about Anya?
To help readers imagine the experience of immigration through a child’s eyes.
What text feature shows the number of immigrants from different countries?
The chart.
What is the problem in Anya’s story?
She and her family must leave home, travel across the ocean, and face many hardships to reach America.
What is one similarity between the narrative and the informational text?
Both describe the challenges of traveling across the ocean and arriving in America.
What can you infer about life in steerage compared to life in first-class cabins?
Steerage was crowded, dirty, and uncomfortable, while first-class cabins were much cleaner and more comfortable.
What is the author’s main purpose in writing the informational passage?
To explain the history and facts about immigration in the late 1800s.
What does the heading “Ellis Island: The Gateway” help the reader understand?
It tells the reader that the section will explain Ellis Island’s role in immigration.
What event marks the climax of Anya’s journey to America?
Seeing the Statue of Liberty and realizing they had reached America.
What is one difference in how the journey across the ocean is described?
The narrative describes Anya’s emotions and personal experiences, while the informational text explains facts about steerage conditions.
How might immigrants have felt when they first saw the Statue of Liberty?
They likely felt hopeful, relieved, and excited because it symbolized freedom and a new start.
Why does the author of the narrative include Anya’s emotions, while the informational text does not?
The narrative shows feelings to make the reader connect with the character, while the informational text focuses on facts.
How does the graph of immigration growth help readers better understand immigration in the late 1800s?
It shows visually that the number of immigrants increased greatly over time.
How is the problem resolved in the end of the narrative?
The family is reunited with Papa, and they begin their new life together.
How do the two texts show the challenges immigrants faced in America?
The narrative shows crowded living in a small apartment, while the informational text explains tenements and low-paying jobs.
Why did so many immigrants settle in large cities instead of the countryside?
Cities had more job opportunities and already had immigrant communities that could help newcomers.
How does the inclusion of charts and graphs support the author’s purpose in the informational text?
They make the facts clearer and easier to understand by showing data visually.
Why are headings an important text feature in the informational passage but not in the narrative?
Headings help organize facts in nonfiction, while stories flow naturally without them.
Put these events in order: (a) boarding the ship, (b) seeing the Statue of Liberty, (c) reuniting with Papa, (d) passing through Ellis Island.
a → b → d → c.
Compare how families are shown in both texts. Why is family important in each?
In the narrative, family brings comfort and joy, especially the reunion with Papa. In the informational text, families work together to survive in crowded cities.
What can you infer about the importance of family during the immigration experience?
Families gave comfort and support during difficult times, and being reunited (like Anya’s family) was the happiest moment.
Why do you think the teacher chose to give you both types of texts together?
Reading both helps students understand not only the facts but also the human side of immigration.
How do text features in the informational passage give you information that Anya’s story does not?
They provide numbers, data, and comparisons that show the bigger picture of immigration.
How does the rising action build up to the resolution?
The hardships on the ship and fears at Ellis Island increase the tension, making the reunion with Papa feel joyful and complete.
How does reading both a narrative and informational text give you a deeper understanding of immigration?
Together, they show both the personal, emotional side and the historical, factual side of immigration.