Eleven by Sandra Cisneros

PART A: Which of the following statements best identifies a major theme of

the text?

• Adults always think they know better because they are older.

• We are shaped by our past ages, even as we grow up and change.

• When people grow up, they become more brave and confident.

• Everyone should be given special treatment when it is their birthday.

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CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

PART B: Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• "And you don't feel eleven at all. You feel like you're still ten. And you are —

  underneath the year that makes you eleven." (Paragraph 1)

• "'Of course it's yours,' Mrs. Price says. 'I remember you wearing it once.'

  Because she's older and the teacher, she's right and I'm not." (Paragraph 10)

• "Mama is making a cake for me tonight, and when Papa comes home

  everybody will sing Happy birthday, happy birthday to you." (Paragraph 11)

• "I wish I was anything but eleven, because I want today to be far away already,

  far away like a runaway balloon" (Paragraph 21)

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

In paragraph 3, Rachel says, "Because the way you grow old is kind of like an

onion or like the rings inside a tree trunk or like my little wooden dolls that fit one

inside the other."

• The narrator cannot make up her mind about what it means to be older, and so

  she does not know what it means to be herself.

• The narrator feels overwhelmed by how quickly she is growing up, and she is

  afraid that she does not act her current age.

• The narrator believes that everyone is just hiding how old they really are behind

  different ages, or layers.

• The narrator thinks of growing up as developing layers, instead of becoming an

  entirely new person as you age.

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

How does Rachel react to being told to put on the red sweater?

• Rachel cries after putting on the old red sweater, but she is more upset with

  herself for not speaking up like an 11-year-old.

• Rachel refuses to put on the old red sweater and cries like a small child when

  her teacher scolds her for her disobedience.

• Rachel stubbornly ignores her teacher because she hates Mrs. Price, who is

  mean and picks on her for no reason.

• Rachel cries after putting on the old red sweater because she is embarrassed

  about having to wear her old clothes.

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CCSS.RL.3.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

What does Rachel mean in the first paragraph of Eleven when she says,

“What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell

you is that when you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and

seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two and one. And

when you wake up on your eleventh birthday you expect to feel eleven,

but you don’t. You open your eyes and everything’s just like yesterday,

only it’s today. And you don’t feel eleven at all. You feel like you’re still

ten.” Reread to find evidence to prove your thinking about what Rachel

means. Write a one paragraph response and include evidence from the text to

support your opinion.

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CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.W.5.1A

CCSS.W.5.9A