This is a suggested teaching schedule for a 10 day 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.
Audio Guide CDs 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 CD. Non-participating communities can listen to the full audio online.
DAY ONE
FOCUS: Biography
Day One Lesson Plan
Activities: Listen to the Big Read Audio Guide. Create a biographical portrait of Anaya and describe the New Mexican landscape.
Homework: Read Chapters Uno and Dos (pp. 1-26).*
DAY TWO
FOCUS: Culture and History
Day Two Lesson Plan
Activities: Read Handouts One and Three. Discuss the multicultural nature of New Mexican heritage, including the ways the Spanish and native cultures both conflict and coincide. Write about myths in your own culture.
Homework: Read Chapters Tres, Cuatro, and Cinco (pp. 27-50).
Handout One
Handout Three
DAY THREE
FOCUS: Narrative and Point of View
Day Three Lesson Plan
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: Read Chapters Seis, Siete, Ocho, and Nueve (pp. 51-82).
DAY FOUR
FOCUS: Characters
Day Four Lesson Plan
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: Read Chapter Diez (pp. 83-105).
Handout Two
DAY FIVE
FOCUS: Figurative Language
Day Five Lesson Plan
Activities: Discuss how Anaya describes the earth with human traits. Write a paragraph using figurative language.
Homework: Read Chapters Once, Doce, and Trece (pp. 106-142).
DAY SIX
FOCUS: Symbols
Day Six Lesson Plan
Activities: Analyze the symbolism of Ultima's owl, the river, and the Golden Carp.
Homework: Read Chapter Catorce (pp. 143-176).
DAY SEVEN
FOCUS: Character Development
Day Seven Lesson Plan
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: Read Chapters Quince, Dieciséis, and Diecisiete (pp. 177-202).
DAY EIGHT
FOCUS: The Plot Unfolds
Day Eight Lesson Plan
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: Read Chapters Dieciocho, Diecinueve, and Veinte (pp. 203-235).
DAY NINE
FOCUS: Themes of the Novel
Day Nine Lesson Plan
Activities: Discuss themes of innocence and knowledge, nature, and language and identity.
Homework: Read Chapters Veintiuno and Veintidós (pp. 236-262).
DAY TEN
FOCUS: What Makes a Great Book?
Day Ten Lesson Plan
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.
