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What are human rights, and how do real people and fictional characters respond when those rights are threatened? In this module, students develop their ability to read and understand complex text as they consider this question. In Unit 1, students build their close reading skills by reading the novel Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan. They read about human rights and apply this learning as one lens through which to interpret the characters and themes in the novel—a complex coming-of-age story set in Mexico and rural California during the early 1930s. Through close reading, interpretation, and analysis of fiction and nonfiction texts, students begin to build their understanding of human rights. Throughout the unit, students closely read selected articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) related to events in Esperanza Rising where human rights are threatened.
What are human rights, and how can they be threatened?
Human rights belong to everyone, but they can look different to different people in different places.
We can better understand how human rights can be threatened by reading about the experiences of fictional characters in stories.
How can we use writing to raise awareness of human rights?
We can raise awareness of human rights issues by writing about the issues fictional characters face.
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