As a class, students will complete a KWL chart. Begin by having the students share what they know about Amalia Hernandez, dance, Mexico, etc. In the next column, ask students to share what they want to know about these topics. After reading the story, complete the final column, learned, by asking students to share knowledge they did not have before reading the story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.1

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

Students will take notes during the story and later will create a Venn diagram to show what is different and what is the same in the cousins life.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7

Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

Students will create a word wall using important words from the book. Start by dividing the class into groups of 5 or 6. Each student, except for one, should be given a slip of paper. The students with a slip of paper select a word from the word wall. On the slip of paper, each student should provide a clue related to the selected word. The student who does not have a slip of paper uses the clues provided by their group members to guess the "mystery word". Repeat until each group memember has a chance to guess the word.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7

Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)

Students will create a story board of the story. Students must include a beginning, middle, and end, and any 2 events they believe were important in the story. The events must be placed in chronological order.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5

Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

Students will participate in an exclusion brainstorming activity. The students will be given a list of words and asked to eliminate the words that do not relate to the story. This activitity is an opproptunity to expand vocabulary knowledge and evaluate comprehension abilities.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.4

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.

After reading the story, students will participate in a collabortive books assignment. Have students write a journal entry explaining what they think happens next in the story. The entries should be at least one paragraph long. Leave space at the top of the paragraph for students to draw an image explaining their entry.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Students will complete a cause and effect worksheet. After reading the story, students will be asked to refer to parts of the story that caused something else to happen. Students should start with the events at the beginning and work up towards the events at the end.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.5

Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.

As a class students will create a double entry journal, one column will be quotes in the story Soldier for Equality. The second column will be a reflection on the quote. Their reflection can be on how a quote made them feel, a personal experience they share with the quote, or a question to the author.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Students will draw a portrait of Juan and write a journal entry on why they chose to draw Juan the way they did. What clues in the story helped them shape their vision of Juan.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3

Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).