Teacher Guide For FAST-R Passage:: How To Eat A Guava

Teacher Guide for FAST-R Passage: How to Eat a Guava
FAST-R: Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading
Autobiographical narrative
At a Glance
Approximate Grade Range: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Genre: Autobiographical narrative Topic: Santiagos memories of eating guavas as a child in Puerto Rico contrast with her adult life in the U.S. Author: Esmeralda Santiago Source: When I was Puerto Rican (1994) Special Note: Book is available in both English and Spanish
Difficulty Index: Considerate . . . . . . . . . . . . Challenging Structure: Purpose: Richness: Relationships: Vocabulary: Style: Lexile Measure: 970L
The following selection is from the prologue of the novel When I was Puerto Rican, by Esmeralda Santiago. As you read this excerpt, think about how the author uses the image of a guava as a metaphor for her own life experience. When you have nished reading, answer the questions that follow. Relationships: This excerpt introduces relationship themes that develop throughout the book: woman to her home or place of origin, adult to her childhood, person to society. See especially: Questions 1, 7, 9, 10
How to Eat a Guava

by Esmeralda Santiago Barco que no anda, no llega a puerto. ~ A ship that doesnt sail, never reaches port. 1 There are guavas at the Shop & Save. I pick one the size of a tennis ball and nger the prickly stem end. It feels familiarly bumpy and rm. The guava is not quite ripe; the skin is still a dark green. I smell it and imagine a pale pink center, the seeds tightly embedded in the esh. 2 A ripe guava is yellow, although some varieties have a pink tinge. The skin is thick, rm, and sweet. Its heart is bright pink and almost solid with seeds. The most delicious part of the guava surrounds the tiny seeds. If you dont know how to eat a guava, the seeds end up in the crevices between your teeth. 3 When you bite into a ripe guava, your teeth must grip the bumpy surface and sink into the thick edible skin without hitting the center. It takes experience to do this, as its quite tricky to determine how far beyond the skin the seeds begin. 4 Some years, when the rains have been plentiful and the nights cool, you can bite into a guava and not nd many seeds. The guava bushes grow close to the ground, their branches laden with green then yellow fruit that seem to ripen overnight. These guavas are large and juicy, almost seedless, their roundness enticing you to have one more, just one more, because next year the rains may not come. 5 As children, we didnt always wait for the fruit to ripen. We raided the bushes as soon as the guavas were large enough to bend the branch. Purpose: Suggested by the proverb in italics everyone must grow and experience life to realize who they are meant to be. See especially: Questions 10
Vocabulary: Santiago uses uncomplicated vocabulary throughout the passage, though a few words may be unfamiliar.
Structure: This first flashback to childhood (5-7) describes her childish enjoyment of unripe guavas uncomplicated by adult concerns. See especially: Questions 5, 6, 7 Continued on next page
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Esmerelda Santiago is from When I was Puerto Rican. Copyright 1993 by Esmerelda Santiago. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
6 A green guava is sour and hard. You bite into it at its widest point, because its easier to grasp with your teeth. You hear the skin, meat, and seeds crunching inside your head, while the inside of your mouth explodes in little spurts of sour. 7 You grimace, your eyes water, and your cheeks disappear as your lips purse into a tight O. But you have another and then another, enjoying the crunchy sounds, the acid taste, the gritty texture of the unripe center. At night, your mother makes you drink castor oil, which she says tastes better than a green guava. Thats when you know for sure that youre a child and she has stopped being one. 8 I had my last guava the day we left Puerto Rico. It was large and juicy, almost red in the center, and so fragrant that I didnt want to eat it because I would lose the smell. All the way to the airport I scratched at it with my teeth, making little dents in the skin, chewing small pieces with my front teeth, so that I could feel the texture against my tongue, the tiny pink pellets of sweet. Structure: This second flashback to when she left Puerto Rico (8) includes her more adult awareness of the bittersweet nature of life. Although the narrative moves between past and present, there are textual clues to help readers navigate. Such words and phrases include as children, the day I left Puerto Rico, Today. See especially: Questions 5, 6, 7
9 Today, I stand before a stack of dark green guavas, each perfectly round and hard, each $1.59. The one in my hand is tempting. It smells faintly of late summer afternoons and hopscotch under the mango tree. But this is autumn in New York, and Im no longer a child. 10 The guava joins its sisters under the harsh uorescent lights of the exotic fruit display. I push my cart away, toward the apples and pears of my adulthood, their nearly seedless ripeness predictable and bittersweet.
Style: The vivid, sensory language used to describe the way she ate her last guava contributes to the nostalgic tone. See especially: Questions 8, 10 Richness: In the concluding present-tense paragraphs, she confronts the bittersweet feeling of having left her home and her childhood and chooses not to symbolically return to them by buying the guava. See especially: Questions 8, 9, 10
Spotlight On: Esmeralda Santiago

Esmerelda Santiago was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and moved to the mainland United States when she was 13 years old. Santiago grew up speaking Spanish, eating guavas, and enjoying the rich culture of Puerto Rico. Two of her novels, When I was Puerto Rican (Cuando era Puertorricea) and the sequel Almost a Woman (Casi una Mujer), are based on the authors experiences of leaving her homeland for a new life in New York City. As this passage suggests, when someone leaves their homeland, there are memories they take with them and much they miss. Esmeralda Santiago has published numerous books and continues to write today. Her books are very popular with high school students and adults throughout the country.
Ideas for Connected Writing Activities:

Imagine that you have moved to some very different place, one where people speak a different language and have very different customs. Write about what you would miss most about your place of origin. Explain what the narrator means when she says, But this is autumn in New York and Im no longer a child. Explain how the epigraph relates to the narrators life. Write a descriptive passage about a food that represents your childhood. Write a poem describing the experience of eating one of your favorite foods.
Humanities Connections:
Read more about the life of author Esmeralda Santiago. What can be learned about the impact of leaving ones homeland? About adapting to a new and different culture? Research the history of Puerto Rico and trace the citizenship status of its residents. Explore the significance of ones culture, including the meaning of various foods, customs, and histories.
Teacher Guide for FAST-R Passage: How to Eat a Guava

FAST-R: Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading
Autobiographical narrative
The annotated answer key below highlights common reasons students might choose each answer, and the sidebar gives more insight into the questions, to help you understand patterns of student responses. Always make time to follow up with students in conferences to ensure that the patterns you diagnose are consistent with students reading and thinking strategies.
1. When the passage begins, the narrator is A. a child. (OOP1, 5) B. an adult. (9, 10) C. a grocery store manager. (OOB) D. a piece of fruit. (OOP2) 2. What color is a ripe guava? A. yellow (2) B. green (OOP2, 6) C. pink (OOP1, 2) D. orange (OOB) 3. According to the passage, what is likely to happen to an inexperienced guava eater? A. Her mother will give her castor oil. (OOP1, 7) B. Her lips will purse into a tight O. (OOP1, 7) C. She will buy her guavas at the Shop & Save. (OOP2) D. The seeds will end up in the crevices of her teeth. (2) 4. According to paragraph 4, the BEST tasting guavas are those that A. are displayed in the produce section of the Shop & Save. (OOP1, 1) B. are very sour. (OOP2, 7) C. are prickly, bumpy, and rm. (OOP2, 1) D. grow after a season of rain and cool nights. (4) 5. Why did the narrator, along with other children in Puerto Rico, end up eating green guavas? A. They liked the green ones the best. (OOP2, 6-7) B. Their mothers made them eat green guavas to punish them. (OOP2, 7) C. Green guavas were given to children as medicine when they were sick. (OOB) D. The children were impatient and couldnt wait for the fruit to ripen. (5) 6. The purpose of paragraph 7 is to A. show how awful a sour guava can be. (OOP2, 7) B. show how children enjoy experiencing all that life has to offer. C. show how castor oil is used as medicine. (OOP1, 7) D. show how Shop & Save guavas are better than guavas from Puerto Rico. (OOP2)
FE2: Recognize the explicit meaning from varied wording in the text
FE1: Identify evidence explicitly stated in the text
MI1: Determine implicit meaning from ideas in context
MI2: Determine a singular meaning from the sum total of a particular paragraph
Grade 8-10 How to Eat a Guava Autobiographical narrative

7. What does the narrator mean in paragraph 7 when she says, Thats when you know for sure that youre a child and she has stopped being one. A. Motherhood is challenging in Puerto Rico. (OOB) B. Adults, unlike children, have forgotten the joy and excitement of eating the first guavas of the season. (7) C. Children hate to eat green guavas in Puerto Rico. (OOP2, 7) D. Her mother will always be a child at heart. (OOP2, 7) 8. Which of the following quotations best adds to a tone of nostalgia? A. A ripe guava is yellow, although some varieties have a pink tinge. (OOP2, 2) B. A green guava is sour and hard. You bite into it at its widest point. (OOP2, 6) C. It smells faintly of late summer afternoons and hopscotch under the mango tree. (9) D. The guava joins its sisters under the harsh uorescent lights... (OOP1, 10) 9. In this passage, the guava is a metaphor for the narrators A. life experience. B. childhood. (OOP1, 5-7) C. adulthood. (OOP1, 9-10) D. motherhood (OOP2, 7) 10. The narrators feelings about her life can best be described as A. edible. (OOP2, 3) B. enticing. (OOP2, 4) C. exotic. (OOP1, 10) D. bittersweet. (10)
MI1: Determine implicit meaning from words in context
MI5: Determine meaning by incorporating an understanding of literary concepts
MI5: Determine meaning by incorporating an understanding of literary concepts
MI1: Determine implicit meaning from ideas in context
FAST-R
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Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading

Name Date How to Eat A Guava Autobiographical Narrative Teacher/Class
The following selection is from the prologue of the novel When I was Puerto Rican, by Esmeralda Santiago. As you read this excerpt, think about how the author uses the image of a guava as a metaphor for her own life experience. When you have nished reading, answer the questions that follow.
How to Eat a Guava

by Esmeralda Santiago
Barco que no anda, no llega a puerto. ~ A ship that doesnt sail, never reaches port.
1 There are guavas at the Shop & Save. I pick one the size of a tennis ball and nger the prickly stem end. It feels familiarly bumpy and rm. The guava is not quite ripe; the skin is still a dark green. I smell it and imagine a pale pink center, the seeds tightly embedded in the esh. 2 A ripe guava is yellow, although some varieties have a pink tinge. The skin is thick, rm, and sweet. Its heart is bright pink and almost solid with seeds. The most delicious part of the guava surrounds the tiny seeds. If you dont know how to eat a guava, the seeds end up in the crevices between your teeth. 3 When you bite into a ripe guava, your teeth must grip the bumpy surface and sink into the thick edible skin without hitting the center. It takes experience to do this, as its quite tricky to determine how far beyond the skin the seeds begin. 4 Some years, when the rains have been plentiful and the nights cool, you can bite into a guava and not nd many seeds. The guava bushes grow close to the ground, their branches laden with green then yellow fruit that seem to ripen overnight. These guavas are large and juicy, almost seedless, their roundness enticing you to have one more, just one more, because next year the rains may not come.
Spotlight On: Esmeralda Santiago

Esmerelda Santiago was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and moved to the mainland United States when she was 13 years old. Santiago grew up speaking Spanish, eating guavas, and enjoying the rich culture of Puerto Rico. Two of her novels, When I was Puerto Rican (Cuando era Puertorricea) and the sequel Almost a Woman (Casi una Mujer), are based on the authors experiences of leaving her homeland for a new life in New York City. As this passage suggests, when someone leaves their homeland, there are memories they take with them and much they miss. Esmeralda Santiago has published numerous books and continues to write today. Her books are very popular with high school students and adults throughout the country.
Continue reading on next page
5 As children, we didnt always wait for the fruit to ripen. We raided the bushes as soon as the guavas were large enough to bend the branch. 6 A green guava is sour and hard. You bite into it at its widest point, because its easier to grasp with your teeth. You hear the skin, meat, and seeds crunching inside your head, while the inside of your mouth explodes in little spurts of sour. 7 You grimace, your eyes water, and your cheeks disappear as your lips purse into a tight O. But you have another and then another, enjoying the crunchy sounds, the acid taste, the gritty texture of the unripe center. At night, your mother makes you drink castor oil1, which she says tastes better than a green guava. Thats when you know for sure that youre a child and she has stopped being one. 8 I had my last guava the day we left Puerto Rico. It was large and juicy, almost red in the center, and so fragrant that I didnt want to eat it because I would lose the smell. All the way to the airport I scratched at it with my teeth, making little dents in the skin, chewing small pieces with my front teeth, so that I could feel the texture against my tongue, the tiny pink pellets of sweet. 9 Today, I stand before a stack of dark green guavas, each perfectly round and hard, each $1.59. The one in my hand is tempting. It smells faintly of late summer afternoons and hopscotch under the mango tree. But this is autumn in New York, and Im no longer a child. 10 The guava joins its sisters under the harsh uorescent lights of the exotic fruit display. I push my cart away, toward the apples and pears of my adulthood, their nearly seedless ripeness predictable and bittersweet.
castor oil: oil extracted from the seed of a castor plant; often used medically to induce vomiting
FAST-R, the Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading, are created by the Boston Plan for Excellence for use in Boston Public Schools. Santiago, Esmeralda. Prologue: How to Eat a Guava, from the book When I was Puerto Rican. Published by Random House, 1993 (pgs 3-4)
FAST-R
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Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading

Name Date How to Eat A Guava Autobiographical narrative Teacher/Class
On your answer sheet, fill in the circle for the correct answer to questions 1-10. 1. When the passage begins, the narrator is A. a child. B. an adult. C. a grocery store manager. D. a piece of fruit. 2. What color is a ripe guava? A. yellow B. green C. pink D. orange 3. According to the passage, what is likely to happen to an inexperienced guava eater? A. Her mother will give her castor oil. B. Her lips will purse into a tight O. C. She will buy her guavas at the Shop & Save. D. The seeds will end up in the crevices of her teeth. 4. According to paragraph 4, the BEST guavas are those that A. are displayed in the produce section of the Shop & Save. B. are very sour. C. are prickly, bumpy, and rm. D. grow after a season of rain and cool nights. 5. Why did the narrator, along with other children in Puerto Rico, end up eating green guavas? A. They liked the green ones the best. B. Their mothers made them eat green guavas to punish them. C. Green guavas were given to children as medicine when they were sick. D. The children were impatient and couldnt wait for the fruit to ripen.
Name Date
School Teacher/Class
6. The purpose of paragraph 7 is to A. show how awful a sour guava can be. B. show how children enjoy experiencing all that life has to oer. C. show how castor oil is used as medicine. D. show how Shop & Save guavas are better than guavas from Puerto Rico. 7. What does the narrator mean in paragraph 7 when she says, Thats when you know for sure that youre a child and she has stopped being one. A. Motherhood is challenging in Puerto Rico. B. Adults, unlike children, have forgotten the joy of eating the rst guavas of the season. C. Children hate to eat green guavas in Puerto Rico. D. Her mother will always be a child at heart. 8. Which of the following quotations best adds to a tone of nostalgia? A. A ripe guava is yellow, although some varieties have a pink tinge. B. A green guava is sour and hard. You bite into it at its widest point. C. It smells faintly of late summer afternoons and hopscotch under the mango tree. D. The guava joins its sisters under the harsh uorescent lights... 9. In this passage, the guava is a metaphor for the narrators A. life experience. B. childhood. C. adulthood. D. motherhood. 10. The narrators feelings about her life can best be described as A. edible. B. enticing. C. exotic. D. bittersweet.
Teachers: Please duplicate and use this answer sheet only for students for whom you did not receive a pre-printed answer sheet!
FAST-R Answer Sheet

Name Date School Grade Class
Passage Title
Teacher Name
Completely fill the circle for the correct answer.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. A A A A A A A A A A B B B B B B B B B B C C C C C C C C C C D D D D D D D D D D
Write your answer to the open response prompt in the lined space below. if your teacher directs you to do so.
OFFICE USE ONLY RESEARCH: Y N 3 4 OPEN RESPONSE: 1 2

Teacher Guide For FAST-R Passage:: How To Eat A Guava

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Teacher Guide for FAST-R Passage: How to Eat a Guava

FAST-R: Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading

How to Eat a Guava

Spotlight On: Esmeralda Santiago

Ideas for Connected Writing Activities: