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The-Scholarship-Jackest - Marta Salinas
The-Scholarship-Jackest - Marta Salinas
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I went outside and looked out at the fields. There he was. I could see
him walking between the rows, his body bent over the little plants,
hoe in hand. I walked slowly out to him, trying to think how I could
best ask him for the money. There was a cool breeze blowing and a sweet
80 smell of mesquite2 fruit in the air, but I didn’t appreciate it. I kicked at RL 6
a dirt clod. I wanted that jacket so much. It was more than just being
a valedictorian and giving a little thank you speech for the jacket on d FIRST-PERSON
POINT OF VIEW
graduation night. It represented eight years of hard work and expectation. Notice how the author
I knew I had to be honest with Grandpa; it was my only chance. He saw develops the first-
my shadow and looked up. person narration by
drawing in readers,
He waited for me to speak. I cleared my throat nervously and clasped causing them to connect
my hands behind my back so he wouldn’t see them shaking. “Grandpa, I to the narrator and
have a big favor to ask you,” I said in Spanish, the only language he knew. to identify with the
He still waited silently. I tried again. “Grandpa, this year the principal conflicts he or she faces.
Reread lines 76–95.
90 said the scholarship jacket is not going to be free. It’s going to cost fifteen Based on the first-
dollars, and I have to take the money in tomorrow, otherwise it’ll be given person narration, what
to someone else.” The last words came out in an eager rush. Grandpa are your own thoughts
straightened up tiredly and leaned his chin on the hoe handle. He looked about Martha as she
takes her problem to her
out over the field that was filled with the tiny green bean plants. I waited, grandfather?
desperately hoping he’d say I could have the money. d
He turned to me and asked quietly, “What does a scholarship
jacket mean?”
I answered quickly; maybe there was a chance. “It means you’ve
earned it by having the highest grades for eight years and that’s why
100 they’re giving it to you.” Too late I realized the significance of my words.
2. sweet smell of mesquite (mD-skCtP): Mesquite, a small tree or shrub native to hot, dry regions of North
America, has small flowers and large super-rich pods that give off a sweet smell.
I t was a very sad and withdrawn girl who dragged into the principal’s
office the next day. This time he did look me in the eyes.
“What did your grandfather say?”
I sat very straight in my chair.
“He said to tell you he won’t pay the fifteen dollars.”
The principal muttered something I couldn’t understand under
his breath and walked over to the window. He stood looking out
Comprehension
1. Recall Why does Martha call the scholarship jacket “our only chance”? RL 1 Cite textual evidence to
support inferences drawn from the
2. Clarify What do Mr. Boone and Mr. Schmidt argue about? text. RL 6 Analyze how an author
develops and contrasts the points
3. Summarize Tell why the scholarship jacket is so important to Martha. of view of characters or narrators
in a text.
Cite evidence from the story.
Text Analysis
4. Make Inferences Review the inferences that you recorded in equations.
Have any of your inferences changed after reading the story? If so, write a
revised inference next to the equation. Explain your reasons.
5. Interpret Reread lines 47–48. During the teachers’ argument, one of the
teachers says, “Martha is Mexican.” What could he mean by this?
6. Analyze Character Martha is the main character in the story. Use a web
to describe how the minor characters interact with Martha and what
effect they have on the story.
Martha
7. Draw Conclusions Martha’s grandfather says little, but his words and
actions mean much to Martha. What does Martha learn from him?
Explain how you came to this conclusion.
8. Contrast Points of View The story of “The Scholarship Jacket” is told from
the first-person point of view. Think about how the story might change if
you knew everyone’s thoughts and feelings. In what ways would the story
be different? Would such a change affect the overall theme? Explain.
PRACTICE Define the boldfaced words. Identify context clues that helped
you understand the meaning of the word.
1. Loretta is a polyglot—that is, someone who knows several languages.
2. The hurricane began as an amorphous mass—a shapeless group of
clouds.
Interactive
3. When I disparaged him, he put me down in the same way. Vocabulary
4. She was not simply happy to receive the gift; she was euphoric. Go to thinkcentral.com.
KEYWORD: HML7-233
5. The sleep clinic treats somnambulists, people who walk in their sleep.