Efrén Divided

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Vote for Efrén”

In this activity, students are asked to consider the traits, skills, goals, and experiences that will make Efrén a good president. The next step is to design and construct 3 posters to communicate his attributes to classmates at his school.

At the end of the novel, Efrén decides to run for school president. His friends and teachers encourage him to do so, but Efrén is also influenced in his decision by his parents and siblings, his new responsibilities, and his recent experiences. Reread the last chapter of the novel, looking carefully at Efrén’s decision-making process in agreeing to take on the role of president. Then think about the events that changed or taught Efrén over the course of the story.

Help Efrén show others that he will be an effective president. Design 3 posters that communicate his skills and experiences, his platform and objectives, and his request for help in his goals.

• Poster 1 should communicate to his fellow students Efrén’s skills, traits, and experiences that will help him lead. Brainstorm on scratch paper all the skills and traits Efrén had before his mother was deported along with his experiences once his household responsibilities increased. Then sketch a design for this poster with a title, images, and his skills and traits.
• Poster 2 should communicate to his classmates Efrén’s “platform” (a description of issues important to him) and his goals as president. Once you have noted Efrén’s platform and goals, sketch a design for a poster that communicates his messages through a word cloud, emphasizing the most important goal(s). Don’t forget a title and images.
• Poster 3 should communicate Efrén’s request for willing helpers from among his friends and, as he mentioned, from other schools. Brainstorm qualifications Efrén would appreciate in his volunteers and specific jobs they will perform so that he can fulfill his goals as president. Then sketch a design for a poster that advertises for helpful volunteers. Include a title, images, and the qualifications and roles sought.

Once your 3 designs are sketched and planned, construct your physical posters (or create them electronically).

Share your posters in a collection near those of your classmates. Discuss the ways in which the posters separately and collectively highlight the themes of The Fight for Humanitarianism, Tolerance, and Justice and Personal Sacrifice for Family.

Teaching Suggestion: Students can connect Efrén’s childcare duties to his newly practiced skills: caring for younger siblings, arriving on time for school, resourcefulness with money and supplies. They might also note his courage and new perspectives gained on his trip to Tijuana. These add to his academic skills and love of reading outlined at the start of the book. His platform and goals should support educating parents and helping families who might be suffering separation or those fearful of deportation. His ad for assistance might request volunteers who have possess empathy, a hard work ethic, speak both English and Spanish, and can spread the messages throughout neighborhoods.

Differentiation Suggestions: For additional support, students can complete this activity with a partner or small group. Support English learners by displaying relevant sentence stems (e.g., “One of Efrén’s goals is…” or “Efrén shows he is kind when he…. “) and a word bank ( “fair, honest, hardworking, determined, understanding”) for the discussion portion of the activity. For advanced or verbal-linguistic learners, you might offer the alternative option of writing a campaign speech, either in lieu of—or in addition to—the posters.

Paired Text Extension:

Read “Making a Fist” by Naomi Shahib Nye.

What parallels can you find between the child speaker in the poem and Efrén in terms of conflicts, persistence, and resilience?

• Create a small poster or composite that captures the spirit of the speaker of the poem. Use color, words, phrases, and images that relay the child’s spirit and coming-of-age; find a way to emphasize the central image of the poem.

Teaching Suggestion: Connect the poem and the novel through the shared theme of Miracles Versus Reality. Students can discuss in small groups how the additional poem themes of Growing Up and The Borders of Life apply to Efrén Divided as well.

• “Making a Fist” on SuperSummary