Lesson Plan 3
SPARROW HAWK RED
by BEN MIKAELSEN
HYPERION BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, 1993
Provided by
California Young Reader Medal Program Activity Packet 1996-1997
Synopsis
When thirteen-year-old Mexican-American Ricky Diaz overhears
his father talking with his former Drug Enforcement Agency
friends, he learns that his mother's death in a car accident
three years ago was not an accident. The agents want Ricky's
father, Benito, to go undercover and steal the drug smugglers'
signature radar plane, but he refuses to become involved again.
Ricky decides to avenge his mother's death himself by crossing
the border near their Texas ranch and disguising himself as a
ratero, a street urchin. Ricky has become an accomplished pilot
under his father's guidance, and he is confident that he can
succeed. In the town of Mariposa, Mexico, Ricky meets an unusual
street-wise girl named Soledad who helps him infiltrate the
dreaded drug compound, Rancho Comancho. He is able to get the
special Cessna 172 Skyhawk into the air but with the drug
smugglers in hot pursuit. Benito realizes what Ricky is up to
and struggles to convince the U.S. government to help. He
ultimately must go to Ricky's aid by himself in order to get
Ricky across the U.S. border safely.
Booktalk
A) You have just found out that your mother was
murdered instead of dying in a car accident like you had been
told. Now your father has been given the chance to avenge her
death, and he wants nothing to do with it. What would you do?
If you were Ricky Diaz, you would do anything you had to for
revenge. You would do anything...even if it meant going to
Mexico all by yourself, breaking into a drug cartel's compound,
and stealing one of their planes containing an American-made
radar detector used to help the dealers smuggle drugs from
Mexico. Is Ricky up to the job? Would you be? Find out what
happens. Read Sparrow Hawk Red.
B) Ricky Diaz could not believe it when he overheard
DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) men try to talk his dad into
helping them steal a spyplane back from Mexican drug dealers and
to avenge the murder of his wife. Ricky decided to do it
himself, since his father wouldn't. He would cross the border,
disguised himself as a ratero, or street child, steal and then
fly the plane back. He had to prove he wasn't a quitter, and he
had to avenge his mother; but he didn't realize that flying the
plane back was not the most dangerous part of the mission. This
tense, fast-paced story is totally believable and exciting right
up to the sensational ending.
Suggested activities or Extensions
INTO
Establishing background Knowledge
Help students understand the technicalities of flying and
aerobatics by providing them with some information and
experience prior to their reading of the book. * Aerobatics,
By Don Berliner (Lerner Publications, 1980) gives an excellent
introduction to stunt flying and the different kinds of planes
that are used. Read aloud this description of what happens when
a pilot flies a loop (as Ricky does in the opening scene of Sparrow
Hawk Red):
Even a simple maneuver like a loop strains
every part of pilot's body. As a pilot points the nose of a
plane up and begins the loop, the g-forces (effects of gravity)
increase. A pilot begins to feel much heavier than normal. A 150
pound pilot may feel as heavy as 900 pounds. G-forces make it
harder to move the controls of the airplane. Blood rushes away
from the pilot's head, and the pilot may black out if the loop
is too small or if it is flown too fast. The pilot has to work
hard to stay in control of the airplane.
Your students can demonstrate for themselves the effect
of centrifugal force or gravity in this experiment from Stick
and Rudder: The Art of Flying by Wolfgang Langewiesche
(McGraw Hill, 1972):
Hold a 1-pound chunk of wood suspended
from you hand by a string. It pulls on you hand, of course, with
the force of one pound. Whirl that same weight around so that it
describes a circular path, and it pulls on your hand with a
force of many pounds. This additional pull is not really
additional weight but is simply centrifugal force, but it pulls
on you hand as if it were real weight.
Be sure that a student trying this experiment does so at
a safe distance form other students.
Collaborative Word Webbing
This strategy encourages students to
anticipate and predict what an upcoming reading selection may
involve as they think about possible associations among words
found in the text. (For more examples of this strategy see
Literature and Cooperative Learning, Pathway to Literacy by
Nancy Whisler and Judy Williams).
* Write the following words chosen from the first
and second chapters of Sparrow Hawk Red on the chalkboard:
| infiltrate |
airspeed |
aerobatic |
loop |
control stick |
| biplane |
undercover |
stall |
wingman |
drug cartel |
* Explain meaning and pronunciation as needed.
* Choose two words form the list, write them about
a foot apart on the chalkboard or on chart pater, and discuss.
airspeed stall
* Draw lines between words that are related. If
students see relationships, ask them to explain how. (Here, a
possible response could be that if a plane doesn't maintain
sufficient airspeed, it can stall.)
* Add the remaining terms one at a time to the web,
discussing each one as it is added, until all words are
included. Draw lines between any terms that students feel can be
related to each other. It is important for them to explain why
they feel the words are related to each other.
| infiltrate |
airspeed |
aerobatic |
loop |
control stick |
| biplane |
undercover |
stall |
wingman |
drug cartel |
Anticipation Guide
Before reading the novel, have students respond to the
following statements. You may want to have the students work in
groups of 3 or 4 so that they can discuss their reasons for
agreeing or disagreeing with the statements. after completing
the novel, have the groups revisit their responses and discuss
how their thinking may have changed.
Directions; Read each statement below. If your group agrees
with the statement, put a check in the Before Column. If you
disagree, leave it blank.
_______Children under the age of 15 should not fly a plane
solo.
_______Parents should always tell their children the truth.
_______It's worth making sacrifices to achieve a goal.
_______If you didn't have any other food, you could survive by
eating garbage.
THROUGH
Technical Terms/Slang
The book contains many technical terms related to flying, and
stunt flying in particular (e.g. control stick, airspeed, loop,
spin, stall, wingman, throttle, "waffle" a stunt,
aerobatic, puddle jumper, "chasing buzzards"). Begin a
wall chart listing such terms and have students add to the list
as they progress through the book. Another list could be made of
the kinds of airplanes mentioned in the text (e.g. Baby great
Lakes, Cessna 172, Bell X-1). Interested students could look for
photographs or drawings of the different airplanes to mount on
the chart.
Spanish Vocabulary
Students can keep a list of the Spanish expressions and
vocabulary items that appear in the text and create a glossary.
mi 'jito ratero loco/a
bandido
Response Journals
Have students keep a journal in which they record their
thoughts, questions, and reactions as they read the book. The
following questions and/or prompts are examples that might be
given to students as they read.
- Chapter 1
What do you know about Ricky Diaz by the end of the first
chapter? What words would you use to describe him?
- Chapter 3
On page 21, Ricky tells his father he wouldn't want to be
his father's wingman. Why does Ricky think his father is a
quitter? Do you agree with him?
- Chapter 4
How much does Ricky know about the rateros? Find places in
the text that show the information that he uses to plan his
impersonation of a ratero...
- Chapter 5
Draw your interpretation of a scene from this chapter, for
example, the marketplace in Domingo (p. 34), Ricky waving
down the bus (p. 35), the Sonora desert as Ricky saw it from
the bus (p. 36), the culvert, (p. 38).
- Chapter 6
What do you think Ricky's biggest problem is at this point?
If you were Ricky, what would you do?
- Chapter 8
What do you know about the girl who has been watching Ricky?
- Chapter 10
Ricky has learned a lot about how the rateros have to live
since he came to Mexico. What else doe he know about their
life that he didn't know in chapter 4.
- Chapter 11
Draw a map of Rancho Camancho as it is described on pages 87
and 88. Include as many details from the description as you
can.
- Chapter 12
How does the author show the reader important aspects of
Soledad's character in this chapter?
- Chapter 13
On page 107 Ricky realizes that"Soledad never waffled
things." What does Ricky mean by this? What evidence
does the author give?
- Chapter 14
"Ricky sensed that he was changing." (p.114) How
do you think Ricky has changed since beginning his
adventure?
- Chapter 15
"As for Soledad, she shouldn't have to live the way she
lived." What does Ricky mean by this statement? How do
you think he would like to change Soledad's life if he
could?
- Chapter 17
Ricky treats Soledad to a restaurant meal to thank her for
everything she has done for him. Make a list of the ways
that Soledad has helped Ricky since she met him.
- Chapter 19
Why does Ricky almost give up his attempt? When does the
author let you know that Ricky won't be a quitter?
- Chapter 20
"Dad had been right: the children weren't rateros"
(p.156) How does this realization help Ricky stick to his
plans?
BEYOND
Exploring the Science of Flight
There are many investigations and resources to help students
expand their understanding of the principles involved in flying.
Flight is the theme of the May/June 1996 issue of Connect: K-8
Hands-On Science and Math Across the Curriculum published by
Teacher's Laboratory in Vermont (1-800-769-6199). In addition to
simple experiments to demonstrate Bernoulli's Principle, there
are discussions of kite flying and directions for building model
hot air balloons.
The World Record Paper Airplane Book by Ken
Blackburn and Jeff Lammers (Workman, 1994) combines basic
aerodynamics, directions for building paper airplanes, and hints
on performing aerobatics with paper airplanes, along with 100
ready-to fold airplanes.
Teachers can contact the nearest NASA Center to find out
about their free resources for teachers. In California, contact:
AIMS Research Center at Moffet Field 415-604-354
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena 818-354-6916
To locate the nearest Teacher Resource Center in other
states, contact NASA CORE at 216-774-1051. You can also contact
NASA on the Internet or through e-mail at: e- mail: comments@spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov.
Several other organizations also provide programs and
materials related to flight. * The Civil Air Patrol has an
excellent aerospace program for students, including a Cadet
program for students ages 12-18. Write to:
Joan Emerson
Civil Air Patrol
Aerospace Education Division
National Headquarters
105 S.Hensell Street
Maxwell AFB, AL 36112
* The Experimental Aircraft Association has a program to
provide free flights for students. To find the branch nearest to
you, write to:
Chuck Larsen
Aviation Education Center
Experimental Aircraft Association
PO Box 3065
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065
* The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association provides
aviation-related materials to teachers. To find out more about
their resources and programs, including "To Fly a
Teacher", write to:
Janette Prince
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
421 Aviation Way
Frederick, MD 21701
Exploring the History of Flight
Some students may be interested in reading more about how
airplanes were developed. Good resources include:
* Freedman, Russell. The Wright Brothers: How They
Invented the Airplane. Holiday, 1991. Newbery Honor
biography.
* Lindblom, Steve. Fly the Hot Ones. Houghton, 1991.
Describes test flights of seven classic planes.
* Maurer, Richard. Airborne: The Search for the Secret of
Flight. Simon and Schuster, 1990. A NOVA book describing
the development of our understanding of flight.
* Zisfein, Melvin B. Flight: A Panorama of Aviation.
Knopf, 1981. Incudes many illustrations.
Investigate the Problems of the
Homeless
Although Ricky discovers that Soledad has a home, the book
vividly portrays the struggles of Mexico's homeless children.
Students may want to find out more about the phenomenon of
homelessness. Are there homeless people in their area? Why do
people become homeless? What community resources exist to help
them? Students can invite a community worker or government
official to speak to the class about the problems of the local
homeless and programs for helping them. Students can plan ways
that they can help, such as by participating in a food drive,
collecting books to donate to a shelter, or donating school
supplies to be used by homeless children. Some students may want
to read Felice Holman's Secret City, U.S.A. (Aladdin,
1990) about a group of homeless children banding together to
create a home for themselves. The following nonfiction books
provide additional information:
* Berek, Judith. No Place to Be: Voices of Homeless
Children. Houghton, 1992. Photographs of homeless young
people living in New York City shelters accompanied by their own
accounts of what it's like to be homeless.
* Hyde, Margaret. The Homeless: Profiling the Problem.
Enslow, 1989. Describes the homeless, and the personal, economic
and political factors that affect them.
* Shooting Back: A Photographic View of Life by Homeless
Children. Selected by Jim Hubbard. Chronicle, 1991. Photos
of their world taken by homeless children.
Responsible Use of Resources
In Sparrow Hawk Red, the rateros survive by becoming
experts at scrounging: making shoes from old tires, sleeping in
boxes or abandoned cars, and eating food that other people have
thrown away. Students may want to look at issues of consumption
and waste in their own lives.
* They can keep track of everything they eat over a period of
several days and contrast that with what Ricky and Soledad had
to eat.
* In Buried in Garbage (Crabtree, 1991), the author,
Bobbie Kalmin, claims that "almost one quarter of the food
we buy ends up being thrown out." Students could interview
school cafeteria personnel to find out about waste in the school
lunch program. They can monitor what goes on in their own
households by keeping a list of items that are discarded in
their own kitchens over a one-week span. (Note that students
should make their lists as the items are discarded. They should
not pick through garbage bags to find information for their
list, because of the possible health dangers.)
* They can find out about food distribution programs that
encourage restaurants, supermarkets, growers, and others to
donate leftover food to Food Banks and other community
organizations instead of throwing it away.
Constructive Controversy
The death of 7-year old Jessica Dubroff in April, 1996, as
she tried to become the youngest person to fly across the united
States has touched off a debate about allowing children to fly.
Although current Federal law requires young pilots to be at
least 16 before thy can fly solo, younger children can fly if
their is a licensed pilot seated next to them at the controls
and actually serving as the pilot of record. Since Justice's
death, however, many people have argued that the law should be
changed so that no person younger than 16 could fly at all.
Have students participate in Constructive Controversy around
the question "Should the law be changed so that children
under 16 can not fly a plane?" (The description of the
procedure is adapted from Cooperative Leaning Magazine, Vol. 12,
#1, October 1991).
- Pairs Study: Students are placed in groups of 4. Each pair
in the group studies one side of the issue, gathering facts
and preparing arguments. They may consult with their
counterparts on other teams as they prepare.
- Pairs Present: Each side presents their case while the
others in the group listen, except for asking clarifying
questions.
- Pairs Challenge: Each side challenges the other sides's
arguments.
- Pairs Switch: Each side prepares a new set of arguments
and presents the strongest possible case for the opposite
side of the argument.
- Group Discussion: As a group, students decide which
arguments are most valid from both sides, and prepare a
statement, resolution, synthesis, etc., which incorporates
the best thinking of the group as a whole.
- Group Report: As a group, students prepare a
report--written or oral--for presentation to the class as a
whole, to the teacher, or to some other audience. All sign a
written summary indicating agreement.
SPARROW HAWK RED
By Ben Mikaelsen
based on Sparrow Hawk Red copyrighted 1993 by Ben Mikaelsen
used with permission of Hyperion Books for Children
(adapted by Danis Kreimeier and Karen Eastland for classroom use
only)
Characters: Narrator
- Frank - Benito - Dexter
*****************************************************************
| Frank: |
Come in. I hope we can resolve this matter. |
| Benito: |
Resolve this matter? Is that what you call finding a
missing boy? |
| Frank: |
Benito, have a seat. Based on what you told me over
the phone, and with what's at stake, I called the State
Department. I let them know about Ricky. Needless to say
they're nervous as chickens in a snake pit. |
| Dexter: |
I think you're dreaming--blowing this whole thing out
of shape. Your kid is probably down playing video games
at the mall. A boy his age would hardly care about
stealing an airplane. He wouldn't dare go after it
unless he's dumber than we think. And suppose he did,
he'd never get within a mile of the Skyhawk. Can he even
fly that kind of plane? |
| Benito: |
Dexter, Ricky could fly a Skyhawk upside down under
your chin. I don't know about your kid, but mine has
learned to do more than play video games. Yesterday
Ricky tried his first solo loop in our Baby Great Lakes
biplane. |
| Dexter: |
Your boy is violating the law flying solo at his age. |
| Frank: |
Easy now! It doesn't matter if Ricky could actually
steal the plane-- I think we all agree that would be
quite impossible. But if he were to get caught trying,
he would expose our involvement. That would leave the
president with egg on his face. |
| Narrator: |
Frank handed a picture of Ricky to each DEA agent, but
asked Benito to sit this one out. |
| Frank: |
One more thing! Because the State Department is
involved and because of the sensitive nature, I want
this whole thing kept under wraps. We're dealing with a
small boy who is a flier, so I'm code-naming this
'Operation Sparrow Hawk.' |
| Benito: |
What if he gets the plane in the air? |
| Frank: |
Oh, I don't think we ever have to worry about this
going code red! |
|