Created by: Loree Cain

Title of novel: “El Ekeko”

Author of novel: Katie Baker

Level: Novice

Brief summary of the novel (3-4 sentences):  Paco, a young 13-year-old boy in Bolivia lives with his family in a poor region of La Paz, Bolivia.  He works as a shoe shiner to make money for his family, though he would rather go to school. He has three younger sisters and is struggling to take on the role of “a man” in his household.  He finds a mysterious statue in his closet that seems to have mysterious powers and bring him good fortune.

Topics:  coming of age, dealing with bullies, cultural legends, struggling with poverty

Cultural Contexts:  witches, stories of talismans, legends

Themes: struggling with poverty, becoming a man, maturity

Pre-reading activities: How do people of Bolivia live? Legends / Talismans / Markets

• Use three pictures or objects about things in the book.  Put students in small groups and have them make a connection about how these are connected and what role will they play in this book?
• Show a video, pictures of Bolivia to build background.
• Pick a few sentences from the book.  Give partners a sentence. They have to speak in the target language and have a rule of only using three words to talk about that sentence.
• Word Bingo – using a strip of paper, students will select five words from a choice of 20 or so words from the chapter.  As we read the chapter, they can tear off a word “ONLY” if their chosen word is on one of the ends of their paper strip.

Enrichment activities while reading:

• TIMELINE Illustrations – After reading a chapter with a fair amount of action, have students illustrate two of their favorite scenes from the chapter.  As we re-read the chapter out loud, students will bring their drawings to the center of the room and create a “timeline” of their illustrations. As a follow up activity, students could retell the story out loud using the illustrations.
• Show realia from the culture using pictures / video
• Word Bingo – using a strip of paper

Post-reading activities:

• When done with a chapter – Using dice (four is best) have a student roll a number.  That is the number of words they MUST write in their summary of that chapter in the target language. Then have them share with the class.
• ¿Quién Soy? – Similar to “the dating game,” students have to ask questions to the mystery characters (choose the main characters in the book) in the target language and guess which character those students are.
• Chain game – students sit in a circle.  First student says one thing about the book. Second student repeats what the first student said and adds something to it.  Third student repeats the first two things and adds something new, and so on, and so on.