Under The Mesquite

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

ACTIVITY 1: “Personal Rose Garden”

In this activity, students will make connections to the novel’s symbols and associated themes on identity by designing a personal “garden” that reflects their personal identity.

Nature and gardening are prominent motifs that represent important ideas in the novel such as family, motherhood, sisterhood, change, loss, and transformation. Lupita frequently relates herself to elements in nature, such as the mesquite and Mami’s rose garden. The nature and gardening motifs help support the themes of Family Is the Strongest Foundation and Identity.

In this activity, you will analyze how Lupita uses nature and gardening motifs to convey her experiences and understanding of herself. You will also analyze how these motifs support the novel’s major themes. Using your analysis, you will craft your own “garden” that symbolizes important aspects of your identity, demonstrating an understanding of how motifs and repeated symbols construct a cohesive statement on identity.

• Consider what things are central to your identity—your important traits, activities, or values that are important to you. Consider how you could represent those things through symbolism.