Standards Correlations

R.1, R.2, R.4, R.6, R.7, W.2, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will read an article about the baseball legend Roberto Clemente and identify text evidence to support a conclusion.

Key Skills

text evidence, text features, vocabulary, central idea and details, key details, author’s craft, inference, critical thinking, informational writing

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The text describes how Clemente got his start in baseball and how he beat the odds to become a star player in the United States.

Structure: The text includes narrative and informational passages.

Language: The text includes figurative language and baseball terminology.

Knowledge Demands: Some knowledge of baseball will aid comprehension.

Levels

Lexile: 600L-700L 

Guided Reading Level: T 

DRA Level: 50

Lesson Plan: Roberto the Great

Essential Questions

  • How have non-White people been treated unfairly in the United States? 
  • What does it take to be successful? How much of it is hard work? How much of it is circumstances beyond your control?

Literature Connection

  • Graphic novel: 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente by Wilfred Santiago
  • Spanish-language nonfiction: Soy Roberto Clemente by Jim Gigliotti

1. Preparing to Read 

Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Guide students to locate the article. Preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the article’s title and subtitle (the text beneath the title). Then look at the image at the beginning of the article. Based on what you see, what do you think you’ll learn from the article? Based on the image and the text, this story is about a baseball player from Puerto Rico. The article will probably discuss what made this player great and how he made a difference (or how he “changed baseball forever”).
  • What do you know about Puerto Rico? Take a minute to write down anything you know about it. Now read the sidebar “All About Puerto Rico.” What did you learn about Puerto Rico? Which fact presented is most interesting to you, and why? Answers will vary based on students’ prior knowledge.
  • Locate the photo of the three Puerto Rican baseball players: Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, and Yadier Molina. Read the caption. Why are these players included in the article? How do they relate to Roberto Clemente? These players are present-day athletes who are inspired by Roberto Clemente. Like Clemente, they are Puerto Rican. They are probably included in the article to show the long-lasting effect Clemente has had on other athletes.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (racism, heritage, wavered, Latino, represent) aloud and discuss their definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading 

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

  • Set a purpose for reading by telling students that they will find text evidence in “Roberto the Great” that supports important ideas about how Roberto Clemente changed the world of baseball.
  • Point out the Pause and Think boxes. Tell students they can check their understanding of what they’ve read by answering these questions.
  • Point out the activity at the end of the story and tell students they will complete it after reading. Tell them to keep the Think About It! question at the bottom in mind as they read.
  • Tell students that as they finish each section, they should think about how the text features on the page (e.g., photos, captions, and section headings) relate to what they’ve just read.

 2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

Guide students to read the article. Once they understand it well, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • In the beginning of the article, the author writes, “Clemente had beaten tough odds before.” To “beat the odds” means to succeed when your chances of succeeding aren’t good. How had Clemente “beaten tough odds” in his life? (key details) As a Black man from Puerto Rico, Clemente was different from most other professional baseball players in the United States at the time, and he faced racism throughout his career. Despite this obstacle, Clemente managed to become a star athlete. 
  • The section “Far From Home” describes cheering fans crowding around Clemente after a game. Why do you think the author highlights this specific moment? How is it important to the story? (author’s craft) This moment is a turning point in Clemente’s career. It’s the moment right after his team won the 1960 World Series, thanks in large part to him. Before this game, Clemente mostly felt like an outsider: Sports reporters couldn’t say his name correctly; they made fun of his accent; he faced segregation in public places; and he struggled to make friends. But this game proved that he had skills and that fans respected him. From that day on, he had fans on his side, and his influence grew from there.
  • What is the Roberto Clemente Award? Why do you think Major League Baseball gives out this award? (inference) The Roberto Clemente Award is an award given every year to players who give back to their communities. MLB probably gives out this award to recognize players who go above and beyond their duties as baseball players and work to make a difference in the world. It’s a way MLB encourages players to use their influence for good. It’s also a way to honor the memory of Clemente, who inspired many people.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • What three adjectives do you think best describe Roberto Clemente? Give examples of how he displayed the qualities you chose. (critical thinking) Answers will vary. Sample answer: Clemente was determined. He had a dream, and he followed through even when his chances of succeeding looked slim. He worked hard to get good at baseball as a kid, even though he didn’t have the right equipment. He was brave. When he faced racism and loneliness in the U.S., he kept fighting. He didn’t give up; he just focused on playing the game he loved. He was generous. He used his fame and money to help others. He gave baseball lessons to kids in Puerto Rico, donated money to feed hungry people, and wanted to help earthquake victims in Nicaragua. 
  • Why do you think Clemente chose to speak to reporters in Spanish after being named MVP in 1971? (inference) Before that time, MLB players were mostly White and native English speakers. Clemente decided to use his fame to show that he valued his heritage. This is important because it takes courage to highlight a part of your identity that makes you different from others. It’s also important because it showed other Spanish-speaking athletes that it was OK to be who they were—that being a Spanish speaker didn’t mean they couldn’t succeed in the United States.

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Have students work in pairs to complete the Spotlight Skill Workout: Text Evidence activity. As a class, discuss students’ answers and the Think About It! question.
  • Have students work independently to complete our Central Idea and Details Skill Builder, available in higher- and lower-level versions. (Click here to view all your Skill Builders for this article.)
  • Writing prompt: Imagine that you’re part of a group that chooses names for parks in your city or town. You’ve named a park after Roberto Clemente, and you’re going to give a speech explaining your decision. Prepare to write your speech by making some notes: List five facts about Clemente that make him an inspiration and a role model.

Learn-Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Create an Athlete Profile

Research an athlete you admire and write about their life and career. Below are some questions to guide your research:

  • How did they get their start in the sport?
  • What challenges did they face in their career?
  • How did their dedication to the sport affect their personal life?
  • What are their biggest accomplishments?
  • Do they use their fame and influence to give back to their community? If so, how?

With the information you find, create a poster to honor your athlete of choice. Write or type the athlete’s name at the top of the page. In the center of the page, place or draw an image of the athlete. Around this image, write at least three facts about the athlete. You can also add more images that relate to the athlete’s career, such as a basketball, a gold medal, or a tennis racket. 

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Teach Comparatives and Superlatives.

After reading the article, remind students of the moment when Roberto Clemente told his parents in Spanish that it was the proudest day of his life. Explain that proudest is the superlative form of the word proud.

Tell students that proud is an adjective, a word that describes a noun. Some examples of adjectives are tall, short, loud, and quiet. In English, we often add -er to an adjective when describing the greater of two items (example: My sandcastle is taller than yours). When an item is the greatest of three or more, we add -est (example: My sandcastle is the tallest of all).  

Not every language has the equivalent of the English superlative, so teaching and practicing this construction can be very valuable. Ask students to complete these sentences with a comparative or superlative adjective:

  • My sister is ______ than I am. (old)
  • I’m the ______ of all my sisters. (old)
  • This book is ______ than the one I read last week. (long)
  • This is the ______ book I’ve ever read. (long)
  • I’m wearing this sweater because it’s ______ than my blue one. (warm)
  • Today is the coldest day this week, so you should wear your ______ sweater. (warm)
You might also want to ask students to say these sentences in the languages they speak at home. Discuss how the sentences are constructed differently in various languages.

Looking for more ELL support? Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.

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