Lesson Plan: The Save

Essential Questions

• How do we gain confidence in our skills and abilities?
• What role does cultural heritage play in shaping our identities?

Literature Connection

• Novel: Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica

Build Background Knowledge (5 minutes)

Prepare to read the story by viewing our Background Builder Slideshow. This resource will familiarize students with some parts of Native American culture and life that are mentioned in the story.

Preview Text Features (5 minutes)

Guide students to locate the story. Then preview text features with the following prompts:

• Read the story’s title and subtitle. Answer the question posed in the subtitle: What is the difference between talent and luck? Think about a time you succeeded at something difficult. How much of it was a result of talent? How much of it was luck? Answers will vary. 
• Read the “Know This Before You Read” box at the top of the story. What does it tell you about Native Americans and lacrosse? Why do you think this information might be useful when reading the story? The box tells you that Native Americans invented lacrosse long ago and that the game is important in their culture. Students might rightly guess that the story features a Native American character who plays lacrosse.
• Skim through the story and look at the side bubbles that contain questions. Read the headers, such as “Figurative Language” and “Plot.” Are there any skills you’re not familiar with? Answers will vary. 

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Direct students’ attention to the vocabulary box. Read the words (inspired, admired, praising, impressed, fraud, reflexes) aloud and discuss their definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Set a Purpose for Reading

• Before students start to read, set a purpose for reading by telling them that they will make inferences about “The Save.” Explain that making an inference means figuring out something that isn’t directly stated by using clues from the text. (You may also consider showing our video “Skills in Action: What Is an Inference?”)

• 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)

• Figurative Language (p. 15) In this sentence, the author is comparing the goal that Oren is standing in front of to a barn door. This comparison shows us that the goal feels huge to Oren and that he thinks he’ll have a hard time guarding it.
• Character (p. 16) Oren isn’t very confident in his abilities as a lacrosse player. He compares himself with other players on his team and finds himself lacking.
• Setting (p. 16) The visiting players are from a city. They were probably given a tour of the Rez because it’s very different from where they live. For example, there are buffalo on the Rez. Seeing different ways of life is interesting.
• Interpreting Text (p. 16) The largest male buffalo in the herd was running straight at the boys. Running away would be an understandable reaction. Oren is impressed that some of the boys understood that they weren’t in danger. 
• Figurative Language (p. 16) The line “Wake up!” is not meant to be taken literally. Nobody is actually asleep. Oren is simply lost in thought. The sound of the whistle jolts him out of the daydream he’s having about events earlier in the day and pulls him into the present moment, where he is guarding the goal in an important game.
• Figurative Language (p. 17) “Be a panther in the goal” means “be fast and powerful.” 
• Interpreting Text (p. 17) In stressful moments, time can seem like it’s moving faster or slower than it really is. The author wants us to understand that this was a key moment in the game, one in which Oren was intensely focused on everything going on around him.
• Character (p. 17) It seems that Oren is embarrassed to tell people the save was an accident. He doesn’t believe that he has talent, but he isn’t comfortable saying that to his teammates (and players from the other team) who are praising him. 
• Inference (p. 18) This line tells us that Oren has a close relationship with his grandfather and can always turn to him. 
• Compare and Contrast (p. 19) Oren believes that it was pure luck that he made the save. His grandfather believes it had more to do with Oren’s skills. (“You have good reflexes,” he says.) The true answer might be a combination of the two. 
• Plot (p. 19) A sharp piece of metal flew toward Oren’s grandfather while they were sitting in the restaurant. Oren, with his excellent reflexes, jumped up and knocked his grandfather out of the way. If it hadn’t been for Oren, his grandfather would have been seriously hurt.
• Theme (p. 19) Oren realizes that success usually requires more than luck. He understands that his good reflexes probably helped him in the lacrosse game, the same way they helped him protect his grandfather.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• Throughout the game, Oren feels like he’s not good enough. What are some things he says to himself that show that he feels this way? What kinds of things could he say to himself instead in order to be calmer and enjoy the game? (critical thinking) Some of the things he says that show he’s being hard on himself are: “A chance to look like a bum,”  “. . . everybody on our team is so much better than these guys. Except me,” and “I really am a  bum.” Instead, he could talk to himself in a more positive and encouraging way, saying things like, “I’ve been practicing, and I’m ready for this” and “I’ll just do my best.”
• In the story, who or what helps Oren build his confidence? In your life, who or what helps you feel confident when you feel down? (making connections) In the story, it’s Oren’s grandfather who helps him build his confidence. First, he gives Oren a chance to explain why he’s feeling the way he is. When Oren says he feels like a fraud, his grandfather pushes back and reminds him about his good reflexes and that it’s OK if luck played some role in his success. When the incident with the flying metal object happens, his grandfather points out once more how talented Oren is. (Answers to the second question will vary.)

• Have students work in pairs to complete the Spotlight Skill Workout: Inference activity.
• Assign students to work independently on our Elements of Fiction Skill Builder. (Click here to see all your Skill Builders for this feature.)
• Writing prompt: In the story, we hear about the lacrosse game from Oren’s point of view. We are inside his head. Choose another lacrosse player from the story, and write a paragraph describing the game from that player’s point of view. Use your imagination to answer these questions: How does this character feel during the game? How does he feel about his skills? What does this character think about Oren’s big save?