Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What is the difference between documented and undocumented immigration? Why might families feel pressured to leave their home country?

Teaching Suggestion: Victor, who lives in Mexico, decides to move to the United States after manufacturing ruins the local farming community in Los Árboles. Victor makes the choice to cross the border illegally. It may be beneficial to introduce the novel through topic exploration such as immigration in Mexico and the United States and conflicts that may cause people to leave their home country. Sharing these and similar resources may help build background knowledge.

• This 5-minute video explores immigration and some of the statistics surrounding immigration to the United States.
• This article describes Mexican immigration to the United States and how it has evolved over the years.

Short Activity

Use an online map or classroom map to identify locations in the novel. Create points on the map to refer to as you read the novel and explore locations in the United States and Mexico.

• Los Árboles, Mexico
• Silao, Mexico
• Guadalajara, Mexico
• Mazatlán, Mexico
• Nogales, Mexico
• Agua Prieta, Mexico
• Altar Municipality, Mexico
• Sasabe, Mexico
• La Perra Flaca, Arizona
• Baboquivari Mountains, Arizona
• Tucson, Arizona
• Washington state