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 do you know about the general topic of Cuba? List points of information, facts, images, geographical knowledge, or historical events or figures in connection to this country. Brainstorm a list of 8-10 points; then circle the 3-4 points about which you are the most certain. If you cannot list 8-10 points, instead write questions that ask for specific information about Cuba that you do not know.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may come up with a wide variety of informative points, from simple island images to Cuba’s Communist government to its immigrant and refugee conflicts. From social studies classes, student may know the name Fidel Castro. Don’t be alarmed if students come up with little to no information. Depending on the grade level, their questions may be as simple as “Where is Cuba?” or “What happened in the Cuban Revolution?” or “Why couldn’t Americans travel to Cuba for so long?” Explain that in Lucky Broken Girl, the main character and her family recently emigrated from Cuba because a political takeover curtailed their freedoms.