Teacher Answer Key & Grading Rubric

Esperanza Rising Final Test Key

Total Points 34 Points

Subject: ELA Literature Study (Grade 5)

Focus: Plot, Characters, Vocab, Themes

PART 1

Character Matching Answer Key (1 pt each)

1. F The main character who must learn to live without her wealth.

2. E Esperanza's friend who dreams of working on the railroad.

3. C The wise grandmother who teaches Esperanza to crochet.

4. D Esperanza's strong mother who gets sick with Valley Fever.

5. A Esperanza's loving father who is killed by bandits.

6. B A passionate girl at the camp who organizes worker strikes.

7. G The greedy uncle who burns down Esperanza's house.

8. H Isabel's kind mother who welcomes Esperanza to the camp.

Character Bank

A. Sixto Ortega

B. Marta

C. Abuelita

D. Ramona Ortega

E. Miguel

F. Esperanza Ortega

G. Tío Luis

H. Josefina

PART 2

Plot Comprehension Answer Key (12 points • 1 pt each)

9. Why is Tío Luis so determined to marry Ramona (Mama) after Papa's death?

A) He is deeply in love with her and wants to support her.

B) He wants her wealth, influence, and land to run for governor.

C) Papa requested the marriage in his final will.

D) He wants to adopt Esperanza and send her to high school.

10. How do Esperanza and Mama escape Mexico without being caught by Tío Luis's patrols?

A) They dress as rich tourists and ride a luxury train.

B) They ride horseback through the canyons at midnight.

C) They hide in a secret compartment of a wagon loaded with guavas.

D) They walk across the border disguised as market merchants.

11. What is Esperanza's first reaction to seeing the wooden cabin at the California farm?

A) She is excited to live in a cozy, rustic cottage.

B) She is shocked and angry because it is small, dark, and lacks privacy.

C) She is relieved that it has indoor plumbing and modern kitchens.

D) She refuses to sleep inside and insists on pitching a tent.

12. What causes Ramona (Mama) to fall seriously ill and be hospitalized with Valley Fever?

A) She gets caught in a massive dust storm and inhales fungal spores.

B) She works too many long hours in the freezing winter packing sheds.

C) She drinks contaminated water from the shared irrigation ditch.

D) She contracts a contagious virus from another worker in the fields.

Esperanza Rising Teacher Key • Grade 5 Page 1 of 3

Esperanza Rising Final Test Key Section 2 Answers Continued

13. What does Esperanza do with the money she earns while working in the fields and packing sheds?

A) She buys expensive dresses to prove she is still wealthy.

B) She saves it in a tin jar to bring Abuelita from Mexico to California.

C) She gives it all to Marta to fund the workers' strike.

D) She buys a beautiful porcelain doll to replace the old one.

14. How does Esperanza protect Marta during the sudden immigration sweep at the packing shed?

A) She hides Marta inside her family's tiny bedroom closet.

B) She hands Marta an apron and a bundle of asparagus so she looks like a worker.

C) She distracts the officers by tipping over grape carts.

D) She helps Marta jump onto a cargo train leaving for Los Angeles.

15. What does Miguel do that makes Esperanza feel betrayed, but is actually a heroic surprise?

A) He takes a high-paying railroad job in another town and leaves.

B) He reveals the strikers' secret hideout to the farm management.

C) He takes her saved money, but uses it to travel to Mexico and bring Abuelita back.

D) He tells Mama that Esperanza is bad at doing her household chores.

16. What humbling lesson does Esperanza learn when she fails at sweeping the camp platform?

A) That sweeping is a useless chore.

B) That she must swallow her pride, accept Miguel's help, and learn how to work.

C) That Miguel is a better sweeper because he is a boy.

D) That she can pay Isabel to do all her chores for her.

17. Which seasonal harvest represents both the opening and the closing of the novel's year-long cycle?

A) The Peach harvest

B) The Potato harvest

C) The Grape harvest

D) The Onion harvest

18. Why do Marta and the strikers want all the workers in the farm camp to stop working?

A) They want to return to Mexico to celebrate.

B) They want to force the landowners to pay fair wages, build hot showers, and offer safe cabins.

C) They want to close down the farm so Miguel can build a railroad.

D) They are angry that Esperanza is receiving extra food.

19. Why is Isabel not chosen as the Queen of the May at her school, despite having the best grades?

A) She missed the deadline to sign up.

B) She had poor attendance.

C) She is Mexican, and the school traditionally reserves the title for blonde, American students.

D) She gave up her spot so that her best friend could win.

20. How does the relationship between Esperanza and Miguel change from the beginning of the book to the end?

A) They start as friends but become hostile.

B) They go from a master-servant dynamic in Mexico to mutual respect and deep, equal friendship in California.

C) Miguel becomes her boss and demands she work harder.

D) They stop speaking altogether.

Esperanza Rising Teacher Key • Grade 5 Page 2 of 3

Esperanza Rising Final Test Key Section 3, 4, & 5 Answers

PART 3

Vocabulary in Context Answer Key (5 points)

21. "The dust storm created a suffocating blanket..." What is the meaning of suffocating?

A) Extremely cold or icy.

B) Making it difficult to breathe or feel comfortable.

C) Bright, shiny, and beautiful.

D) Flowing quickly like water.

22. "Esperanza felt indignant when she realized she was expected to share a small cabin." What does indignant mean?

A) Deeply angry or annoyed due to unfair treatment.

B) Extremely grateful and happy.

C) Tired and ready to go to bed.

D) Confused and unable to make a choice.

23. "Mama became increasingly lethargic as her illness worsened..." What does lethargic mean?

A) Excitable, cheerful, and talkative.

B) Sluggish, lacking energy, and inactive.

C) Angry, loud, and demanding.

D) Highly creative and energetic.

24. "The strikers held rallies demanding a just wage for their labor..." What is the meaning of just?

A) Immediate or very fast.

B) Fair, reasonable, and morally right.

C) Small, cheap, and tiny.

D) Secret and unlawful.

25. "Abuelita taught Esperanza that life is full of valleys and mountains." In this metaphor, valleys represent:

A) Periods of extreme wealth and prosperity.

B) Times of difficulty, sadness, and struggle.

C) Physical landscapes where grapes are harvested.

D) Secret tunnels to hide in.

PART 4

Themes & Symbols Answer Key (5 points)

26. What does Abuelita's zigzag crochet design symbolize in the novel?

A) The rows of crops planted in the fields.

B) The long railroad tracks Miguel loves.

C) The natural peaks and valleys of life's struggles and joys.

D) The border line between Mexico and the United States.

27. What do the wild roses that Miguel and Alfonso plant in California symbolize?

A) The medicine that can cure Valley Fever.

B) Papa's surviving love and memory transplanting to their new life.

C) The extreme danger and thorns of the labor camp.

D) The failure of their ranch in Mexico.

28. What does the porcelain doll Papa gave Esperanza represent to her?

A) Her childhood wealth, her connection to her father, and her holding on to the past.

B) Her dream of opening a toy shop in the United States.

C) Her hidden anger toward her mother for leaving Mexico.

D) Her complete lack of imagination and creativity.

29. Which of the following statements best describes a major theme of the novel?

A) True wealth is measured in money, fancy clothing, and social class.

B) Family, resilience, and hard work are more valuable than riches.

C) It is best to avoid change and stay where you are comfortable.

D) Hard times will always destroy a family's hope and bonds.

30. How does the proverb "No hay rosa sin espinas" apply to Esperanza?

A) It teaches her that rose gardening is too dangerous.

B) It reminds her that beautiful, rewarding things in life require going through difficult, painful moments.

C) It means she should only plant crops that do not have thorns.

D) It implies that she will never find happiness in America because of the thorns.

PART 5

Short Answer Rubrics & Exemplars (4 points)

Q31 EXEMPLAR RESPONSE: Score: 2 / 2

"The 'river' represents the division of social class and wealth between Esperanza (rich ranch owner's daughter) and Miguel (servant's son) in Mexico. In California, facing poverty and working in the fields together, they cross this river by realizing they are equals. By the end, they sit together under the trees, holding hands as equals."

Rubric:

2 pts: Explains that the river is social class/wealth and details how they become equals in California.
1 pt: Mentions social class but lacks details on how the barrier is bridged.

Q32 EXEMPLAR RESPONSE: Score: 2 / 2

"The zigzag blanket represents the peaks (mountains) and valleys of life's struggles. Because she started the blanket in Mexico right before Papa died, finishing it in California represents sewing her life back together. Each crochet row mirrors her overcoming tragedy and learning to rise."

Rubric:

2 pts: Links valleys/mountains metaphor to her healing and rising.
1 pt: Identifies symbol but offers weak connection to her growth.

Esperanza Rising Teacher Key • Grade 5 Page 3 of 3

Esperanza Test Answer Key

Esperanza Test Answer Key

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