“The Final Deployment”

Reading Literature

DIRECTIONS: Students are to read the poem, “The Final Deployment.” They are to answer the questions that follow. To scaffold the instruction, the teacher may have the student’s partner read or read the poem aloud. Students are to complete the tasks outlined below independently.

The Final DeploymentBy Anna Prokos

Selena strapped on her sneakers and ran to the airportlike a race horse sprints to the finish line.

She trotted past traffic and trees,Zipped over curbs and cracks

And soon reached her final destinationWhere a thousand of her closest friends waited.

And turned their owl eyes in her directionShe took a gasp so loud

it was heard on three other continents.Selena spotted her brother

Thin, clean-shaven, and a fit fiddleThe siblings stared straight at each other

And ran to give hugs that had waitedToo long to be given.

Then, like champions taking their final lap,Ran home to proclaim their memories back.

As family kissed and huggedand cried a river of tears,

Selena kicked off her sneakersThat slumped with exhaustion near

combat boots that had a million stories to tell.

RL.5.2, RL5.10 SLO 4, SLO 8

TASK 1

FOR STUDENTS: After reading the poem, use FIVE of the words in the word bank (in the box below) to summarize what the poem is about. Be sure to use details from the poem:

sprints destination gasp fiddle staredsiblings memories exhaustion trotted proclaim

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RL5.1, 5.2 SLO 1, SLO 2

TASK 2

FOR STUDENTS:

One way to state the theme of this poem is:

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Choose two details from the poem that illustrate this theme, and explain how they are connected to the theme.

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RL.5.2, RL 5.10 SLO 3,8

TASK 3

FOR STUDENTS: In the beginning of the poem, the speaker says, “like a race horse sprints to the finish line.” Explain why she is comparing the sprint to a race horse, using specific details from the poem.

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RL.5.2, RL 5.10 SLO 3,8

TASK 4

At the end of the poem, the speaker saysSelena kicked off her sneakers

That slumped with exhaustion nearcombat boots that had a million stories to tell.

How does the speaker feel? Explain and use words from the poem to support your answer.

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RL.5.2, RL 5.10 SLO 3,8

TASK 5

The name of this poem is “The Final Deployment.” The speaker says, “Then, like champions taking their final lap, Ran home to proclaim their memories back.” Is she just talking about missing her brother, or is she thinking about something else? Use details from the poem in your answer.

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