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Akwankyerɛ

“Night Bloomer”

from Out of the Dust

by Karen Hesse

Mrs. Brown’s

cereus plant bloomed on Saturday night.

She sent word

after promising I could come see it.

I rubbed my gritty eyes with swollen hands.

My stomach grizzled as I

made my way through the dark

to her house.

Ma wouldn’t have let me go at all.

My father just stood in the doorway and

watched me leave.

It was almost three in the morning when I got there.

A small crowd stood around.

Mrs. Brown said,

“The blossom opened at midnight,

big as a dinner plate.

It took only moments to unfold.”

How can such a flower

find a way to bloom in this drought,

in this wind.

It blossomed at night,

when the sun couldn’t scorch it,

when the wind was quiet,

when there might have been a sip of dew

to freshen it.

I couldn’t watch at dawn,

when the flower,

touched by the first finger of morning light,

wilted and died.

I couldn’t watch

as the tender petals burned up in the sun.

Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust. Scholastic, Inc., 1997, pp. 81–82.

1

Read these lines from the passage.
“I couldn’t watch at dawn,
when the flower,
touched by the first finger of morning light,
wilted and died.”
What does the phrase touched by the first finger of morning light mean?

exposed to the rising sun’s rays

rubbed softly by someone’s hand

protected from the sun’s harsh rays

extended toward the sun coming up in the sky

L.6.5.a

RL.6.4

1

PART A: How does Billie Jo respond to seeing the cereus plant?

She is confused about why it blooms so quickly.

She is amazed that it can bloom in the drought.

She is bored with the blossom when morning comes.

She is disappointed that her father did not come with her to see it.

RL.6.3

1

PART B: Which piece of text evidence supports the answer to PART A?

“My father just stood in the doorway and / watched me leave.”

“The blossom opened at midnight, / big as a dinner plate. / It took only moments to unfold.”

“How can such a flower / find a way to bloom in this drought, / in this wind.”

“I couldn’t watch / as the tender petals burned up in the sun.”

RL.6.1

1

PART AA: Which statement best expresses the central idea of the passage?

Billie Jo shows her independence by going to see the plant.

Billie Jo realizes that the beauty she hoped for does not last.

Billie Jo knows she is growing up and has her own interests.

Billie Jo wants to be with neighbors since her mother is gone.

RL.6.2

1

PART BB: Which piece of text evidence supports the answer to PART A?

“She sent word / after promising I could come see it.”

“My stomach grizzled as I / made my way through the dark”

“Ma wouldn’t have let me go at all.”

“I couldn’t watch / as the tender petals burned up in the sun.”

RL.6.2

Out of the Dust - Lesson 22

Out of the Dust - Lesson 22

Read these lines from the passage.
“I couldn’t watch at dawn,
when the flower,
touched by the first finger of morning light,
wilted and died.”
What does the phrase touched by the first finger of morning light mean?

PART A: How does Billie Jo respond to seeing the cereus plant?

PART B: Which piece of text evidence supports the answer to PART A?

PART AA: Which statement best expresses the central idea of the passage?

PART BB: Which piece of text evidence supports the answer to PART A?

Read these lines from the passage.
“I couldn’t watch at dawn,
when the flower,
touched by the first finger of morning light,
wilted and died.”
What does the phrase touched by the first finger of morning light mean?

PART A: How does Billie Jo respond to seeing the cereus plant?

PART B: Which piece of text evidence supports the answer to PART A?

PART AA: Which statement best expresses the central idea of the passage?

PART BB: Which piece of text evidence supports the answer to PART A?

Out of the Dust - Lesson 22

Out of the Dust - Lesson 22

Read these lines from the passage.“I couldn’t watch at dawn,when the flower,touched by the first finger of morning light,wilted and died.”What does the phrase touched by the first finger of morning light mean?

PART A: How does Billie Jo respond to seeing the cereus plant?

PART B: Which piece of text evidence supports the answer to PART A?

PART AA: Which statement best expresses the central idea of the passage?

PART BB: Which piece of text evidence supports the answer to PART A?

Read these lines from the passage.“I couldn’t watch at dawn,when the flower,touched by the first finger of morning light,wilted and died.”What does the phrase touched by the first finger of morning light mean?

PART A: How does Billie Jo respond to seeing the cereus plant?

PART B: Which piece of text evidence supports the answer to PART A?

PART AA: Which statement best expresses the central idea of the passage?

PART BB: Which piece of text evidence supports the answer to PART A?

Read these lines from the passage.
“I couldn’t watch at dawn,
when the flower,
touched by the first finger of morning light,
wilted and died.”
What does the phrase touched by the first finger of morning light mean?

Read these lines from the passage.
“I couldn’t watch at dawn,
when the flower,
touched by the first finger of morning light,
wilted and died.”
What does the phrase touched by the first finger of morning light mean?