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BEFORE READIN
READING
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The 11:59
DURING READIN
READING
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At a Glance
Objectives
Studying this lesson will enable
students to
use reading skills such as note
taking
analyze character development
explore the work of Patricia and
Frederick McKissack
synthesize content from different
texts to appreciate a story about a
dedicated worker
AFTER READING
GUIDED READING
Build Background
Set Purpose
Preview the title of the story. Then read to determine what
significance the title has for the storys main character.
Analyze Literature
18
Preview
Vocabulary
meager, 19
chide, 20
mesmerize, 20
worrisome, 21
specter, 24
Reading Literature
RL.1, RL.3
18
Setting
Conflict
Lester
Simmons
Preview Vocabulary
UNIT 1 FICTION
Words in Use
Selection
Words
finery, 21
fastened, 24
deafening, 25
KEY TERMS
Teaching
Words
exclusively, 18
significance, 18
inevitable, 25
convey, 28
duplicate, 28
SHORT STORY,
18
18
MAIN CHARACTER, 18
PROTAGONIST, 18
THEME, 18
FLAT CHARACTER, 20
ROUND CHARACTER, 20
FORESHADOW, 22
MOTIVATION, 23
DIALOGUE, 28
ANECDOTE, 28
000
CHARACTER,
UNIT 1 FICTION
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Summary
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The 11:59
IRRORS
W INDOWS
Ticktock, ticktock.
The Mirrors
& Windows
questions
at the end
of the story focus on the theme
of clinging to hope. Before
students begin reading, ask:
What makes hope such a
powerful emotion?
3 PM
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Analyze Literature
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Program Resources
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Quiz
Mirrors
&
Windows
THE 11:59
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Analyze Literature
Character Answer: Lester wants the
younger porters to appreciate and
respect the efforts of the porters who
came before them; the dialogue
suggests that Lester is warm, and
values traditions and people. A
Analyze Literature
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There was nothing the young porters liked more than listening to
Lester tell true stories about the old days, during the founding of the
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first black union in the
United States. He knew the president, A. Philip Randolph,
personally, and proudly boasted that it was Randolph whod signed
him up as a union man back in 1926. He passed his original card
around for inspection. I knew all the founding brothers. Take
Brother E. J. Bradley. We hunted many a day together, not for the
sport of it but for something to eat. Those were hard times, starting
up the union. But we hung in there so you youngsters might have
the benefits you enjoy now.
The rookie porters always liked hearing about the thirteen-year
struggle between the Brotherhood and the powerful Pullman
Company, and how, against all odds, the fledgling
union had won
recognition and better working conditions.
Everybody enjoyed it too when Lester told tall tales about Daddy
Joe, the porters larger-than-life hero. Now yall know the first thing
a good Pullman man is expected to do is make up the top and lower
berths for the passengers each night.
Come on, Lester, one of his listeners chided. You dont need
to describe our jobs for us.
Some of you, maybe not. But some of you, well he said,
looking over the top of his glasses and raising an eyebrow at a few
of the younger porters. I was just setting the stage. He smiled
good-naturedly and went on with his story. They tell me Daddy Joe
could walk flatfooted down the center of the coach and let down
berths on both sides of the aisle.
Hearty laughter filled the room, because everyone knew that to
accomplish such a feat, Daddy Joe would have to have been
superhuman. But that was it: To the men who worked the sleeping
cars, Daddy Joe was no less a hero than Paul Bunyan was to the
lumberjacks of the Northwestern forests.
And when the 11:59 pulled up to his door, as big and strong as
Daddy Joe was... Lester continued solemnly. Well, in the end even
he couldnt escape the 11:59. The old storyteller eyed one of the
rookie porters he knew had never heard the frightening tale about
the porters Death Train. Lester took joy in mesmerizing his
young listeners with all the details.
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Differentiated Instruction
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Enrichment
UNIT 1 FICTION
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000
8 AM
Any porter who hears the whistle of the 11:59 has got exactly
twenty-four hours to clear up earthly matters. He better be ready
when the train comes the next night... In his creakiest voice, Lester
drove home the point. All us porters got to board that train one
day. Aint no way to escape the final ride on the 11:59.
Silence.
C
Lester, a young porter asked, you know anybody who ever
heard the whistle of the 11:59 and lived to tell
Not a living soul!
Laughter.
Well, began one of the men, wonder will we have to make up
berths on that train?
If its an overnight trip to heaven, you can best be believing
theres bound to be a few of us making up the berths, another
answered.
Shucks, a card player stopped to put
in. They say even up in heaven we the
ones gon be keeping all that gold and
silver polished.
Speaking of gold and silver, Lester
said, remembering. That reminds me of
how I gave Tip Sampson his nickname.
Yall know Tip?
There were plenty of nods and smiles.
The memory made Lester chuckle. He
shifted in his seat to find a more
comfortable spot. Then he began. A
woman got on board the Silver Arrow in
Chicago going to Los Angeles. She was
dripping in fineryhad on all kinds of
gold and diamond jewelry, carried twelve
bags. Sampson knocked me down getting
to wait on her, figuring she was sure
for a big tip. That lady was
worrisome! Ooowee!
Come do this.
Go do that.
Bring me
this.
Aint no
way to
escape the
final ride
on the
11:59.
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Vocabulary Skills
Dialect
Explain that dialect is a version of a language
spoken by people of a particular place, time, or
group. Point out examples: Keeps perfect train
time, Aint no way to escape, Yall know Tip?
and And I didnt make it no better.
Note that words at the beginning of sentences may
be understood rather than stated. Suggest that
Analyze Literature
Character Ask students to consider
how Lesters interactions with other
characters help reveal his character.
Model a possible response: It seems
that Lester and the porters enjoy
teasing each other. This shows that
Lester is friendly and has a sense of
humor.
THE 11:59
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THE 11:59
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History Connection
A. Philip Randolph Asa Philip
Randolph (18891979) was born in
Florida and moved to New York City
in 1911, where he attended City
College. Seeing the need for black
workers to organize, he founded the
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in
1925, serving as president of the
union and securing a contract with
the Pullman Company in 1937.
Randolph worked all of his life to ban
segregation; he was one of the
leaders of the 1963 Civil Rights
March on Washington. He served as
president of the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters until his
retirement in 1968.
Sampson was running over himself trying to keep that lady happy.
When we reached L.A., my passengers all tipped me two or three
dollars, as was customary back then.
When Sampsons Big Money lady got off, she reached into her
purse and placed a dime in his outstretched hand. A dime! Can you
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imagine? Ow! You should have seen his face. And I didnt make it no
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better. Never did let him forget it. I teased him sowent to calling
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him Tip, and the nickname stuck.
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Laughter.
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I havent heard from ol Tip in a while. Anybody know
anything?
You havent got word, Lester? Tip boarded the 11:59 over in
B Kansas City about a month ago.
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Sorry to hear that. That just leaves me and Willie Beavers, the
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last of the old, old-timers here in St. Louis.
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Lester looked at his watchit was a little before midnight. The
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talkfest had lasted later than usual. He said his good-byes and left,
taking his usual route across the Eighteenth Street bridge behind the
station.
In the darkness, Lester looked over the yard, picking out familiar
shapesthe Hummingbird, the Zephyr. Hed worked on them both.
Train travel wasnt anything like it used to be in the old daysnot
since people had begun to ride airplanes. Progress, he scoffed.
Those contraptions will never take the place of a train. No sir!
Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest. At exactly the same
moment he heard the mournful sound of a train whistle, which the
wind seemed to carry from some faraway place. Ignoring his pain,
Lester looked at the old station. He knew nothing was scheduled to
come in or out till early morning. Nervously he lit a match to check
the time. 11:59!
No, he said into the darkness. Im not ready. Ive got plenty of
living yet.
Fear quickened his step. Reaching his small apartment, he hurried
up the steps. His heart pounded in his ear, and his left arm tingled.
He had an idea, and there wasnt a moment to waste. But his own
words haunted him. Aint no way to escape the final ride on the 11:59.
But Im gon try! Lester spent the rest of the night plotting his
escape from fate.
I wont eat or drink anything all day, he talked himself through
his plan. That way I cant choke, die of food poisoning, or cause a
cooking fire.
Differentiated Instruction
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Kinesthetic Learning
Visual Learning
UNIT 1 FICTION
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000
0 AM
Lester shut off the space heater to avoid an explosion, nailed shut
all doors and windows to keep out intruders, and unplugged every
electrical appliance. Good weather was predicted, but just in case a
freak storm came and blew out a window, shooting deadly glass
shards in his direction, he moved a straight-backed chair into a far
corner, making sure nothing was overhead to fall on him.
Ill survive, he said, smiling at the prospect of beating Death.
Wont that be a wonderful story to tell at the porter house? He
rubbed his left arm. It felt numb again.
Lester sat silently in his chair all day, too afraid to move. At noon
someone knocked on his door. He couldnt answer it. Footsteps...
another knock. He didnt answer.
A parade of minutes passed by, equally measured, one behind
the other, ticking...ticking...away...The dull pain in his chest
returned. He nervously checked his watch every few minutes.
Ticktock, ticktock.
E
Time had always been on his side. Now it was his enemy. Where
had the years gone? Lester reviewed the thirty years hed spent riding
the rails. How different would his life have been if hed married
Louise Henderson and had a gallon of children? What if hed taken
that job at the mill down in Opelika? What if hed followed his
brother to Philly? How different?
Ticktock, ticktock.
So much living had passed so quickly. Lester decided if he had
to do it all over again, hed stand by his choices. His had been a
good life. No regrets. No major changes for him.
Ticktock, ticktock.
The times hed hadboth good and badwhat memories. His
first and only love had been traveling, and she was a jealous
companion. Wonder whatever happened to that girl up in
Minneapolis? Thinking about her made him smile. Then he laughed.
That girl must be close to seventy years old by now.
Ticktock, ticktock.
Daylight was fading quickly. Lester drifted off to sleep, then
woke from a nightmare in which, like Jonah, hed been swallowed G
by an enormous beast. Even awake he could still hear its heart
beating...ticktock, ticktock...But then he realized he was hearing his
own heartbeat.
Lester couldnt see his watch, but he guessed no more than half
an hour had passed. Sleep had overtaken him with such little
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Analyze Literature
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Analyze Literature
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Make Connections
Answer: Students may say this makes
it easier for them to accept his
impending death. It is comforting to
know that he has no regrets about the
choices he has made. F
Literary Connection
Jonah In the Bible, Jonah tries to
escape an assignment from God.
Lester is trying to evade Death. G
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THE 11:59
Grammar Skills
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Capitalization
Remind students that a proper noun names a
specific person, place, or thing and a proper
adjective is either formed from a proper noun or a
proper noun used as an adjective. Have small
groups list proper nouns and proper adjectives from
the story. Then ask the groups to sort the names
into categories such as Names of People, Names
of Places, and Names of Organizations.
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THE 11:59
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Im too
smart for
that,
Death...
TEACHING NOTE
Self-Generated Questioning
Divide the class into small groups.
Have the members of each group
brainstorm and jot down questions
they would like to ask Lester. Model a
possible question: Why did you retire?
Instruct each group to pass its
questions to another group. Then each
group should use what they know
about Lester to answer the questions
it receives. Have groups share some
of their questions and answers
with the rest of the class.
Vocabulary Skills
Context Clues
Write this sentence on the board: You can often
figure out the meaning of a word by looking for
clues in the context, or the surrounding words and
sentences. Point out that in this sentence, the
comma and the word or signals that context is the
surrounding words and sentences. Tell students
that to find context clues they can look for commas,
24
000
UNIT 1 FICTION
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IRRORS
W INDOWS
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Find Meaning
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THE 11:59
Answer:
Responses
will vary.
Clinging to
hope may give a person
strength and determination.
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0002-0028_Lit3eG07_U01.indd 25
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Analyze Literature
1 AM
Make Judgments
4. (a) The story gives a good general
picture of the lives of the porters.
(b) They share stories.
5. (a) Lester goes from feeling jovial
to feeling terrified, then determined to
fight for his life. (b) Lester enjoys life
and doesnt want to leave his friends;
he is determined and resourceful.
6. (a) He feels calmer. (b) Lester now
accepts what is happening.
11/30/07 11:06:31 AM
THE 11:59
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