Name: _____________________

Ex-Cons Dream 2
7/21/16

Do Now
(5 min) (10 points)
What is one change you made in your life? How did you do it? (OR What is one change
you want to make in your life? How can you do it?) Write at least 3 sentences.
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Ex-con's dream of encouraging young people to read

Briscoe recently celebrated the first day that he was completely free from the
government watching him. His probation had ended. For the last 22 years of his life,
Briscoe has been either in prison or on probation. After being released from prison he
was put on probation. It meant he could only live in certain places. He had to report what
he did every day and deal with surprise visits by his probation officer. His dream is to
become a businessman who encourages young people to read and spreads a message of
hope.
*probation: libertad condicional
*hope: esperanza

1) How has Briscoes life changed and what is his dream? (5 min) (10 points)
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"People Can Change"
Briscoe made a lot of money as a drug dealer, and now that hes following the law but it
is difficult to earn enough money to support his family. He still believes that people can
change.
*support: apoyar,

2) Why is it so difficult for Briscoe to change? (5 min) (10 points)

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Briscoe was a strong student who had the chance to go to special schools in his area. But
he lived in a tough neighborhood and he began to look up to young men he saw with
fancy things and new cars. These guys were making lots of money in ways that were
against the law. Briscoe joined them and became a gang member.
Briscoe was 12 the first time he was arrested. The police stopped him with drugs in his
pocket. He spent a week in a jail for young people. By the time he was 14, Briscoe said,
he had made $200,000 selling drugs on the streets.
It wasnt long before Briscoe ran into more trouble with the police. A pattern began: he
would be arrested, charged with a crime, sent to jail. He sold drugs in 32 states and was
put behind bars many times.
*tough: difcil
*arrested: detenido
*pattern: patrn

3) How did Briscoe get involved in crime? (5 min) (10 points)

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Transformed By Reading
Briscoes change came after he saw another prisoner trying to read a childrens book to
his son. The prisoner struggled to read. He was illiterate. Briscoe could read, but he
started to think about his own children. How would he teach them?
It haunted me to think about my own son asking me to help him with his homework,
he said. From then on, Briscoe read everything he could get his hands on. Prison became
his college.
Once, reading saved his life. Briscoe was facing serious criminal charges that could have
sent him to prison for 60 years. He dug through law books and found a mistake in the
case against him. When his lawyer presented the mistake to the judge, Briscoe got only
three years instead of 60.
*illiterate: analfabeto,
*haunted: obsesionado
*mistake: error
*inspired: inspirado

4) What inspired Briscoe to change? (5 min) (10 points)

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5) How did reading help Briscoe? (5 min) (10 points)
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Spreading The Word
These days, Briscoe wants to help young people who may be facing the same
temptations he did. Briscoe started a program called To Succeed You Must Read! It
reaches out to students in schools and libraries. It includes a summer book club. Briscoe
plans to visit 200 poor schools to encourage reading and to help kids follow their dreams,
and fight their fears.
*ideals: ideales
*temptations: tentaciones

Exit Ticket
(10 min) (10 points)
What can individuals do to improve their communities? Give 3 examples and use at least
1 piece of evidence from the article in your response.
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Extra Credit
(5 points)
Write your own complete sentence using these new vocabulary words.
Pattern:
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Tough:
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Support:
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Ideals:
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Temptations:
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