Elicit Prior Knowledge and Build Background
Ask students what they know about Gloria Estefan, Albert Einstein, and Dikembe Mutombo. Have them predict what things these three might have in common. Distribute the worksheet, and help students complete the Before Reading part of the worksheet.

Say: The Before Reading part of the worksheet asks you to make predictions about these three people. The first attribute is "exiled from homeland." Put a yes next to each person whom you think this statement applies to. Put a no next to each person you don't think this applies to.

Ask: Do you think this applies to all of the people, or just one or two? Tell me why you think so.

Say: Now I want you to read the rest of the statements and put a yes or no next to each of the three people. 

Discuss students' predictions about the three people, and have them tell you why they answered as they did. Introduce as many words as you can from the vocabulary list into the discussion. You can bring the words into the discussion in an informal way. Alternately, you might like to list the following words on the chalkboard and have students predict how these words might be related to Einstein, Estefan, and Mutombo: determination, exiles, ghetto, potential, humanitarian, refuge, and legacies. 

Skim and Scan
Give students a copy of the book, and have them skim through it, looking at the photographs and reading the captions. Suggest that they might want to revise or add to their predictions now that they have looked at the photos.

Note any words in bold-faced type and discuss any words you think students might have difficulty with. Remind students that they can use context clues to understand unfamiliar words. Show students how to locate one of the bold-faced words in the glossary at the back of the book. Suggest that they use the glossary as they read if they need help figuring out the meaning of a bold-faced word.


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