The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole by Michelle Cuevas: Heartfelt Cross-Curricular Teaching Resource
Preface
The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole by Michelle Cuevas is a poignant book that can be leveraged for a cross curricular unit on zero and infinity. As I was thinking about my theme, I wanted to create some cross curricular units that teachers could use. I had several ideas for math, art, and ELA lessons, but I needed a science lesson.
Black holes are fascinating to kids and adults alike, but they also touch on the topic of zero and infinity. They are a perfect fit! So, I started searching the library for books about black holes. That’s when I stumbled upon The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole by Michelle Cuevas. It’s such a touching book and a joy to read! It’s a great cross curricular addition to the classroom as it interweaves both science and ELA concepts. It’s an easy-to-read book that has so much depth and insight!
I would definitely recommend buying this book for yourself if you are going to use it in the classroom (instead of checking out from the library). It is extremely well written. Her word choice is remarkable as she integrates figurative language and allusions in an easy-to-understand manner for kids. The text just cries out to be used in an ELA classroom. If you are like me, you are going to want to underline parts and write notes in the margin!
Summary
The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole starts out by introducing Stella who is a sad girl, dressed all in black with a hole in her heart and darkness on the horizon. We find our protagonist at the entrance of NASA trying to deliver a package to Carl Sagan when the alarm sounds. As Stella leaves, she discovers that something followed her home. She soon discovers that something is a black hole which she decides to keep as a pet.
As we read on, we find out that the cause of her sadness is that her dad passed away. Instead of dealing with her grief she funnels her energy into her new pet. She spends the next chapters trying to train the black hole while simultaneously feeding it things she doesn’t want including memories of her father. That is until the black hole consumes her and her brother, and she has to find a way out.
Audience
I loved The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole, but I struggled to figure out which grade level this book would be most appropriate for. The publisher indicates that the book is aimed at middle grades, yet the humor seems more targeted to 5th-6th graders. Additionally, the reading level seems easier than a typical 7th grade text. According to Teaching Books, it has a Lexile level of 710L and an ATOS reading level of 4.8. As you can see from the Text Complexity Chart by Grade Bands from the Common Core Appendix A, the Lexile and ATOS level are much lower than 2nd grade. However the text is layered with symbolism and themes that are more appropriate for middle schoolers. The amount of symbolism in the book makes it a great book for classroom discussion. It also delves into mature topics such as death and depression, so the discussion needs to be handled with care. Due to the low reading level but mature themes, I would consider this book to be a Hi/Lo Book. Although you could use this book for any 5th through 7th grade classroom, I’m going to focus on 7th grade standards to align with the thematic unit I’m building about zero and infinity.
Themes
Death
Dealing with the death of a loved one is the major theme of the book. Stella’s dad died, and she spends the entire book learning how to process and come to grip with this fact without becoming consumed with depression. This theme is what makes this book a middle grades book opposed to an elementary school book.
Light/Darkness
This is a minor theme tying together the idea of the black hole and the theme of death.
The Importance of Memories
What do you do with a memory that hurts? Do you destroy it? Or do you keep it?
Home
What is home? Where is home? Why is home important? What happens if your home doesn’t feel like home anymore?
Zero and Infinity
The book continually talks about zero and infinity. First from a science perspective, but then it pivots these concepts to an emotional perspective. That is what makes this book perfect for my cross-curricular unit theme of zero and infinity.
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Symbolism
The author uses a lot of symbolism in the book. She utilizes the scientific concepts surrounding black holes and turns them into symbols with greater meaning. This is one of the things that makes this book such a pleasure to read and great for classroom discussion.
Activities
Character Map of Stella
Stella is extremely interesting as a character. Her growth is the focus of the story. Have students complete a character map of Stella and her brother Cosmo and perhaps even Stella’s dad.
Plot Diagram
Have students create a plot diagram including the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
Discuss and examine the plot’s structure. Identify and discuss the major conflict in the story and how the conflict drives the action. Explain the techniques the author used in organizing the book to help the reader understand the story.
Discuss how the story might be different if Stella were an only child or if she had lost her grandfather instead of her father. Questions such as these will help students discern the importance of the different elements of the text. Then have students decide which of these elements is most important in this story.
Figurative Language and Allusions Wall
The author, Michelle Cuevas, regularly uses figurative language and allusions in the book. Make a figurative language and allusions wall by affixing examples from the text to the wall. As allusions appear within the story, assign various students to look them up in order to help build background knowledge. Evaluate how the author’s word choice and uses of figurative language add to the story.
Sentence Fishing
In chapter 30 we learn that Stella’s dad made up a game called “Fishing for Words.” It was a place where a person could go fishing for new ideas and whole new sentences. The idea is that you cut up a previous story or book, and you rearrange the words to make new sentences or to brainstorm for new ideas. This is a great English Language Arts classroom activity!
Take old magazines and have students choose a story, cut the words up, and make new sentences. Then have them identify the parts of speech in their new sentences. Have them create simple, compound, and compound-complex sentences using the same word bank. Have them place phrases and clauses within different sentences and explain how it affects their meaning. Then have them share their silly sentences as a class.
Classroom Discussion Guide
Find my classroom discussion guide for The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole by Michelle Cuevas on my ELA Lessons page. You can have students complete the questions on their own or use it for whole class discussion.
Science Collaboration
NASA/Dana Berry/SkyWorks Digital
Collaborate with the science teacher at your school to teach a cross curricular unit on black holes. See my 11 Engaging Books about Black Holes post for nonfiction books to use.
Make a Claim
Have the students debate on whether Stella’s pet black hole was a real pet or imaginary. Have students use the text to support their claim.
Compare and Contrast Two Texts on the Same Topic
The Black Hole Debacle by Keri Claiborne Boyle is a picture book about a girl named Jordie who finds a black hole in her desk and wants to keep it as a pet. It’s short and sweet and less serious than The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole. Therefore, it’s a perfect book to use to have students practice comparing and contrasting two books on the same topic.
Social and Emotional Learning
Building Empathy
Have your school counselor come in and talk to your class about grief. Explain the 5 stages of grief that people go through when mourning: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Discuss which stage Stella is at different junctures of the story. You may want to revisit the plot diagram and connect it with the stages of grief.
If anyone in the class is currently in the grieving process this would be a good opportunity to nudge them to speak to a counselor. For the rest of the class this would be an opportunity to talk about how to support others by showing empathy to those who are grieving.
Dealing with Depression
Have a school counselor read the book alongside your class. Then have him/her come in and discuss the different signs and kinds of depression. Discuss how everyone is depressed from time to time, but some people struggle with stronger feelings of depression. Have the counselor suggest strategies for coping with depression and give advice on how to help a loved one dealing with depression.
Social and Emotional Learning Standards for Public School Teachers
If you are a public-school teacher, work with a school counselor and align this book to the social and emotional learning (SEL) standards of your state. The Ohio SEL standards that align to this book are listed in the standards header below.
Bible Connections for Homeschoolers and Christian Teachers
If you are a homeschooling parent or a Christian school educator, you can align this book to various places in Scripture.
- The Gospel: This is the perfect place to talk about the Gospel and how for those of us who believe in Jesus, we will see our loved ones again.
- Bible Characters Who Experienced Depression: Discuss how many characters in the Bible including David, Hannah, and Job experienced depression. Talk with students about how it’s ok to feel depressed, but like David, Hannah, and Job, we need to turn to God and share our feelings with Him being confident that he will help us overcome those feelings. Suggest to students that it may also be wise to seek godly advice from a counselor.
- Psalms: Choose a psalm such as psalm 18, 30, 61, 77, or 142 that deals with depression. Show students that the psalmist didn’t pretend his feelings didn’t exist but faced them and laid out his complaints before God trusting that God could deliver him.
- Light & Darkness: You can also use this book to compare the themes of light and darkness in John 1 and Genesis 1 to this book.
- Infinity: Compare and contrast the infinite nature of God with the infinite nature of the black hole. Then in chapter 35 Stella discusses infinite love. This is a fantastic opportunity to tie in God’s infinite love for us.
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Standards
English Language Arts
This lesson meets these ELA Common Core Standards:
- RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
- RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
- RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
- RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
- L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
- L.7.1.a Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences
- L.7.1.b Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.
- L.7.1.c Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.*
- L.7.4Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
- L.7.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
- W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
- W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Science
This lesson aligns to the following Next Generation Science Standards:
- ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System: The solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects, including planets, their moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the sun by its gravitational pull on them.
Ohio Social and Emotional Standards
This lesson aligns to Ohio’s Social and Emotional Learning Standards:
- A1. 1.c Identify, recognize, and name personal complex emotions
- A1. 2.c Explain that emotions may vary based on the situation, including people and places
- A1. 3.c Utilize appropriate time and place to safely process emotions, independently, with a trusted adult or with peers
- A1. 4.c Explain how others’ responses to current events can impact emotions
- C1.3.c Demonstrate empathy through understanding of others’ feelings and acknowledgement of their perspective
Comment
Let me know how this lesson went in your classroom!
