The Final Deployment

Reading Literature
DIRECTIONS: Students are to read the poem, The Final Deployment. They are to
answer the questions that follow. To scaffold the instruction, the teacher may have the
students partner read or read the poem aloud. Students are to complete the tasks
outlined below independently.

The Final Deployment

By Anna Prokos
Selena strapped on her sneakers and ran to the airport
like a race horse sprints to the finish line.
She trotted past traffic and trees,
Zipped over curbs and cracks
And soon reached her final destination
Where a thousand of her closest friends waited.
And turned their owl eyes in her direction
She took a gasp so loud
it was heard on three other continents.
Selena spotted her brother
Thin, clean-shaven, and a fit fiddle
The siblings stared straight at each other
And ran to give hugs that had waited
Too long to be given.
Then, like champions taking their final lap,
Ran home to proclaim their memories back.
As family kissed and hugged
and cried a river of tears,
Selena kicked off her sneakers
That slumped with exhaustion near
combat boots that had a million stories to tell.

RL.5.2, RL5.10
SLO 4, SLO 8

TASK 1
FOR STUDENTS: After reading the poem, use FIVE of the words in the word bank (in
the box below) to summarize what the poem is about. Be sure to use details from the
poem:
sprints
siblings

destination
memories

gasp
exhaustion

fiddle
trotted

stared
proclaim

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RL5.1, 5.2
SLO 1, SLO 2

TASK 2
FOR STUDENTS:
One way to state the theme of this poem is:
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Choose two details from the poem that illustrate this theme, and explain how they are
connected to the theme.
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RL.5.2, RL 5.10
SLO 3,8

TASK 3
FOR STUDENTS: In the beginning of the poem, the speaker says, like a race horse
sprints to the finish line. Explain why she is comparing the sprint to a race horse,
using specific details from the poem.
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RL.5.2, RL 5.10
SLO 3,8

TASK 4
At the end of the poem, the speaker says
Selena kicked off her sneakers
That slumped with exhaustion near
combat boots that had a million stories to tell.
How does the speaker feel? Explain and use words from the poem to support your
answer.
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RL.5.2, RL 5.10
SLO 3,8

TASK 5
The name of this poem is The Final Deployment. The speaker says, Then, like
champions taking their final lap, Ran home to proclaim their memories back. Is she
just talking about missing her brother, or is she thinking about something else? Use
details from the poem in your answer.

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