Exploring Identity: American Born Chinese

Lesson 14
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ELA

Unit 5

7th Grade

Lesson 14 of 22

Objective


Engage in a Socratic seminar with peers, responding directly to others by rephrasing and delineating arguments, determining the strength of evidence, and posing clarifying questions.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang 

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Key Questions


Discussion Questions

  • Would this story have been as impactful if it were written as a traditional novel? What are the benefits and downsides to the genre of the graphic novel?

  • Why do you think that Yang decided to (at least initially) tell three different stories in one book? How does each story intersect?

  • What is Yang trying to communicate about stereotypes? How do stereotypes affect people?

  • Why do you think that Yang chose to title this book, American Born Chinese?

  • At the beginning of the book, Jin tells the herbalist’s wife that he wants to grow up to be a Transformer. How does this idea repeat throughout the text?

  • How does the character of Chin-Kee add to the story? Why did the author choose to include him?

  • What does this book tell us about the American Dream? How do you think that Yang would define the American Dream?

Notes


  • Decide which type of Academic Discourse you want to use in this lesson. We recommend a table-group discussion, fishbowl, or whole-class discussion (see our Teacher Tool about Types of Academic Discourse to learn more about each type). Then, choose which of this lesson’s Discussion Questions you are going to have students answer. Consider how much discussion time will be devoted to each question. 
  • Create clear expectations for the discussion and student groups (if necessary). Additionally, decide what discourse strategies you will model for students to ensure that students are able to effectively engage with one another (for guidance, see our Teacher Tool about Tiers of Academic Discourse).

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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.
  • SL.7.1.d — Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.
  • SL.7.3 — Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
  • SL.7.4 — Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

Supporting Standards

L.7.6
RI.7.1
RL.7.1
SL.7.1.a
SL.7.1.b
SL.7.1.c
SL.7.6
W.7.9

Next

Unpack the expectations of an informational writing task, brainstorm research questions, and begin to gather evidence for a slideshow presentation. 

Lesson 15
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