Curriculum / ELA / 7th Grade / Unit 5: Exploring Identity: American Born Chinese / Lesson 14
ELA
Unit 5
7th Grade
Lesson 14 of 22
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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.
Book: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
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Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
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?
Suggestions for teachers to help them teach this lesson
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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.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.7.6 — Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
RI.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.a — Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
SL.7.1.b — Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
SL.7.1.c — Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.
SL.7.6 — Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
W.7.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Lesson 13
Lesson 15
Explain the basic features of a graphic novel, approaches to reading a graphic novel, and how structure contributes to meaning.
RI.7.2 RI.7.5
Identify and contrast different characters’ points of view and explain how Yang develops them through text and illustrations.
RL.7.6
Explain how Yang uses both text, images, and structure to develop meaning in American Born Chinese.
RL.7.5
Identify several pervasive stereotypes about Asian Americans and explain how stereotypes can impact a person’s behavior and beliefs.
RI.7.3
Explain how Yang uses the structure of a sitcom to create meaning American Born Chinese.
Explain how characters’ behavior and beliefs are shaped by events, setting, and by other characters in American Born Chinese.
RL.7.3
Identify themes and explain how Yang develops these over the course of a chapter.
RL.7.2
Explain how characters’ behavior and beliefs are shaped by events and by other characters, and how specific events propel the plot of American Born Chinese.
Craft objective summaries of specific sections of text in the final chapter of American Born Chinese.
Identify themes in American Born Chinese, and explain how Yang develops them over the course of the text.
Explain how Yang’s own life experiences influenced the content of his graphic novel, American Born Chinese.
Socratic Seminar
RL.7.1 SL.7.1.d SL.7.3 SL.7.4
Writing
Unpack the expectations of an informational writing task, brainstorm research questions, and begin to gather evidence for a slideshow presentation.
SL.7.5 W.7.2 W.7.7
Use search terms effectively, assess the credibility of online research sources, and gather evidence in preparation for creating a slideshow presentation.
W.7.2 W.7.7 W.7.8
Gather information from multiple sources and create an outline for a slideshow presentation.
W.7.2 W.7.2.a W.7.8 W.7.9
Draft informational paragraphs for each slide of a presentation.
W.7.2 W.7.2.b W.7.2.c W.7.2.d
Design and build an informational slideshow presentation, complete with clear bullet points and images.
SL.7.5 W.7.2 W.7.2.a W.7.2.b W.7.6
L.7.1 L.7.1.a W.7.2 W.7.8
Present informational slideshow presentations.
SL.7.4 SL.7.5 W.7.2
Assessment – 2 days
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