Exploring Identity: American Born Chinese

Lesson 8
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ELA

Unit 5

7th Grade

Lesson 8 of 22

Objective


Identify and contrast different characters’ points of view and explain how Yang develops them through text and illustrations.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang  pp. 109 – 129

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

Does Chin-Kee’s presence change the way that the other characters in the chapter view Danny? Support your answer with at least two pieces of specific evidence from the text.

Sample Response

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Key Questions


Close Read Questions

  • What is Danny’s perspective of his cousin Chin-Kee? Support your answer with at least six examples from the chapter that communicate this point of view: three from images and three from dialogue.

  • How does Danny’s teachers’ perspective of Chin-Kee differ from Danny’s? How does the author use both text and images to communicate this difference in perspective? Provide examples from the text.

  • How does the author develop the idea that the "audience’s" perspective of Chin-Kee is different from Danny’s? Support your answer with specific evidence from the text.

Discussion Questions

  • Have you ever been in a situation where you were judged based on the behavior/identity of a family member or friend? How did you respond?

Exit Ticket

Assess student understanding and monitor progress toward this lesson's objective with an Exit Ticket.

Vocabulary


Text-based

jeopardize

v.

(p. 123)

put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure

inevitable

adj.

(p. 115)

certain to happen; unavoidable

Notes


  • Danny uses homophobic/misogynistic language on pages 115 and 117.

Homework


To ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson, have students complete the following reading for homework. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text.

  • Book: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang  pp. 133 – 160

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • Who is Wong Lai-Tsao?

  • What mission does Tze Yo Tzuh give to Wong Lai-Tsao?

  • What does Wong Lai-Tsao ask the Monkey King to do?

  • Why does the Monkey King ultimately decide to help Wong Lai-Tsao?

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Common Core Standards


  • RL.7.6 — Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

Supporting Standards

L.7.6
RL.7.1
RL.7.2
RL.7.4
RL.7.5
RL.7.10
SL.7.1
W.7.1
W.7.1.a
W.7.1.b
W.7.4
W.7.9
W.7.9.a
W.7.10

Next

Identify themes and explain how Yang develops these over the course of a chapter.

Lesson 9
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Lesson Map

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