American Born Chinese pecha

A story about …

a legendary monkey

a Chinese-American who is struggling to fit in

an all-American boy with an obnoxious Chinese cousin

The Monkey-King

Jin Wang

Danny and Chin-Kee

Setting

References from 1980s-2000s (original Transformers TV show, Internet videos, S.A.R.S., etc.)

Mythical kingdom of Flower-Fruit Mountain

Average American elementary, middle, and high schools

http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/jiTkGem5ApA/mqdefault.jpg

Conflict:The Search for Identity

What is valuable from my background?

How do I cope with the parts I’m uncomfortable with?

How do I fit into the mainstream?

Who determines how I see myself?

Graphic Novel Genre

Visual elements

Subtle gestures, visual details, inflection through bolding or italics

Dialogue and overlapping narration

http://www.macroeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/calvin-hobbes-imaginary-numbers-and-calculus.gif

Culture and Stereotypes

Chinese Culture and Fables

Narration

Monkey-King—third-person omniscient

Jin Wang—mostly first person, some backward-looking narration

Danny—no narration, live, sitcom-style

http://www.teachingbooks.net/media/bookimages/internals/American_Born_Chinese.jpg

Connections

Present Day

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Rating by Grade Level

Around 9th-10th grade

Middle school(Peter Gutiérrez, “Integrating Graphica into Your Curriculum:Recommended Titles for Grades 6–12,” The ALAN Review 97.1 (Fall 2009), http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/v37n1/-gutierrez.html.)

We say:

Jeff: 5! It’s great!

Michael: 5! It’s great, in spite of my prudishness.

Big Question

Who am I and do I follow a stereotype?

Reasoning

Relevant issues—Stereotypes, public schools, relationships, etc.

Identity!http://www.comicsreporter.com/images/uploads/abctop.jpg

Teaching it:

1) Before hand …Anticipation guide on conformity

http://agbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/american-suburb-homes.jpg

Teaching it:

2) During …Cultural connections strategy

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41O-6BBUu8L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Teaching it:

3) Afterward:Socratic Seminar

http://blog.clayburngriffin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/bill-and-ted-socrates.jpg

http://goodokbad.com/assets/images/books/abc_03.jpg