Two Kinds By Amy Tan

Warm Up Activity What are some of the typical dreams and expectations that parents in your culture have for their children? Did your parents have these dreams for you as you were growing up? Did your parents try to cultivate/develop any particular talents in you (athletic, musical, entrepreneurial, intellectual or artistic?) Did you attend any special schools for this?

Warm Up Activity Cont’d What would you like your children to be like? What talents would you want them to develop? How would you do this? What if your children resisted your attempts to cultivate their talents and skills? How would you react and what would you say to them?

Finding Word Meaning in Context Prodigy Fiasco Discordant Nonchalant Reproach Indignity Reverie dawdle

Talk to the Text Asking questions Predicting Visualizing Making connections Summarizing Reflecting and relating Evaluating Revising meaning Forming interpretations clarifying

Vocabulary Prodigy – n. someone with a very great ability which usually shows itself when that person is a young child Fiasco – n. something planned that goes wrong and is a complete failure, usually in an embarrassing way Discordant – adj. producing an unpleasant sound

Vocabulary Cont’d Nonchalant – adj. behaving in a calm manner, often in a way which suggests you are not interested or do not care Reproach –v. to criticize someone, especially for not being successful or not doing what is expected Indignity – n. a loss of respect or self-respect, or something which causes this

Vocabulary Cont’d Reverie – n. (a state of having) pleasant dream-like thoughts Dawdle – v. to do something or go somewhere very slowly, taking more time than is necessary

Discuss Questions What is a prodigy and why does the mother want the main character to become one? How does the mother prepare her daughter for fame? What talents does the girl have? Why does she start the piano lessons and how is the mother going to pay for them? Describe the piano teacher. What do Auntie Lindo and Jing Mei’s mother have in common?

Discussion Questions Con’td What does the author mean when she says, “I didn’t have to do what my mother said anymore…This wasn’t China”? What words does the author use to describe her mother’s disappointment in her? Why does Jing Mei come back to play the piano after her mother’s death?

Class discussions Ask one clarifying question. Ask one question related to the theme. You will be graded on oral participation.

Social Concepts Assimilation – adopting the dominant culture as one’s own. Loss of one’s culture because one puts more value on the culture of another. Acculturation – adopting some behavior patterns of the dominant culture, but one maintains pride in one’s own ethnic identity

Applying Social Concepts What process of assimilation or acculturation do you see in the story? Think of the mother and daughter. Write a 2 chunk paragraph applying social concepts to the story. TS CD 2CMS CS

What two kinds does the title refer to? Write your answers in a one chunk TEA paragraph.

Making Connections Do you think it is fairly common that some mothers create resentment in their children by trying to do things they feel are in their childrens' best interests? Can you think of any examples?

Making Connections Have you ever had an experience as embarrassing as Jing Mei's piano recital? Have you ever been asked to, forced to, or encouraged to try to do something that you just could not do? Do you believe people grow up with certain personality traits that can't be changed?

TEA Paragraphs How does Amy Tan use simile and metaphor in "Two Kinds" to make her descriptions vivid? Write a short essay on her use of imagery.

Analyze the Tone How would you describe the overall tone of 'Two Kinds'? Does it ever change? At what point in the story does it shift?

Using Humor Can you find examples of Amy Tan's use of similes for humorous effect in the story?