1. Warm-Up: ABC Anticipation Guide (p.51)
Directions: In your notebook, write each of these statements. Respond to each of the following statements by writing either “true” or “false” AND write the reason why you feel that way. 1. An individual’s value is determined by how much they accomplish. 2. True friendship means always agreeing with each other. 3. Anyone who lives in America should learn English. 4. If you want something that is good, it is okay to change yourself to get it. 5. We should always defend friends and family members, even when they embarrass us. 6. We should follow our family traditions, even when they make us unhappy. 7. When something is hard, the best answer is to quit, or run away. 8. When you have something to say, it is always best to say it. 9. If you have feelings for someone, you should tell them.

2. American Born Chinese Book Trailer

3. ABC Notes (p. 52)
Based on the book trailer we just watched, what are the three main stories in American Born Chinese? 1. 2. 3.
Based on what you have seen, how do you think the stories are connected to the idea of teen angst?

4. Gene Yang – Book Talk

5. ABC Notes continued… (p. 52)
Answer the following questions based on the interview with Gene Yang. 1. What made Gene Yang want to write this book? 2. What is American Born Chinese about? 3. Why did Gene Yang choose American Born Chinese as the title of this graphic novel? 4. What are the universal messages illustrated in the book?

6. ABC Notes continued… (p.52)
There are many major themes in the novel, especially ones we have already talked about, for example:
The struggle to find and/or maintain cultural identity
Stereotyping
Our focus is going to be on continuing to study these themes, but we will also look at how these two things contribute to teen angst.

7. Graphic Novel Terms and Concepts

8. Layout
Panel: a section, usually a box, containing a combination of image and text in endless variety. Panels offer a different experience than simply reading the text.

9. Layout Frame: the lines and borders that contain the panels
Gutter: the space between framed panels
(contrast the gutters on page 62 with page 63)
Bleed: an image that extends to/beyond the edge of the page

10. Layout Foreground: the parts closest to the viewer
Midground: The artist places an image centered or off centered to create visual tension .
Background: provides additional information for the reader, such as time period and setting

11. Figures
Faces: Some faces depict an actual person, others are symbolic.
They can be dramatic when placed against a detailed backdrop
They can be drawn without much expression or detail, which invites the audience to figure out what the character is thinking. This is called an “open blank”

12. Figures
Hands and Feet: the position of hands and feet can be used to express what is happening in the story. Hands with palms out might suggest surprise. Hands over the mouth might depict fear, shame, or shyness. Feet that appear in motion might create a sense of panic, urgency.

13. Text
Captions: these boxes contain a variety of text elements, such as scene-setting, description
(page 73)
Special-Effects lettering: highlights or draws attention to the text. Think about onomatopoeia in Batman comic strips (Blam! Pow!)
(page 17)
Speech balloons: these enclose dialogue and come from a specific speaker’s mouth.
External dialogue is speech between characters (45)
Internal dialogue is a thought enclosed by a balloon that has a series of dots or bubbles going up to it. (97)

14. Graphic Novel Practice (p. 55)
Use the handout with the panels to practice identifying and labeling terms and concepts associated with the graphic novel.
Put the handout on p Write all over it. Use arrows, lines, etc. to mark the different features.

15. Summarizer
One word to describe your thoughts about ABC