Little White Duck, A Childhood In China by Na Liu and Andrés Vera Martínez
Lerner Publishing Group © 2012
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 – Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
Lexile Measure 710
Guided Reading Level V
Suggested Delivery: Small-Group Read
Summary:
Little White Duck, A Childhood In China is a memoir of the author, Na Liu’s childhood. In this graphic novel, Na Liu tells 8 short stories which revolve around Chinese traditions and celebrations, differences in social class, and dealing with death. These stories help the reader look into what it was like to be a child in China in the 1970s.
Building Schema:
Crash course on the Cultural Revolution in China, 1960s
New York Times article on the death of Mao Zedong, September 1976
One man’s account of China’s Great Famine
Traditions of Chinese New Year
Vocabulary:
earnestness (noun) – being serious and sincere; not lighthearted or playful
rural (adjective) – of or relating to the country and the people who live there instead of the city
prosper (verb) – to become very successful usually by making a lot of money
famine (noun) – a situation in which many people do not have enough food to eat
harvest (verb) – to gather (a crop)
humble (adjective) – not proud; not thinking of yourself as better than other people
selfless (adjective) – having or showing great concern for other people and little or no concern for yourself
wreak (verb) – to cause (something very harmful or damaging)
havoc (noun) – a situation in which there is much destruction or confusion
defeat (verb) – to cause (someone or something) to fail
preserve (verb) – to prevent (food) from decaying
symbolize (verb) – to represent, express, or serve as a symbol of
comrade (noun) – a close friend or associate
hardship (noun) – something that causes pain or loss
Before Reading Activity:
Ask students the following question to guide purposeful learning:
How do illustrations and other visual media contribute to the meaning, tone, and beauty of a text, still image, or video?
Use examples of visual media for modeling and guided practice before applying this guided reading question to Little White Duck: A Childhood in China.
During Reading Activity:
Perform a think-aloud for a small group while reading a section of the text modeling metacognition strategies:
- First only read the text from a section out loud to students without them seeing the images.
- Then go back and take a “picture walk” through the section you will be reading, describing what you notice (facial expressions, colors, labels, content of the images)
- Then go back to the beginning to read the text together, students will have their books open to follow along and see the corresponding illustrations.
- Stop to point out examples of how the images give the text meaning.
This activity will help students notice the importance of visuals in graphic novels.
After Reading Activity:
Students discuss the following essential questions in the form of literary discussions:
- What is the mood being portrayed in this story?
- What is the author’s tone?
- Why is it important for the illustrations in graphic novels to have an element of beauty?
Writing Activity:
Students write a memoir from their own childhood in the form of a graphic novel, being mindful of how the visual elements of their own graphic novel contributes to the meaning, tone and beauty.
Karen About Kids 