Inside Out & Back Again - Dr. Booker's December 2020 Book of the Month

JavaScript isn't enabled in your browser, so this file can't be opened. Enable and reload.

by Thanhha Lai

http://esl-bits.net/Novellas.for.ESL.Students/InsideOut/preview.html (copy & paste in browser window)
Read and/or listen. About 1 hour 27 minutes of narration.

Use the Bitmoji slide to find materials to help you answer questions, or do your own research.
Link to slide: https://stephensonmiddlemediacenter.weebly.com/principals-books-of-the-month (copy and paste)

"This is the story of Ha who leaves Vietnam with her mother and brothers after the fall of Saigon and finds herself in the inexplicable world of Alabama.

The novel is written in free verse – which makes for short, stunning scenes that fill all of your senses. Each one builds on the next, capturing in skilled brush strokes the heart of what it means to lose a father to war, a homeland, and – for a young girl – a sense of herself. Throughout are the sights and smells of Viet Nam as we watch the family pray for their father with incense at their altar, long for papayas and fried eels, and force smiles on their faces for the new year to bring proper luck. Thanhha Lai gives us a Vietnam to love and cherish.

Ha is a mighty girl and a memorable strong girl for so many reasons. She is flawed, prone to mischief, and sometimes disagreeable – the way most interesting girls are. She can’t help but rebel against the notion that only male feet can bring good luck to a house on Tet, the New Year. She pinches a classmate and complains about her bossy brothers. But she also comes across as honest and good hearted, particularly as she senses the grief of her mother and – most particularly – Brother Khoi. Her journey to be accepted by American classmates is at times heartbreaking, but also at times funny and uplifting."

You must complete at least 2 activities to win a prize from Dr. Booker. You may answer most questions in the spaces provided below by paragraph (at least five sentences). Or, you may answer by preparing a slide and emailing it to me @ patricia_oconnor@dekalbschoolsga.org. If you choose the latter option, please type "sending a slide" in the space provided and let me know that is what you are doing. If you want to discuss the book, have questions, or want some help completing this form, let me know, and I, Ms. OC, will set up a Google Meet or Zoom.

1. Watch John Green's Crash Course video, "The Cold War in Asia" on the bitmoji slide. Using that information, write a brief paragraph (at least 5 sentences) about what aspects of the Vietnam War might have forced Ha's mother to decide to leave. Vietnam is a beautiful country; it could not have been an easy choice for Ha's mother to make.

2. In 1975, Year of the Cat, Ha's family celebrates Tet. Watch the video on Tet. Click on the lion on the Bitmoji slide. What is Tet all about? Write about your favorite holiday and some of the ways you celebrate. Compare it to Tet. How is it different or simila? For instance, Tet reminds me of our New Years holiday. Or, prepare a slide to answer this question and email it to me.

3. Food plays a large part in this book from the papayas of Vietnam to the fast food of Alabama. The argument can be made that food sustains us all, both physically and emotionally. What do papayas represent to Ha? What foods are important to you and why? To answer this question: Write a paragraph to , OR make a vision board/slide, OR fix a recipe from Easy Vietnamese recipes (click on the papaya in the Bitmoji) or some other Vietnamese recipe book/site, and send me a picture of it with a description of what you prepared.

4. Ha and her family are refugees. Watch the short video, "Last Days in Vietnam" found in the Bitmoji slide. What was it like for Ha and her family to leave home and all that was familiar to them? Have you ever had to leave your friends and parts of your family behind because you moved to a new neighborhood, different city, different country, etc. Describe how your experiences were similar/different to Ha's?

5. This whole book consists of a series of free verse poems. The author wrote this book as a description of her childhood experiences as a refugee from Vietnam and said writing in free verse made her think more like she thought when she was living through that experience. Write your own short free verse about anything you are thinking about/experiencing/seeing/hearing/etc. Instructions on writing free verse can be found by clicking on the tree in the Bitmoji slide.

Your name (first & last) *

Your first period teacher *

Your contact information so we can get your prizes to you. (email & phone #) *

Submit

Clear form

Never submit passwords through Google Forms.

This content is neither created nor endorsed by Google. Report Abuse - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy

Forms