Persepolis 4 - Discussion: Row Reading - 72 to 114
"The key to paradise was for poor people, thousands of young kids, promised a better life, exploded on the minefields with their keys around their necks."
Persepolis 4 - Discussion - Row Reading pages 72 to 114 : There is so much that happens in these pages and the students always brought an incredible enthusiasm into the discussion. There is the outbreak of the war, the victims of it - but also the very real and personal changes that Marjane is undergoing - as Iran changes from a secular society to a theocracy. One of the best ways to discuss it is by doing a Row Reading - where each row covers a part of the assigned reading - with every student coming up with three possible things to talk about (which is also great in case someone takes their first choice). I have also included a version of the Row Reading Slides that has a slide to assign student Rows, remotely. See my page on Class Discussions for more on Row Reading Discussions. As our next discussion is also our last on the novel - remind the students that they are to bring in one specific thing (takeaway, comment, quote, question, favorite art) from the book (with the page number) for tomorrow's discussion.
Lesson Overview
First, as always, the Quiz. Next, please see my page on Class Discussions for more on the Row Reading variety. Because this is a GRAPHIC novel - I've added a choice for the students for their three things that they must prepare for our Row Reading Discussion.
They are to come up with three very specific "candidates" for discussion. These three things may be any of one the following five types (though they cannot repeat the type):
1) a comment about anything that happens on their pages.
2) A specific question about something else that happens on their pages
3) A link (very specific - in both cases) to something else that we've studied.
4) A direct quote that can lead to discussion (from their pages)
5. A particular Comic Panel that the student believes does a great job of expressing with its ART what is happening in the scene.
I usually give the students about 5 minutes to find their three things - because they have done the reading (see the quiz) and taken notes - and we've done this so many times - that is enough time.
It is worth repeating here that it is crucial to time these discussions. Let each students comment, question, or connection spark a discussion but you need to let each of these mini-discussions go on only long enough so that you will be able to get to every student in the class. As the teacher, there are also other things that you will want to say for each row (section of reading) - make sure you give yourself enough time - but as often happens - the students get to those points as well with their own remarks.
Here are just some of the ideas, quotes, and themes that will be covered in the Row Reading. See my Lesson Notes for much more:
How children are taught to lie
Why is Parisse's report so much better than Marji's?
Kids having their own rules (connecting to All Quiet)
How Marji's family is saved from the Culture Police
The change that Marji is undergoing - the rebelling
Marji saying goodbye to her childhood
As our next discussion is also our last on the novel - remind the students that they are to bring in one specific thing (takeaway, comment, quote, question, favorite art) from the book (with the page number) for tomorrow's discussion.
Row Reading Slide & one with notes
Row Reading Slides & Teacher Notes
see above for how to use this and more on the five choices.
These are the things that I would add (in the form of questioning) if the students didn't get to them. Luckily they do get to most of them. See the instructions above for how this works and why I've included the version with my notes. Remember what I call rows (in a classroom) most people would call columns.
This is for teachers to make their own notes on the section.
Remote Enhancements
This is from an earlier unit (All Quiet) but the idea is the same. This version of the slide show starts with a slide to help the students involved in Remote Learning find what Row they are in. A simple but very effective idea for implementing a Row Reading Discussion when in Remote Learning.
Links
Persepolis_rowreading_64to11720170120.m4aClass Recording of this Discussion
A little different than above - in this discussion we started at page 64. Each row is assigned a part of the reading, and each student must find 3 things (comments, questions, connections, etc.). We talk about Marji and the beginning of the war - as well as the shifting enemy and how her relationship with her parents is changing as she matures.
Persepolis 5 - A Graphic Vertext Final Discussion: Because Persepolis is a different kind (graphic) of novel - it allows the teacher to use a different kind of Vertext In this case, it is our final discussion of Persepolis - and by using both the texts and the images in the Vertext it gives us a final appreciation for the novel and for the medium. There is so much in this final discussion - Marji become Marjane and her parents must send her away for her own safety. She finally realizes how she feels about her family (and her country) - and the theme that runs through the book (and through this unit) of a "Persepolis" - an ancient world that existed - but now exists only in memory - truly comes to light as that world becomes her childhood. We also spend the last part of the class going through every student's take-away from the book.
Thoughts on the Lesson
It is exciting to have a graphic novel which allows students in the discussion to bring up an entirely new category: visual art and how that art conveys what is happening in the novel - along with the text.