This is a suggested teaching schedule for a 10 day class study of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. Lesson plans and handouts can be downloaded individually by clicking on the name of the file in the schedule below. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these files.
The CD Audio Guide referenced for this title is referred to as the Radio Show in the left hand navigation. The compact disc versions are available only for the communities participating in The Big Read. If your community is participating, contact the lead community organization to receive a free Audio Guide. If your community is not participating, encourage a local organization (such as a library, museum, literary center, arts council, or similar non-profit organization) to apply.
Day One
FOCUS: Biography
Day One Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Listen to The Big Read CD, Track One. Read Reader's Guide essays, "Introduction," "Amy Tan," and "World War II and Sanfrancisco's Chinatown," Handout One [PDF], and Handout Two [PDF]. Write a short story.
Homework: Read first two chapters (pp. 17-48).
Day Two
FOCUS: Culture and History
Day Two Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Create a virtual tour of San Francisco. Analyze "Swan Story."
Homework: Read "Amy Tan's Style and Her Other Works" in the Reader's Guide. Finish section "Feathers from a Thousand Li Away" (pp. 49-83).
Day Three
FOCUS: Narrative and Point of View
Day Three Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Explain Tan's use of interlocking narration. Describe and evaluate one character's perspective.
Homework: Read next two chapters (pp. 87-115).
Day Four
FOCUS: Characters
Day Four Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Explain protagonist and antagonist. Introduce foil. Write a story that captures a family member.
Homework: Finish section "The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates" (pp. 116-144).
Day Five
FOCUS: Figurative Language
Day Five Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Document figurative language in assigned chapters. Create metaphors and similies.
Homework: Read next two chapters (pp. 147-184).
Day Six
FOCUS: Symbols
Day Six Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Analyze the symbols of book, section, and chapter titles. Explore Chinese concept of "ghost."
Homework: Finish section "American Translation" (pp. 185-209).
Day Seven
FOCUS: Character Development
Day Seven Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Role-play mothers and daughters. Explore cultural values through profession and marriage.
Homework: Read next two chapters (pp. 213-252).
Day Eight
FOCUS: The Plot Unfolds
Day Eight Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Chart a time line of the novel. Explore plot through Tan's choice of self-contained stories.
Homework: Finish the novel.
Day Nine
FOCUS: Themes of the Novel
Day Nine Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Develop an interpretation based on a theme: fate, memory, or transformation.
Homework: Write outlines and begin essays.
Day Ten
FOCUS: What Makes a Great Book?
Day Ten Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Explore the qualities of a great novel and the voice of a generation. Examine qualities that make Tan’s
novel successful. Have students review each other's paper outlines or drafts.
Homework: Essay due next class period.
HANDOUTS
Handout One: From China to Gold Mountain [PDF]
Handout Two: A Chinese Glossary [PDF]
Handout Three: Ghosts [PDF]
