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Study Guide

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T h e C lay M arbleby Minfong Ho

T H E G L E N C O E L I T E R A T U R E L I B R A R Y

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Minfong Ho was born in 1951 in

Ran goon, Burma. Her fath er, Rih-H wa, was

an econ omist and h er moth er, Lienfung, wasa chem ist an d a writer. Ho spent h er child-

hood in Singapore and T hailand an d became

fluent in th ree languages: C hin ese, Th ai, and

English.

H o atten ded Tungai U n iversity in Taiwan

before tran sferrin g to C ornell U niversity in

Ith aca, New York. In 1 973 she received a

degree in h istory an d econ omics from

Cornell. While there, she began a short story

called Sin g to th e Dawn. Ho didnt expectman y people to read t h e story. She wrote it

mostly because she missed Thailand.

Eventu ally, ho wever, sh e en tered it int o a

sh ort story con test. H o won an award and

was asked to t urn th e story into a n ovel,

which was published in 1975. H o used th e

money earned from the publication ofSing to

the Dawn to set u p scholarship fun ds for girls

in T hai land.

A fter graduatin g from C ornell, Ho

return ed to A sia and worked as a journ alist

in S ingapore, a teach er at a un iversity in

Thailand, a laborer at a plywood factory, and

a represent ative for a trade un ion. In 1 976

Ho married John Value Dennis Jr., a soil

scientist, and moved back to Ithaca, New

York. T h ere she earn ed a m asters degree in

creative writing from C ornell an d worked as

a t eachin g assistan t.

In 1980 H o saw images of C ambodian

war refugees on television. She took a leaveof absence from her teach ing job and went t o

work as a nutritionist and relief worker for

Catholic Relief Services on the Thai-

Cambodian border. This experience helped

her to write T he C lay M arble (1991).

H o con tin ues to write books for children

and young adults. She h as present ed work-

sh ops in middle scho ols and h igh schoo ls and

has won countless awards for her writing.

Meet Min fong H o

T here is so much, so much beauty and so much pain

in the world around me which I want to write

about because I want to share it.

M infong Ho

ike many writers, award-winning novelist

Minfong Ho writes about the people and

places she knows well and cares about. Ho

grew up in th ree different count ries in

South east A sia and becam e a writer because

she wanted readers, especially children, to

appreciate th e count ries of h er youth . As a

child, H o was disappoint ed with m any of the

picture books about A sian cultures. T h ey

were often writt en by auth ors who were not

from Asia and seldom told the stories of ordi-

n ary people. H o writes:C hildrens books . . . were [usually] about

princes and em perors and/or their elephan ts,

peacocks, and tigers. . . . T his was not the

A sia I kn ew.

H o wanted t o write h on estly about real peo-

ple who dealt with real-life situations. Since

h er decision t o become a writer, H o h as writ-

ten sh ort stories, picture books, and t h ree

prize-winning novels.

L


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H opefully, young readers in A merica w ill

understand better, through some of my stories,

the youth around m e in A sia.

M infong Ho

A s this quote shows, Min fon g Ho h as a pur-

pose in writing about life in Southeast Asia.

She wants to increase un dertanding between

cultures and provide realistic descriptions of

what life is like for people in d ifferent coun -

tries. Mu ch of her fiction features youn g

people as the protagonists, or main ch arac-

ters. Although these protagonists live in Asia,

they have qualities to which young people allover th e world can relate.

T he protagonists in T he C lay M arble are

two Cambodian girls: Dara, who is twelve, and

Jant u, who is th irteen. Both t he girls and t heir

families are caught in the middle of the war-

fare that is ravaging their country. Through

th e experienecs of these characters, th e auth or

shows readers what life is like for inn ocen t

people living in an area torn apart by war.

THE TIME AND PLACET he C lay M arble takes place in the early

1980s, mainly in an area on th e border

between Cambodia and Thailand. This was

the location of several crowded Cambodian

refugee camps. At this time, life for average

C ambodians had long been troubled by

violence and unstable political conditions.

In th e early 1970s, a man n amed Lon N ol

abolished th e mon archy of C ambodia, which

was h eaded by Prince Sihan ouk. Th e coun-trys new government, the Khmer Republic,

was supported by th e U n ited States.

Mean while, an opposing commun ist

group, called th e Kh mer R ouge, was grow-

ing in s t rength an d control led much of th e

countryside. During th e Vietn am W ar, th e

Khmer R ouge fough t with th e Vietcon g, or

Vietnamese communist troops, against the

United States. The United States repeat-

edly bombed C ambodia with man y tons of

explosives in places where Vietcong were

thought to have military bases.

In 1975 th e Khmer Rouge officially tookover the country and threw out the Khm er

Republic. The country was renamed Democratic

Kampuchea. Th is brutal new government , led

by Pol Pot, immediately began executing, or

puttin g to death , any one who disobeyed th e

new government. Military officers and govern-

ment officials from the old Khmer Republic

were killed. Som e educat ed people, religious

leaders, and other people seen as dangerous to

th e new governm ent were killed or sent to work

camps. Th ousands tried to escape to T hailand,

but on e to t hree million people were killed

under the Khmer Rouge.

Demo cratic Kampuchea, which was sup-

ported by t he Peoples Republic of C h ina,

began figh tin g Vietn am, which was supported

by th e Soviet U nion . In 1978 Vietn am

invaded Democratic Kampuchea and members

of th e Khmer Rou ge fled to th e Th ai border.

T he C lay M arble takes place during the

years imm ediately followin g th e inv asion ofthe Vietnamese. Cambodia was divided by

warrin g groups. O n e group was made u p of

the surviving members of the Khmer Rouge.

A not h er group was called the Khm er

Peoples National Liberation Front, a non-

communist group. The third group, also

non commun ist, was headed by th e former

prince of C ambodia and called T he N ational

United Front for an Independent, Neutral,

Peaceful, and C ooperative Cambodia. T hesegroups fought again st each oth er as well as

against t he Vietn amese governm ent .

During this transition period, Vietnam

h ad little con trol over th e lives of average

citizen s. Man y people fled C ambo dia, goin g

to refugee camps on t he T hai border. Some

were fearful that the Khmer Rouge would

regain power. Others wanted to gather sup-

plies so th at t h ey could rebuild th eir lives

in C ambodia .

In troducing the N ovel


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One of ten nations inSoutheast Asia, Cambodia is

located at the bottom of the

Indochinese Peninsula. This

peninsula is called Indochinese

because it is located between

the nations of India and China.

Other nat ions that are par t of

the Indochinese Peninsula are

Burma (today Myanmar), Laos,

Thailand, and Vietnam.

From the ninth to the

thirteenth centuries, Cambodia,

called Kambuja, was the center

of a powerful empire occupied

by the Khmer peo ple. During

this time, King Yasovarman I

located his court in what was

known as the Angkor region.

It was a center of Khm er gov-

ernment, study, and religious

activit ies. It was here t hat KingSuryavarman II, who reigned

from 11 31 to 115 0, buil t a

huge temple known as Angkor

Wat. Angkor Wat remains the largest religious

building in the world and is often considered

to be one of the architectural wonders of the

world. The Khmer Empire reached its greatest

power between 1181 and 1215 but then

began to decline in the thirteenth and four-

teenth centuries. Today 90 percent of

Cambodians trace their ancestry to the

Khmer people.

Did You Know?


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FOCUS ACTIVITY

W hat do th e wordsfriends an d family mean to you? W hen are friends and family especially import an t?JournalIn a journ al ent ry, give your own definit ion s of the words friends an d fam ily. T hen write about a

time wh en a friend or family mem ber was especially impo rtan t t o you.

Setting a PurposeRead t o un derstan d h ow th e narrat ors closen ess with h er family and a special friend h elps h er to

deal with a difficult experien ce.

BACKGROUND

Did You Know?

In this section, narrator Dara enjoys listening to the stories and folktales that her new friendJantu tells. Cambodian folktales do not usually tell about noble or mighty heroes. They are often

about peasan ts outsmartin g auth ority figures, anim als outsmart ing people, or small, clever anim als

such as mon keys an d rabbits out smart ing larger, more powerful an imals like crocodiles and ele-

ph an ts. Read Jan tus folktale in t h is section an d iden tify why it is a typical Cam bodian folktale.

BuddhismIn t h is section, Dara and her m oth er speak to th e Buddha in prayer. Th e Buddhist religion,

which started in India, spread to Cambodia about two thousand years ago. It is based on the

teachin gs of Gautama, who was a prince born in In dia more th an 2,500 years ago. He became

known as the Buddha, or Enlightened One. The Buddha taught that all people, through methods

of behavior and thinking, could overcome suffering and be enlightened, or gain great understand-ing of the spiritual world. Buddhism was popular in C ambodia in th e sixth and seventh centuries

and after 1200. W hen th e Khmer Rouge Com mun ists took over Cambodia in 1975, all forms of

religion were condem n ed. Mo n ks were killed or forced to work as farm laborers, an d wats, or

monastaries, were destroyed. In the early 1980s, with the Vietnam invasion, Cambodians were

free to practice religion again. Today 95 percent of the Cambodian population is Buddhist.

VOCABULARY PREVIEW

converge [kn vurj] v. to come together

curt ly [kurtle] adv. in a rudely abrupt man n er

demurely [di myoorle] adv. modestly; shyly

exhort [i zo rt] v. to advise; to warn

flourish [flurish] n. showy display or gesture

meager [mer] adj. skimpy; lacking substance

relent [ri lent] v. to relax; to becom e less harsh

shrapnel [shrapnl] n. fragment s from b omb s or oth er explosives

sinewy [sinu e] adj. muscular; stron g

spate [spat] n. sudden outpouring of words or emotions

Before You ReadThe Clay MarbleChapters 16


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In th is section, Dara and h er family make a tem porary hom e for th emselves at N ong C han , a

refugee camp. N on g Ch an becomes a safe h aven for th e family, despite th e war and feelin gs ofhomesickness. In the web organizer below, note details about people and activities at Nong Chan

th at lift Daras spirits and make h er feel hopeful.


A ctive Readin gThe Clay MarbleChapters 16

Nong Chan

Jantu s stories


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Personal Response

W h at images from D aras first days at N on g Ch an stay in your min d? W rite yourth oughts below; th en share them with a partner.

Analyzing Lit eratureRecall and Interpret

1 . W h y do Dara and h er family leave th eir village in C ambodia? Explain why N on g

C han is such a welcome sight to t hem .

2 . Describe Jantus family. Why does Dara find Jantu fascinating?

3 . A ccordin g to Jantu , why are sh e an d Dara n o lon ger part of real families?

W h at do Jan tus clay dolls reveal about t h e girls att itude t oward family and t h eir

h ope for th e future?


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Analyzing Lit erature (continued)Evaluate and Connect

4 . Food and t h e feeling of comm un ity at Non g C h an lift Daras spirits but can n oterase h er stron g feelings of sadn ess. W h y is sh e sad, an d h ow does th e auth or show

this sadness?

5 . A fter reading this section, h ow do you feel about th e fighting in C ambodia?

Explain your feelings.

Lit erat ure and Writ ingAnalyzing RelationshipsRefer to t he definitions offriends an d fam ily you wrote in t h e Focus Activit y on page

12. Then write about a friendship or a relationship between family members in this sec-

tion that illustrates one of your definitions. Explain how the author uses details to help

readers understand this relationship.

Extending Your ResponseLiterat ure GroupsTo explain t h e war, Jan tu t ells Dara a story about a family of deaf men an d a crocodile.

In your group, talk about what th e story mean s. W h at does Jan tus telling of th e story

reveal about her character and her ability to understand situations? Look for other

places where Jantu gives Dara advice or helps her to understand something. Do you

think Jantus experiences have played a role in shaping her character and outlook on

life? Explain .

Art ConnectionIn Chapters 1 through 6, Dara tells readers that Jantus stories are often more thanfunthey also express ideas and explain things. Work with a partner to create a pic-

ture book that explains or gives a simple lesson about an idea in this section of the

n ovel. Your picture boo k should use characters and illustrat ions th at are appealing to

young ch ildren. To begin, th ink ab out folktales an d lesson tales you read when you

were a youn g child. You m igh t also look for books at t h e library th at are good exam ples

of these types of stories. T h en ch oose your th eme an d brain storm ideas for your picture

book. C reate your book u sin g materials of your ch oice.



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FOCUS ACTIVITY

W h at personal qu alities are n ecessary to ach ieve a goal despite great h ardsh ips?Share IdeasWith a partner, talk about the qualities that help people overcome hardships. Give examples. You

might mention the experiences of famous people or people you know, or the experiences of char-

acters in books or movies. Make a list of the qualities you think are most important.

Setting a PurposeIn th is section, n otice how Dara overcomes hardships on a difficult journey toward an importan t goal.

BACKGROUND

Did You Know?

In the next two sections, Dara and Jantu become familiar with medical workers wearing whitearmban ds that bear a red cross. In t imes of war, workers with t h e Int ernat ional R ed C ross step in

to care for the wounded, sick, and homeless. The idea for an organization like the Red Cross

came from a Swiss man by the name of Henri Dunant. After witnessing the suffering of thou-

san ds of woun ded soldiers in n orth ern It aly, he an d four oth ers called a conference in 1863 at

which th e Int ernational C omm ittee of the Red C ross was established. T his politically neutral

comm ittee p rotect s all victims of war, not just soldiers. In 19 19, th e League of Red C ross

Societies was foun ded t o coordin ate h ealth an d relief services for refugees and, m ore recen tly,

n atural disaster victim s. Today almost all nation s h ave a n ation al Red C ross Society.

Characterization

T here are man y ways in which to learn about t he different characters in a book. You can not icehow th ey treat oth ers and h ow others feel about t hem ; you can pay close atten tion to what th ey

are th inkin g, feeling, and saying; and you can pay atten tion to a writers direct descriptions of

th em. For example, in t h e first section of the n ovel Dara observes Jan tu feeding her brot h er, say-

ing she was spoon-feeding him the best parts of the stew, even though I knew she must be hun-

gry, too. T h is small observation indicat es a great deal abo ut Jan tus gen erous nat ure. C h apters 7

th rough 12 of th e n ovel are important to your un derstan ding of Dara as a ch aracter. A s you read,

use some of the above techniques to draw conclusions about her.

VOCABULARY PREVIEW

belligerently [b lijr nt le] adv. in a fight ing, hostile man nerflux [fluks] n. state of change

insolent [ins lnt] adj. rude

mobilize [mob liz] v. to prepare for action

sovereignty [sovrn te] n. supreme power

subdued [sb doo d] adj. restrained

tarpaulin [ ta r polin] n. piece of durable material used for protectin g exposed item s

wheedling [hwedlin] adj. pleading; coaxing; persuadin g

winnow [wino] v. to sort; to separate out the useful part of something

Before You ReadThe Clay MarbleChapters 712


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In this section, Dara is forced into a frightening situation that tests her strength. To better

un derstan d wh at D ara goes th rough in th is section , describe briefly, in t h e boxes below, eachof the en coun ters sh e has. Use as man y boxes as you need.


A ctive Readin gThe Clay MarbleChapters 712

Dara and he r fami ly are forcedto leave Nong Chan.

Dara and her moth er em bracein reuni on.


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Personal Response

H ow did you feel about th e narrat or while reading th is section ? H ow did you feelabout C hn ay?

Review your response to the Focus Activit y on page 16. Does Dara reveal any of the

qualities listed by you and your partn er? G ive examp les.


1 . Explain how Dara and Jantu become separated from their families. How do the

girls react to t h eir situat ion?

2 . W hat important information does C hn ay share with Dara when th ey are at t he

stone b eam? W h y do you th ink D ara feels sorry for C h n ay for th e first t ime?

3 . W h y does Dara ask for a job in t h e G enerals kitch en? Wh at ch aracter traits doesshe show in h er conversation with t he G eneral?





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4 . Do you believe Jantus clay marble is really magical and is the reason why Darasurvives her ordeal an d fin ds her family? W h y or why not ?

5 . In your opin ion , does Dara grow or ch an ge at all in t h is section ? Explain.

Lit erat ure and Writ ingUnderstanding DetailsDara walks back to N ong C han , hoping to find her family. W hen she gets there, the

camp is deserted. She also finds the toy village, carefully crafted by Jantu, destroyed.

Why does Dara try to piece the dolls together? Why does seeing the broken dolls

make h er cry? W rite a short paragraph about h ow th ese det ails relate to Daras scary,

lonely situation.

Extending Your ResponseLiterat ure GroupsA t t h e military base camp, Dara is horrified to learn th at rice seed is being eaten

instead of saved for plan tin g. Sh e th ink s, N o . . . n ot t h e rice seed, too. T h ats

mean t for us, for th e women an d ch ildren, . . . for our n ew lives. In your group, dis-

cuss why the author includes this scene. Why do you think Dara finds the idea of sol-

diers eatin g th e rice seed upsettin g? W h at does th e seed represen t t o h er? Do you

th ink t he auth or h as more respect for th e work of th e soldier or th e work of th e rice

farmer? Explain your response.

PerformingWorking with a partner, do a dramatic reading of a scene from one of the chapters in

th is section . Co n sider th e followin g scen es:

Dara and Jant u at th e hospital, when th ey decide to separate and Jantu gives Dara

the clay marble Dara and C hn ays conversation at th e deserted N ong Ch an

Dara and C hn ay being scolded by th e cook and G eneral Kung Silor for stealing

chicken

Dara questionin g Ch nay about h is search for her parent s and offering h im food for

his help

A ssign different roles to your partn er an d yourself. In your readin g, try to capt ure th e

emotion of the scene and th e true personality of each ch aracter.



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FOCUS ACTIVITY

What personal qualities does it take to stand up for what you want or believe?QuickwriteW rite about a time wh en you did or did not stan d up for what you wanted or believed. Explain

th e reason s for your action s.

Setting a PurposeIn this section, Dara must try to find the courage to stand up for what she knows is best. Read to

find out how she h andles her situation.

BACKGROUND

Did You Know?

W h en Dara first arrives in N on g Ch an , sh e is comforted by a large plate of fragran t rice.Throughout the familys stay in refugee camps, they talk about one day returning home to Siem

Reap with th eir rice seed to plant a n ew crop. Rice is a grain grown in fields of water called rice

paddies. It h as played an imp ortan t part in C ambo dian life th roughout th e count rys h istory and

h as long been on e of C ambo dias greatest resources. Most C ambo dians eat rice two or th ree times

a day. Tradition al C ambo dian law con sidered it a crime to dam age a rice plant . In t h e final sec-

tion , Dara lon gs to ret urn to h er rice fields, where h er family can again be self-sufficient an d

where there is growth instead of destruction.

ThemeT h e main ideas expressed in a literary work are called its themes. To find a th eme, readers can

look for images and ideas that seem to repeat themselves throughout the novel. The authors rep-etition of these elements emphasizes a particular point or idea. Read the last section of this novel

carefully to learn more abo ut its th emes.

VOCABULARY PREVIEW

counter [kountr] v. to argue

emigrate [em rat] v. to leave one area for anot h er

maimed [mamd] adj. seriously wounded

ominous [om ns] adj. th reaten ing; suggestin g evil

retreat [ ri tret] v. to withdraw

reverie [ revr e ] n. a dreamy state

sentries [sentrez] n. guards

stagnant [stannt] adj. motionless; still

stif le [stfl] v. to smoth er; to h old back

strenuous [strenu s ] adj. requiring a great deal of stren gth an d en ergy

Before You ReadThe Clay MarbleChapters 13 18


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C hapt ers 13 th rough 18 con tain details an d images of life in an area taken over by war. T hey

also con tain images related to goin g hom e to a peaceful farm. T h ese images h elp readers toun derstand Daras wish to leave t h e military camp. In th e diagram b elow, list det ails th at relate

to each setting.

A ctive Readin gThe Clay MarbleChapters 13 18



Images

ofWar

Images

ofPeace

sowing rice inrainy season

guards holdi ngguns


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Personal Response

W hat th oughts went th rough your mind while reading the last section of the n ovel?Record your ideas below.

T h ink about your response to th e Focus Act ivity. Do you th ink you would h ave been

able to stan d up to t he G eneral or to Sarun if you were Dara? W h y or why not?


1 . In what ways has Sarun ch anged in t his section? H ow do Dara and N ea feel

about t h ese chan ges?

2 . Describe th e con ditions at th e h ospital where Dara finds Jant u an d Baby. W hy

does Dara feel guilty after she leaves the h ospital?

3 . What does Dara say when she confronts Sarun? Why, do you think, is she able tostand up to him?

RespondingThe Clay MarbleChapters 13 18




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4 . W hat does Jant u mean when she t ells Dara th at she must make h er own magicmarble?

5 . W hy is Jant u so important to Dara? In your opinion, what is the m ost importan t

lesson Dara learn s from Jan tu?

Literature and WritingLett er to SarunIn t he final section of the n ovel, Dara has trouble convincing Sarun th at th e

family should return h ome. Imagine t hat she decides to put h er th oughts on paper.

C ompose a letter th at Dara might write to Sarun t o reassure him t hat leaving behin d

the military and returning to a life of farming and family is the right choice. Give

solid reasons why she b elieves th e figh tin g is sen seless and wrong. A lso support h er

opin ions with exam ples from h er life.

Extending Your ResponseLiterat ure GroupsT his novel h as man y contrasting images. In t he A fterword of the n ovel, Dara

remem bers terrible images of war. T h ese include t h e lost girl holdin g a broken doll,

suffering an d h opelessn ess at t h e h ospital, guards with guns, and Jan tus violent

death. She also remembers happy images of stories and clay dolls, Jantus high spirits,

the food truck, and traveling home with oxcarts full of rice seed. Work with your

group to plan an d create a mural on paper that shows some of th e most mean ingful

images in the novel. Try to have your mural express the meaning of the novel as a

whole. Display your murals in t h e classroom .

Music Connection

In the final section, Jantu repeats a lullaby that she sang in the first section. Thisshort son g is peaceful an d h opeful. T h e lullaby is just on e of th e h appy images of

Jant u th at Dara carries with her int o adulthoo d. Write a sh ort son g that D ara might

write in h onor of Jant u to sing to h er own child. Th e song should show how Dara

feels about Jantu. It can also pass on what Jantu taught Dara about making her own

magic marble.




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Personal Response

C hoose a character or event from th e novel you feel taught you someth ing new.W hat did you learn?

Writing About the NovelAs a character, Dara grows and changes throughout the course ofT he C lay M arble.

O n a separate sh eet of paper, describe some of Daras feelings an d action s at th e

beginn ing of th e n ovel. T hen describe h er feelings and actions at th e end of the

n ovel. Explain t h e ways in wh ich she is different from t h e person she was when sh e

first arrived at N ong C han . Th en write about specific people and incidents th at

helped h er to ch ange and grow.

RespondingThe Clay Marble





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Before You Read

Focus Question

H ow does learning th e h istory of a place help you understand t he people who live th ere?

BackgroundFor most of th e first h alf of the twen tieth century, France con trolled C ambodia. W hen C ambodia

gained its indepen dence in 1953, N orodom Sihan ouk became th e ruler. Sihanouk was a Khmer

who h ad been th e king of C ambodia since 1941, but h e did not have an y real power until 1953.

Miriam G reenblatt writes about th e chan ges to C ambodias governmen t since 1953ch anges

th at affected th e lives of many C ambo dian families like Daras family in T he C lay M arble.

G reenblatt is a writer and editor who h as visited man y Asian count ries, including Cam bodia,

C hin a, India, Indon esia, Japan, Papua New G uinea, Th ailand, and Vietnam .

Responding to the Reading1 . Name three ways Sihanouk tried to make life better for Khmers.

2 . Iden tify two groups of Cam bodian s wh o were not satisfied with Sihan ouks rule in 1970 . W h y

were th ese groups unh appy?

3. Making Connections Iden tify at least one qu ote from T he C lay M arble th at can h elp you

identify the period in C ambodian h istory during which th e novel is set. Th en t ell what

period that is.

History ConnectionC reate a graphic organizer to h elp you un derstan d th e history of the governmen t of C ambodia.

Draw four boxes. Write on e of th e followin g terms in each b ox: Sihanouk, Khmer Republic,

C omm unist Party of Kampuchea, Peoples Republic of K ampuchea. Fin d n ewspaper art icles, en cyclo-

pedia entries, or In ternet sources th at give information on each of these subjects. Report any

find ings of on going problems in th is region .

Name Date Class

from Cambodia Miriam Greenblatt



19/22

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Before You Read

Focus QuestionWhat do you consider to be the most important aspects of your life? How might your answer to

th is question be different if you lived in anot her coun try or durin g anoth er time period?

BackgroundC hildren of the Riveris the story of a Khmer family that flees from Cambodia when the Khmer

Rouge take control of Phnom Penh. This family leaves home about five years before the families

in T he C lay M arble. U n like Daras family, th e family in t h is reading does not return h ome, but

eventually comes to th e Un ited States. C hildren of the Riverwas in spired by Linda C rews frien d-

ship with C ambodian refugees who work on her O regon farm.

Responding to the Reading1 . W h en do Sun dara and h er family leave C ambodia? H ow do you know? W hy might th ey have

left so much earlier th an th e families in T he C lay M arble?

2 . W h at is Sun daras reaction to h er classmat es ch oice of topics th at con cerned t h em m ost

deeply? W h at do you thin k th eir chosen topics say about th em or th eir lives?

3 . How is Monis reason for leaving Cambodia similar to Sundaras? How is it different?

4. Making Connections Dara is filled with excitement and hope for her new beginning in

C ambodia. Do you th ink Sun dara was excited to come to th e U nited Stat es? Do you thin k

she is hopeful for her future? Explain your answers.

Learning for LifeImagine th at Sun dara is movin g to your comm unity and will be attendin g your h igh school. W ith

a partner, think of ways that you and your friends can make her feel welcome. Remember that

she and her family have left everything th ey knew and loved in C ambodia. You m ay want to plan

a tour of your com mun ity to show h er where places like th e grocery store, th e post office, and th e

bank are located. Or you may wan t t o research an d prepare a typical C ambodian meal for h er

an d h er family. Write t h e details of your plan on a separate sheet of paper, th en comp are your

ideas with oth ers in t h e class.

Name Date Class

from C hildren of th e RiverLinda Crew



20/22

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Name Date Class


Before You Read

Focus QuestionIf you could have any pet in the world, what would it be?

BackgroundThe monkey guarding Kung Silors kitchen may be a pet, but guarding the kitchen is its job. This

monkey, like many monkeys in Asia, is a working pet. This kitchen guard communicates with

Dara and C hn ay in hum an-like ways. In t his excerpt from A n n Elwoods O ld W orld M onkeys you

will learn more about the monkeys in T he C lay M arble.

Responding to the Reading1 . H ow are Old W orld mon keys different from N ew World mon keys?

2 . W h at features do you find in teresting about m on keys? W ould you like one as a pet? W h y or

why not?

3. Making Connections U sing th e information in th is reading, explain why you thin k Dara so

easily befriended th e mo n key in Kun g Silors kitch en .

Creative WritingU sing what you learned about O ld World m onkeys in th is reading, on a separate sheet of paper

write a short story with a monkey as the main character.

from Old World MonkeysAnn Elwood


21/22


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Companies,Inc.

Name Date Class

Before You Read

Focus QuestionT h ink o f a toy th at was very special to you when you were a ch ild. W h y was it special?

BackgroundJantus clay marbles seem magical to Dara. The clay village is so special that Dara doesnt want to

leave it beh ind. In th is reading, th e auth ors give direction s for makin g your own clay toys.

Responding to the Reading1 . U sing what you learned in th e reading, explain how t o att ach pieces of clay so th ey do not

fall apart. Do you th ink th at t h is process makes th e toys unbreakable? Explain your an swer.

2 . W h at do you th ink is special about toys th at you make yourself or th at someone you know

makes for you?

3. Making Connections In T he Clay M arble, Jan tu crea tes a whole village out of clay. W h y do

you suppose sh e spen ds so m uch time m aking toys? W h y do you th ink she and Dara fin d so

much pleasure in playin g with th e clay village despite th e chaos th at is goin g on aroun d th em?

Developing a PlanMake a rough sketch for something that you would like to fashion out of clay. Pretend that

anyth ing you fashion out of clay will become real. W hat would you make? W hy?

from Toys Made of ClayHannelore Schl and Ulla Abdalla


22/22

Copyright

byT

he

McGraw-H

illCompanies,

Inc.

Name Date Class

Before You Read

Focus QuestionW h at ad vice would you offer someon e who was suffering from depression because of h is or h er

past experience?

BackgroundW hile working in th e refugee camps on t he T hai-Cambodian border, Minfong Ho did n ot kn ow that

she would later use her experience as the basis for a n ovel. In fact, it took h er man y years to begin t o

write about Cambodia. In this essay, she explains how she finally came to write T he C lay M arble.

Responding to the Reading1 . W hat th ree languages does Min fong H o speak? H ow might sh e have come t o learn each on e?

2. Describe two ways in which Ho can personally relate to the situation of the Cambodian refugees.

3. Making Connections H ow does th e final statem ent in t h is essayeven th e stron gest an d

toughest th ings can do with a bit of help, now an d th enapply both to H os experience

and to T he Clay M arble?

Literat ure GroupsIn your groups, work togeth er to ident ify similarities an d differences bet ween H os description s

of the refugee camps in th e essay an d in th e n ovel. T hen discuss why she might h ave chosen to

include the descriptions that she did in each piece of writing.

The Shaping ofT he Clay M arbleMinfong Ho

clay marble

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