Teachers’ Guide

for

Weeping Under This Same Moon

by Jana Laiz

PART ONE QUESTIONS

1. Whatisarefugee?Defineanddescribe.Whataresomeofthereasonspeoplefleetheirhomes?

2. WhoisMeiandwhydoesshehavetoleaveherhome?

3. Whodoyouthinkthe“maninwhite”is?

4. Whowillgowithheronherjourney?

5. Whathappenedtoherfriend?

6. WhatdoessheburyundertheWisteriaandwhy?

7. WhathappenedtoMei’saunt?

8. Couldyouimaginesendingbeingsentawayfromyourfamilytoescapewar?Writeaboutit.

9. Ifyouhadtoleaveyourhomeinonedayandyoucouldonlytakeonesuitcase,whatwouldyoutake?Thinkcarefully.YoucanONLYtakewhatcanfitinyourcase.

10. Haveyoueverlostapreciousitem?Howdidthatfeel?

11. Describetheboatjourney.Haveyoueverbeenonaboat?Ifso,didyougetseasick?

12. Describewhatyouseewhenyouvisualizeyourhome.Whoisthere?Whatdoesitsmelllike?Soundlike?Looklike.Takeyourreadersonatourofyourhouse/room/yard…

13. HowcanyoutellMeiisanartist?Whatwouldsheliketodoifthecircumstancesweredifferent?

14.WhydoesittakeMeithreedaysbeforeshedaresreadhermother’sletter?Doyouthinkthisisarealisticletterfromamothertoadaughtersheissendingaway?

15. Thefoodontheboatisbad.Howdoyou,thereaderknowthatthefoodisspoiled?Wouldyoueatthatrice?

16. Howmusttheyusethe“toilet”ontheboat?

17. WhydoesLinhwhimperwhentheyarriveattherefugeecamp?

18. Describethelivingconditionsatthecamp.WheremustMeigettheirfood?Doesshefeelsafe?Wouldyou?

19. Shrieksareheardfromthebeach.MeiandTuanfeeltheneedtogotoseewhathashappened.Describethescene.

20.Whywon’tMeigotoEnglishclasswithLinhandTuan?

21. HowdoMei,TuanandLinhexpresstheirkindnesstothenewestarrivaltothecamp?

22.HowdoesMeifeelwhentheirpapershavebeenapproved?

23.WhowillmeetthemwhentheygettoNewYork?Wouldyoubeafraid?Howwouldyoufeel?

24.WhatistheUNHCR?WhatistheIRC?Whyaretheseorganizationssoimportant,especiallytoday?Googlethem.Describetheworktheydo?

PART ONE VOCABULARY: Use these words in a sentence or paragraph

Inseparable

Accuracy

Bravado

Brutal

Sacrifice

Loot

Pungent

Ironic

Fate

Meager

Rations

Embark

Anticipate

Deliberately

Wretched

Conscientious

Endure

Gesture

Relieve

Despicable

Foul

Despair

Engulf

Process

Abundance

Suspicion

Premonition

Crude

Discourage

Massacre

Mayhem

Modesty

PART TWO QUESTIONS

1. WhatisyourveryfirstimpressionofHannah?

2. Whydoesshehavenofriends?Doyouthinkitisherownfault?

3. WhatdidherfriendAmydotoher?

4. Whatdoeshermathteacherdotohumiliateher?

5. Isshejustifiedinheranger?

6. Whatdoyouknowaboutthe60sintheUS?WhydoyouthinkHannahwishesitwasthe60sinsteadofthe70s?

8. IsAnorexiaNervosacommon?Whydoyouthinkitissoprevalent?

9. WhydoesHannahwanttogotoarally?Whatdoesshewanttoprotestagainst?Doeshermotherlethergo?

10. WheredoesHannahliketoshop?Why?Doyouwearclothingthathasbelongedtootherpeople?Whyorwhynot?

11. Whatisreincarnation?Doyoubelieveinit?DoesHannah?Explain.

12. HannahconsidersherselfacrusaderfortheEarth.Shechasescarsandyellsatpeoplewhopollute.Whatdoyouthinkofthisbehavior?

7. DoesHannahreallymindseeingatherapist?Explain.

14. WhenHannahhearsabout“TheProject”shegetsveryupsetatherguidancecounselor.Isheranger/emotionaloutburstjustified?

15. Hannahhasalotoffears.AreherfearsaslegitimateasMei’s?Whyorwhynot?Doyouhavefears?Describeone.Writeastoryaboutit.

16. Hannahhatesbabysitting.Herparentssendhertohergrandparents.Whatdoeshergrandfathersaytoherthatmakeshersoangry?Isherangerjustified?

17. Hannahseesanewsreportthatchangesherlife.Whatdoesshesee?Howdoyouthinkitwillchangeher?Inwhatway?

13. Describethe“BlueBathrobeIncident.”WhatdoesittellyouaboutHannah’smother?WhatdoesHannahlearnfromthis?

PART TWO VOCABULARY: Use these words in a sentence or paragraph

Baneofexistence

Legaltender

Overwhelming

Conformist

Superficial

Cringe

Humiliation

Therapist

Psychosomatic

Shrink

Plight

Anemic

Anorexianervosa

Plagiarism

Anti-Semitic

Non-conformist

Goody-two-shoes

Despise

Drivel

Haze

Defiantly

Alternative

Mainstream

Derelicts

Karma

Tantrum

Secession

Impulsivity

Loathe

Despicable

PART THREE QUESTIONS

1. WhoisthereistogreetMei,TuanandLinhattheairport?Wheredotheybringthem?Describetheirnewhome.

2. Hannahhasanepiphany.Whatisit?Whatdoesshedo?Whodoesshecall?

3. DescribeMarion.Wheredoesshework?WhatmakesherdecidetogiveHannahaposition?

4. DescribeMei’sfirstnightintheBronx.Wouldyoubeafraid?

5. WhathappensatthatfirstencounterbetweenHannahandMei?Whatchangesforbothgirls?

6. WriteaboutthevisittoChinatownindetail.WhatdoesHannahdiscoveraboutMeiduringthisexperience?Whatdoessheeventuallydowiththisinformation?

7. Haveyoueverhelpedanyoneinanyway?Ifso,howdiditfeel?

8. InwhatwayswereBOTHyoungwomenimpactedbythisfriendship?

Body Biography Art and Writing Project

Youwillbedrawinga“bodybiography”ofeitherMeiorHannahandwritingashortnarrativeanalysisbasedonthatdrawing.Thepurposeofabodybiographyistodelveintothepersonalitytraits,motivations,andinfluencesuponandbythatcharacter,andtodepictthosethingsinvisualandsometimessymbolicform.

Forthedrawing,thinkaboutthebestwaytorepresentthefollowingaspectsofyourcharacter:

a. Theheart:Whereshoulditbeplacedtobestrepresentwhatthischaractermostloves?Whatshoulditlooklike?Whatshape,color,pictures,orsymbolsshouldbeincludedinit?

b. Thebackbone:Thisshouldvisuallyconveywhatmakesthecharacter“standup”andwhatthingsenervatetheactionsinherlife.Whatmakesthischaracterstrong?Whatdrivesher?

c. Thehands:Whatdoesthischaracterholdinherhands?Itemsthatcouldrepresentthecharacterliterallyorsymbolicallyshouldbeincluded?

d. Thefeet:Onwhatisthischaracterstanding?Thisshouldrepresentthecharacter’sfundamentalvaluesandbeliefsaboutlife.

e. Thehead:Whatopinionsandideasaretheoverridingconcernsofthischaracter?Whenthinkingsymbolicallyandanalytically,remembertoconsiderwhetherthischaracter’sbrainoremotionsareherstrongestmotivatingforce.

f. Theclothingandotherdetailsofappearance:Considerwhatthischaracterwouldbewearingandifthereareotherphysicaldetailsthatwouldcommunicateimportantaspectsofherpersonalityandfunctionsinthestory.

g. Thebackground:Drawsomeelementsthatsuggestthecharacter’senvironment,background,orpredicament.Youcanusearrowsorotherindicatorstoshowwhetherthesethingsareinfluencesonthecharacter,oriftheyindicatethecharacter’seffectonothers.

h. Quotations:Placeaminimumofeightshortquotationsfromthenovelinappropriateplacesonoraroundthecharacter.Besuretheysubstantivelyaddtoanunderstandingofthecharacter.Ifyourdrawingshowsachange,besuretocoverthatrangeinyourquotes.

i. ***Don’tbelimitedbythesuggestionsabove–Besureyouhaveusedyourcreativitytodepicttheimportantaspectsofthecharacter(hervirtues,vices,associationsyoumakeoutsidethenovel,etc.)assheappearstoyou.

Forthenarrative,usingcorrectgrammar,mechanics,andspelling,analyzeyourcharacterasyoudepictedherinthedrawing.Refertodifferentelementsofthedrawing,explainingwhyyouincludedthem.Concludebysumminguphowtheauthorusesthischaractertofurtherthethemeinthenovel.

Generate Questions for the Author

Herearesomeexamples:

Whatinspiredyoutowritethebook?

Howlongdidittakeyoutowrite?

Whatisyourpoliticalpointofview?

Howdidyoumakesurethebookisaccurate?

Howdidyoucomeupwiththetitle?

Howdidyoufigureouthowtowriteusingtwodifferentanddistinctvoices?

Whatdidyouenjoymostaboutwritingthisbook?

Writetotheauthor.Shewelcomesyourletters,questionsandcomments.

jana@janalaiz.com

© Copyright2020

JanaLaiz

Usedbypermission