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Module I: Identity
ELA 7

Name: ______________

Period: ____
Do Now:
 Describe a time when you were embarrassed by or ashamed of your family. Do you have a
strange/unique family tradition? Does your family have a strange quirkiness? Is there any custom
your family has that you wouldn’t want other people to know about? EXPLAIN your answer in
complete sentences:

Read and annotate the following excerpt called “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan. Answer the
questions that follow on the lines provided. Annotations will be graded on QUALITY!

  Annotation Review:
 write in the margins (lit terms, questions, connections, reactions)
 circle words you don’t know
 underline, star, or highlight important lines/phrases
 summarize each page in a phrase/sentence at the bottom of the page
I fell in love with the minister's son the winter I turned fourteen.  He was not Chinese, but as

white as Mary in the manger.  For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim

new American nose.

            When I found out that my parents had invited the minister's family over for Christmas Eve

dinner, I cried.  What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas?  What would he think of

our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners?  What terrible disappointment

would he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?

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            On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu.  She

was pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns.  The kitchen was littered with appalling

mounds of raw food:  A slimy rock cod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of

hot oil.  Tofu, which looked like stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges.  A bowl soaking dried

fungus back to life.  A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings so they resembled

bicycle tires.

            And then they arrived – the minister's family and all my relatives in a clamor of doorbells and

rumpled Christmas packages.  Robert grunted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence.

            Dinner threw me deeper into despair.  My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and

reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food.  Robert and his family

waited patiently for platters to be passed to them.  My relatives murmured with pleasure when my

mother brought out the whole steamed fish.  Robert grimaced.  Then my father poked his chopsticks

just below the fish eye and plucked out the soft meat.  "Amy, your favorite," he said, offering me the

tender fish cheek.  I wanted to disappear.

            At the end of the meal my father leaned back and belched loudly, thanking my mother for her

fine cooking.  "It's a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied," explained my father to our

astonished guests.  Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddened face.  The minister managed

to muster up a quiet burp.  I was stunned into silence for the rest of the night.

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            After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, "You want to be the same as American girls

on the outside."  She handed me an early gift.  It was a miniskirt in beige tweed.  "But inside you must

always be Chinese.  You must be proud you are different.  Your only shame is to have shame."

            And even though I didn't agree with her then, I knew that she understood how much I had

suffered during the evening's dinner.  It wasn't until many years later – long after I had gotten over my

crush on Robert – that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the true purpose behind our

particular menu.  For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen all my favorite foods.

______1. What occurred during Christmas Eve dinner that caused Amy’s despair?
A. The minister belched.
B. Robert’s family misbehaved.
C. Amy’s family observed Chinese customs.
D. Amy’s mother did not cook enough food.

______2. What does the “beige tweed miniskirt” that Amy Tan’s mother gave her for Christmas
symbolize in the passage?
A. American culture B. Chinese culture
C. Amy’s modesty D. Amy’s frustration

______3. What did Tan’s mother mean when she said to Amy, “Your only shame is to have shame”?
A. Her mother is attempting to point out that Amy should not be embarrassed about her
culture.
B. Amy’s actions at dinner were embarrassing to her mother.
C. Amy embarrassed the entire family by taking the fish cheeks.
D. Amy’s mother felt Amy should not attempt to be American in any way.

______4. What is Amy Tan’s purpose in writing this memory?

A. Tan likes telling childhood stories.
B. As a mature adult, Tan realizes the significance behind her experiences.
C. Tan wishes to remember all of the boys she liked as a teenager.
D. Tan wishes to remember traditional Chinese customs.

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______5. Most descriptions of food in “Fish Cheeks” produce mental images that are:
A. ordinary
B. delightful
C. unusual
D. confusing

Do Now: “Quotable Quote”

Find one line from the story that stands out to you & copy it (with paragraph #) below:
Maybe it is the most important in your opinion… Maybe it is poetic and “speaks to you”…
Be sure to EXPLAIN why you chose that quote!!

What does each story say about identity?

(Think “theme”-universal statements)
Write at least one common idea in the center.

“Mask” Film “Seventh Grade”

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 “Fish Cheeks”
MAJOR ASSIGNMENT:
Write a well-developed 5- paragraph essay in which you
make a claim
about identity. Support your claim with evidence from:
“Mask” film, “Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto, & “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan.

:::OUTLINE:::
Introduction:
 State your claim: DO NOT use 1st person (“I think/believe”/ “In my opinion…”)
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________

 Explain your claim (without referencing details from any stories):

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
___________________
________________________________________________________________
 Introduce the stories as support for your claim (use author’s full name when possible):
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
___________________
Body Paragraph 1: “Mask” film
Cl: Introduce that this story supports your claim about identity:
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
E: Evidence of identity claim (CITE p#):
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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 ____________________________________________________________________________
________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
Explain how this evidence supports your identity claim:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________

E: Evidence #2 of identity claim (CITE p#):

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
Explain how this evidence supports your identity claim:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
R: What did this make you REALIZE about identity/the story? OR How can you REASON your claim
is true?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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 ____________________________________________________________________________
________________

Body Paragraph 2: “Seventh Grade”

Cl: Introduce that this story supports your claim about identity:
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
E: Evidence of identity claim (CITE p#):
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
Explain how this evidence supports your identity claim:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________

E: Evidence #2 of identity claim (CITE p#):

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
Explain how this evidence supports your identity claim:

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 ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
R: What did this make you REALIZE about identity/the story? OR How can you REASON your claim
is true?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________
Body Paragraph 3: “Fish Cheeks”
Cl: Introduce that this story supports your claim about identity:
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
E: Evidence of identity claim (CITE p#):
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
Explain how this evidence supports your identity claim:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________

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E: Evidence #2 of identity claim (CITE p#):
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
Explain how this evidence supports your identity claim:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
R: What did this make you REALIZE about identity/the story? OR How can you REASON your claim
is true?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________________
Conclusion Paragraph:
 Restate your identity claim (using different words but keeping with the meaning):
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
 Summarize each body paragraph in one sentence (reminding the reader how each story
supports your identity claim):
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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 ____________________________________________________________________________
________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
 Concluding sentence about the claim (a realization you came to/thought provoking statement
about the heart of your essay):
You should feel like “dropping the mic” after this statement!
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
Now, take your outline and write/type each page into one paragraph (5 paragraphs total)
 This means you should INDENT 5 times; no more, no less.
 DO NOT use first person.

"I”
“In my opinion”
“me”

 Add transitions between paragraphs and within paragraphs. (See examples)

o First, second, third
o Also, in addition, plus
o Despite, although, nevertheless, for example, however
o In conclusion, thus, finally
 Put titles of short stories/films in “quotation marks”.
 Once you have referred to an author by their full name once, simply refer to him/her by their
last name for the rest of the essay.
 Mind the rubric:

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