“Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan
Amy Tan Performs at the White House
Essential Questions:
Why do we tell our own stories?
What can we learn from reading other’s stories?
What is a Memoir? How does a memoir differ from other forms of text?
Students will explore characteristics of a memoir, and narrative story elements such as point-of-view.
Read the two definitions in the handout ‘Definitions of Memoir’ and view the PowerPoint ‘Memoir Characteristics’
Writing Journal Entry:
Think of a time that you were embarrassed. (It could be something you did or someone else did)
What happened? How did you feel? What did you learn from the experience?
Writing Journal Entry:
Guided annotation – Follow the instruction given on the document called ‘Fish Cheeks Annotated’
Answer the questions in your Writing Journal
Writing Journal Entry:
List characteristics of memoir that are present in the story.
Give examples from the story to support your answer.