Yep, L. (1975).  Dragonwings.  New York:  Harper and Row.  Newbery Honor

Laurence Yep, in his “Afterword” to Dragonwings, also explains why he chose to tell his story, which he describes as “more of a historical fantasy than a factual reconstruction,” through the eyes of a young boy.  Set in San Francisco in the year leading up to the Great Earthquake as well as the Wright Brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk, this is an important story and an important time in the development of our nation.  Yep built his basic story around newspaper accounts he discovered describing a young Chinese flier Fung Joe Guey who actually flew a plane in the hills of Oakland on September 22, 1909.  He could find no more information about Guey. “Like the other Chinese who came to America, he remains a shadowy figure.  Of the hundreds of thousands of Chinese who flocked to these shores we know next to nothing.”  But it is important to Yep to remember that “these Chinese were human beings—with fears and hopes, joys and sorrows like the rest of us.”  It is this humanizing that can take place through his fictionalized account, something that could not be gained from the scant newspaper accounts.  Yep chose to narrate this story “though the eyes of a recently arrived Chinese boy” and through his father who, like Guey, chose to pursue the dream of flight.

Active Reading/Learning Strategies:

Story Triangle Graphic Organizer

Writing in Response to Reading:

Dragonwings – Written Response Activity

Why was Moon Shadow eager to visit the Land of the Golden Mountain but also afraid to visit?

How would you have felt to cross the ocean all alone, as Moon Shadow did, to come to the United States?

Why were Chinese men not allowed to bring their wives and families with them to the United States?  Do you think this law was an appropriate one?  Why or why not?

What kinds of jobs were available to Chinese who crossed the ocean to the United States, and how did they work together to support one another during their time here?

Imagine yourself in Moon Shadow’s situation and design a journal in which you place entries that describe your journey across the ocean, your arrival in the United States, and your feelings upon meeting these new and strange foreign “devils.”

Two major historic events occurred after Moon Shadow’s arrival in the United States—the San Francisco earthquake and the Wright Brothers flight.  Research one of those two events and find authentic descriptions from websites available.  Design a brief informational booklet about the one you select, describing the event and its long-term effects on life in the United States.

On-Line Resources:

Web English Teacher – Lesson Plans for Dragonwings
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/yep.html

 Teaching Resources/Activities for Dragonwings
http://mrcoward.com/slcusd/dwings.html

Glencoe McGraw Hill Study Guide – Dragonwings
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/dragonwings.html

 San Diego County Office of Education – Teacher Cyberguide – Dragonwings
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/drag/dragtg.html

 Ideas for Teaching a Novel Study – Scholastic – Dragonwings
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonplans/unit_dragonwings.htm

 Laurence Yep Teacher Resource File
http://peregrin.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/yep.htm

McDougal Littell Novel Guide
http://www.classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/dragwing/guide.cfm