Inside Out Back Again Unit

Finding Home: Narratives of Transient and Displaced Peoples
Day by Day Calendar
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5
What is Home?: Gallery Walk Book Literature What Happened

An Intro to Ideas and Anticipatory Introduction and Circles: to Há’s Country:
of Belonging Set for Inside Character Narratives of Vietnam War
and Out and Back Analysis War Jigsaw
Displacement Again (Mini-lesson on (Youtube clip)
Free Verse)
Homework: Homework: Homework:

Read pg. 1-21 Read pg. 22-43 Read pg. 44-69
Saigon is Gone: Creative Writing Symbolism and Other Refugee Analysis of “The
Story Mapping Day: A Trek Refugee Camps Poems: “Light Cowboy” as an
themes Leading Across the Sea (Using Picture from a Burning American
up to the Fall Books to Citadel” and Stereotype
Illustrate Há’s “Before Your
Experience) Arrival”
Homework: Homework: Homework: Homework: Homework:

Read pg. 73-95 Read pg. 96-111 No Homework Read pg. 115-138 Read pg. 139-159
Learning Immigration Action Day: Action Day: Closure:

English: Há’s Four Corners Research about Writing Letters Revisiting
Challenges and Activity Immigration to Characters or Notions of
Frustrations Policy Senators Displacement
and Home
Homework: Homework: Homework: Homework: (and Intro to
Read pg. 160-182 Read pg. 183-204 Read pg. 205-234 Read pg. 237-260 Final Project)
Background:
This unit is written for students in 8th Grade Honors English classes at Brown County
Junior High. Each class contains about 25 students and meets for approximately an hour every
day. Brown County is a rural community half an hour outside of Bloomington with a population
of 15,242 people. Brown County is generally considered a rural community, though situated
mostly in Nashville, and contains a thriving artisan community. The county is largely
homogenous in terms of demographics. At the time of the last census, 96.7% of the population
identified as caucasian, while 1.2% identified as Hispanic or Latinx. Other minorities were
significantly less than 1%. Being a largely caucasian community, the students have often not
been exposed to narratives of minorities or refugees, making the representation of minorities in
curriculum planning incredibly important. While the kids are not often exposed to diversity, they
are open-minded and willing to learn. The median household income in Brown County is
$47, 697, and approximately 17.2% of people under 18 fall below the poverty line. Poverty is an
inherent theme of a unit about displaced peoples, so sensitivity to our discussions about poverty
will be important.
Rationale:
What does it mean to be at home? And what happens when you lose home? How do we
find meaning when home has been taken from us? People around the world are faced with
homelessness and displacement, and in the current political climate of the United States, citizens
are often asked to make judgments about what privileges displaced and homeless populations
deserve. The purpose of this unit is to help students grapple with and understand the perspective
of those whose sense of home has been stripped from them, and the struggle they face in finding
a new place of belonging, all within the context of the Vietnam War. Our focus will be on the
text Inside Out & Back Again b y Thanhha Lai. This text focuses on the experiences of 10-year
old Há as she and her family flee Saigon in 1975. Combining this with several other texts and
multimodal sources, we will be exploring how we find belonging when our sense of home has
been stripped away. Vacca & Vacca argue that “multicultural books... provide mainstream
students with opportunities to learn about other cultures and peoples” and “provide diverse
students with rich opportunities not only to see themselves reflected in the books they read but
also to appreciate and celebrate the experiences” (57). It is in this vein of representation that this
lesson has been planned. Like race, the issue of displaced peoples is a contentious one in the
United States. Yet, if we ignore it in our classrooms, we are telling our refugee and homeless
students that their voice is not important and our other students that they need not worry about it.
This unit strives to represent those who are often disregarded.
Sociocultural theory tells us that meaningful learning occurs through social interaction
with a group of peer. Likewise, Fisher, Frye, Hattie & Thayre argue that “high-quality lesson
involve a good deal of collaboration” (35). Through think, pair, shares, large group discussions,
and small group work, this unit seeks to involve the perspective of all students in analyzing,
synthesizing, and applying the text to ask the question: How does a sense of belonging form?
Students will begin by examining their own notions of what home means to them, activating
prior knowledge in “preparation for new knowledge acquisition” before moving outside the self,
to the social component, and scaffolding knowledge through the perspective of both their peers
and the writers we read. Through representation of the unrepresented and meaningful interaction
with peers and texts, this unit highlights the humanity of displaced and transient peoples, as well
helping students understand the struggles and triumphs of people searching for something that
many people take for granted: home.
Unit Goals:
1. Students will critically examine the role of cultural belonging through analyzing
non-fiction text, poetry, and multimodal sources.
2. Students will engage in collaborative learning with their peers, fostering a sense of
responsibility for their own learning and others.
3. Students will examine notions of home through reading and analyzing Inside Out & Back
Again.
4. Students will use research skills to formulate and investigate questions of their choosing
based on the topic at hand.
5. Students will use their research to gain a more empathetic view of different cultures.
6. Students will apply the knowledge they’ve gained to complete final project of their
choice.
Day 1 of 5
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Standards:
9-10.SL.2.5 Respond thoughtfully to multiple perspectives, summarize points of agreement and
disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify personal views and understanding and
make new connections in reference to the evidence and reasoning presented.
9-10.RN.2.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says
explicitly as well as inferences and interpretations drawn from the text.
9-10.SL.2.4 Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current
discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and
clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
Objectives/Student outcomes:
By the end of the block, students will be able to:
● Define what it means to them to belong somewhere and feel at home
● Discuss ways in which “home” has to adapt for different people around the world
● Explain the “psychology” of home
Materials needed & Advanced preparation:
● Printed copies of the article “The Psychology of Home: Why Where You Live Means So
Much”
● Two notecards for each students
Specific teaching points of today: Adaptations:

● Home is an important aspect in how we form our
identity, but home can mean many different things and 1. Students may move
places. around the room during
● When people lose their home, or have to adapt to a new writer’s workshop and
home, it can alter their identity. in pairs.
● Sense of belonging is integral to feeling “at home.”
2. A disclaimer will be
Procedures w/Pacing: provided to students
that sensitive topics are
Writer’s Workshop (20 minutes) being discussed in the
1. Students will write independently on a project of their unit (war and
choice. homelessness in
particular). If students
feel like they need to
Context (10 minutes) step out at any point,
they can.
1. Students will be provided with two notecards.
2. On one notecard, students should jot down thoughts 3. Instructions will be
about what home means to them and when they feel at written on board as
home. well as given orally.
3. On a second card, students will write about when
they’ve out of place and how it felt 4. While reading the
4. Share thoughts about home with a partner, paying article, students will
attention to what about a place makes them feel that way volunteer– no cold
calling.
Main Activity (35 minutes)
5. A guided notes sheet
1. 15 minutes- As a class, we will read “The Psychology of will be provided to fill
Home: Why Where You Live Means So Much.” While out during our
we are reading, we will stop and I will ask students to whole-class discussion.
compare what they’ve written on their notecards to what
is being said in the article. 6. Questions will be
provided to assist the
2. 20 minutes- As a class, we will pull quotes from the kids in brainstorming
article that we think are particularly relevant to situations of
developing a sense of home, with particular focus on displacement.
this quote: "People and the places where they reside are
engaged in a continuing set of exchanges; they have
determinate, mutual effects upon each other because
they are part of a single, interactive system." We will
formulate a list of qualities something must have to be
called home for people around the world. For example:
family, employment, culture, etc.
Lead-in to next class (10 minutes)

1. In a space at the end of the article, kids will brainstorm
ideas about situations in which a person or family may
leave their home for an unknown place.
Closure:
1. Inform students that in the next class, we will be looking
at stories of people who have been displaced from their
homes and must settle in a new place.
Assessment:
1. Students will turn in their notecards as evidence of engagement with the topic. Students
will also be assessed through teacher observation during the brainstorming portion of the
lesson.
Troubleshooting:
1. I recognize that for some students, home is not a safe space or a space of belonging. Some
students may have dark fund of knowledge regarding home. Therefore, I will provide a
disclaimer that students, instead, should focus on a place the feel safe.
2. Often students sitting in groups have trouble remaining focused during group readings.
Students can feel free to get up and move if they are feeling antsy.
Day 2 of 15
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Standards:
8.ML.1 Critically analyze information found in electronic, print, and mass media used to inform,
persuade, entertain, and transmit culture.
8.SL.2.2 Examine, analyze, and reflect on ideas under discussion by identifying specific evidence
from materials under study and other resources.
Students will be able to:
● Critically examine images and form questions
● Make inferences based on visual evidence
● Collaborate to make meaning of separate pieces of narrative
● Expand on notions of home and fleeing home

● Gallery Walk slides
● Sentence strips from Inside Out and Back Again
● Observation Notes Sheet
● Exit Ticket

● Inferences are informed conclusions based on evidence
● Based on the evidence before us, we can infer what we 1. Students may move
will be reading about around the room during
● People often flee their homes to escape violence; it is writer’s workshop and
often their only option in pairs.
Procedures w/Pacing: 2. A disclaimer will be

provided to students
Writer’s Workshop (20 minutes) that sensitive topics are
1. Students will independently write on a topic of their being discussed in the
choice. unit (war and
homelessness in
Gallery Walk (15 minutes) particular). If students
1. Teacher will have hung pictures of the Fall of Saigon feel like they need to
throughout the classroom. step out at any point,
they can.
2. Students will be given an Observation Notes sheet on
which to take notes. 3. ESL students may write
short descriptive
sentence during the
3. Teacher will inform the students that they will be going gallery walk, instead of
on a gallery walk, looking at an event that we will be observations and
reading about. Their job during the gallery walk is to questions.
look at each picture and, using their notes sheet, write an
observation and a question. Students should focus on 4. CLCs will be
their reaction to the picture, as well as what’s happening comprised of students
in the picture itself. from all ability levels
based on student
4. Students will complete the gallery walk (10 minutes). demeanor, so that
Teacher will set a timer. groups are as equitable
as possible.
5. Students will regroup at their seats. As a class, we will
discuss what inferences we can make based on the 5. Questions for
pictures. Students will likely infer that there is a war, discussion will be
and people are trying to escape from the war. Teacher posted on the board, as
will ask students to infer people’s emotions based on well as relayed orally.
their expressions.
6. Students with SLDs are
Anticipatory Set for Text (30 minutes) free to draw a picture
1. In their collaborative learning communities (CLCs), on their exit ticket,
students will each be given a short section of the text instead of writing a
from Inside Out and Back Again. Each student will be paragraph.
given a different slip.
2. 10 minutes-Students will read the passages to one

another, stopping after each to consider two questions.
a. How could this passage connect to the images
we just looked at?
b. How does this connect to the idea of home we
discussed yesterday?
3. 10 minutes-We will come back together. One student

from each group will explain how one of their passages
connected to the images from the gallery walk or the
idea of home.
4. 10 minutes- As a class, we will brainstorm themes for

what our unit could be about. Teacher will hone in on
ideas of home, war, immigration, and belonging, asking
students to explain what from the text or picture points
to these as themes. We will also look back at specific
quotes from the text to see if we can anticipate how the
main character of our novel feels.
Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

1. On an exit ticket, students will answer the question,
“What was your reaction to the pictures and text we
looked at today? What do you think the people were
fleeing from, and what is happening to their sense of
home?”
Closure: Great job today! Tomorrow we will be thinking more
about the way we treat immigrants in our country, and how Há
responds to it. Please turn your exit tickets into the tray on your
way out! Have a great day!
Assessment: Students will turn in their exit ticket, which will be graded as a formative
assessment. Students will also be assessed informally for understanding based on conversations
happening in CLCs.
Troubleshooting:
1. Gallery Walks can be chaotic, so I will specify that no more than three people should be at
on picture at a time.
Day 3 of 15
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Standards:
9-10.SL.2.2 Examine, analyze, and reflect on ideas and support or refute points under discussion,
by providing specific evidence from materials under study and other resources.
● Describe the characteristics of Há and her mother
● Analyze what the details used to describe the characters reveal about them
● Draw on previous lessons to make predictions about Há’s experiences
● Define free verse

● Free Verse Notes Sheet
● Copies of Inside Out and Back Again
● Character charts
● Close reading allows us to look at the details of a text in 1. Students may move
order to better understand it around the room during
● The first two poems “1975: The Year of the Cat” and writer’s workshop.
“Inside Out” can tell us a lot about Há and her family
● Free verse is poetry that does not have a rhyme or meter 2. If students feel like
they need to step out at
Procedures w/Pacing: any point during the
discussion, they can.
SSR Workshop (20 minutes)
1. Students will independently read a book of their choice. 3. Free verse notes sheet
will be modified to
Mini-Lesson on Free Verse (25 minutes) fill-in-the-blank for
1. 10 minutes- Teacher will project “1975: The Year of the students with IDDs or
Cat” on the screen. Without reading it, the teacher will SLDs.
ask students, “Before we even read this, what do you
notice about the way it is written?” Focus in on words 4. Meet the author
such as stanza, or prompt students to get there using recording also has a
questions of form. Once students have agreed it some written text version for
kind of poetry, pass out the free verse notes sheet. students with hearing
disabilities, or students
2. 10 minutes- Using direct instruction in the form of a who simply prefer to
PowerPoint, the instructor will explain that free verse is read along.
poetry without rhyme or meter. It allows authors to play
with form, unlike other types of poetry. Teacher will
show students other examples of free form poetry, such
as Walt Whitman or Sharon Creeches’ Love that Dog.
3. 5 minutes- On their free verse notes sheet, students will

complete a quickwrite answering the question, “Why do
you think an author would use free verse to write a
book?” This is something that we will be coming back
to throughout the unit, but I want to get kids thinking
about it.
Introduction to the Novel and Characterization (40 minutes)
1. 5 minutes-Teacher will pass out Inside Out and Back

Again a nd explain to students that we will be reading a
story about a young girl and her family who have to flee
war in Vietnam. Tell students that as we read the book,
it is important to keep in mind the images we looked at
in our gallery walk, as well as our discussion of what
home is. We will see the main character’s notion of
home change a lot.
2. 5 minutes- I will play “Meet-the-Author Recording with

Thanhha Lai” for the students to provide them a little
background on the novel, pausing the recording at 1:30.
The recording also has a written text version for students
who prefer to read along. We will briefly discuss the
autobiographical nature of the book.
https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=72
56
3. 10 minutes- As a class, we will read “1975: The Year of

the Cat” and “Inside Out.” I will explain to the students
that we will be tracking the way that Há, the main
character, and her family change throughout their
journey to America. Therefore, it is important to get to
know them. Lai uses sharp, concise language to paint a
picture of the characters.
4. 15 minutes-Teacher will pass out characterization sheet.

In their CLCs, students will work collaboratively to pick
out details of characterization. On one side on the sheet,
they will write a quote from the text, and on the other,
they will detail what that tells us about the character.
5. 5 minutes- In a quick share out, one person from each

group will tell us a detail they talked about and what it
means for character.
Closure:
1. Homework: Student homework will be to read pg. 1-22
of Inside Out and Back Again.
2. Tomorrow, we will be talking about how war affects Há
and her family, as well as other narratives of war.
Assessment: Students will turn in the quickwrite portion of their notes sheet. Teacher will use
this to assess student understanding, and touch on misconceptions in the next class. Teacher will
also use collaborative communication to assess informally.
Troubleshooting:
1. Student can have trouble sharing out, so to encourage flow of conversation, teacher will
ask a student who has not spoken to contribute their ideas to the conversation.
Day 4 of 15
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Standards:
8.RL.3.2 Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience in a work of world literature
considering how it reflects heritage, traditions, attitudes, and beliefs.
8.SL.2.4 Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’
questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas
● Closely analyze how events in a text affect characterization
● Discuss multiple perspectives on war
● Use video and text in conversation to work through different aspects of the Fall of Saigon
● Perform the procedures of a literature circle

● Literature Circle Role Sheets
● Chart Paper
● Markers/Colored Pencils
● Exit tickets

● The war deeply affects the way Há and her family
experience “home” 1. Students may move
● Choosing to flee one’s home is a traumatizing decision around the room during
● Using videos about the experience of other people can writer’s workshop and
inform our reading of the book in pairs.
Procedures w/Pacing: 2. A disclaimer will be

provided to students
Writer’s Workshop (20 minutes) that sensitive topics are
choice. unit (war and
homelessness in
Multimodal Quickwrite (10 minutes) particular). If students
1. Together, we will watch a section of “Escaping feel like they need to
Vietnam”-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBjtt6d8 step out at any point,
q6w starting at 2:14 and ending at 3:57. they can.
2. 5 minutes- Individually, students will quickwrite

answering the questions, “What would you do if you
had to flee home? Formulate an escape plan. Where 3. Students with SLDs
would you go?” may draw a picture of
their escape plan for the
3. Students may also elect to draw a picture instead of quickwrite.
writing, if they so choose. 4.
4. 3 student volunteers will share their responses with the

class.
Literature Circles (30 minutes)

1. Students will be divided into heterogeneous groups
(different than the CLCs, for variety).
2. In their groups each student will be assigned a role, and

teacher will hand out sheets that remind students the
tasks each role must complete. In each group, there will
be a discussion leader, a recorder, an illustrator, and a
researcher.
3. Each group will be given a piece of chart paper. In the

middle of the chart paper, the groups will formulate two
questions they have about the Vietnamese experience of
violence and war. Teacher will circulate, helping
students deepen their questions to engage with the video
we watched and with the text. Once every group has two
essential questions, they can begin their literature circle
roles.
4. The groups will discuss the two questions they

presented. It will be the researchers job to find evidence
from the text to connect to the questions.
5. On the chart paper, the record will summarize the

conversation, while the researcher finds and write
quotes from the text that are important to the
conversation. The illustrator will draw a picture that
synthesizes and expands of the discussion. This
procedure will be one that we’ve practiced before, so the
kids will be familiar with how it works.
6. Each group will share out their two essential questions

and summarize their discussion for the class.
Group Discussion (20 minutes)

Closure: Inform the students that next class, we will be starting
talking about home and belonging, before starting a novel. Have
students turn exit tickets into the tray.
Assessment: Students will be assessed on their ability to contribute to conversation and complete
their role during the literature circles. This is an observational assessment. Students will turn in
their quick write as an assessment of their developing writing skills.
Day 5 of 15
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Standards:
8.RN.2.3 Analyze how a text makes connections and distinctions among individuals, events, and
ideas.
8.W.3.2 Write informative compositions in a variety of forms that – ● Develop the topic with
relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples from various sources and texts.
● Contextualize Há’s experience of the war with historical accounts
● Analyze secondary sources to inform a primary text
● Discuss the groups involved in conflict in Vietnam

● Copies of “The Vietnam Wars” sections 2, 3, 4, and 5
● Jigsaw Notes Sheet

● The Vietnam War was the result of centuries worth of 1. Students may move
tension and struggle around the room during
● By researching the facts of the war, we are better able to writer’s workshop.
understand Há’s perspective
Procedures w/Pacing: provided to students
that sensitive and
Writer’s Workshop (20 minutes) contentious topics are
choice. unit. If students feel
like they need to step
Jigsaw Activity (1 hour) out at any point, they
1. Students will sit with their CLCs. Each CLC will can. Students should be
receive a different section of “Wars of Vietnam”, either respectful in all
“Everything Tends to Ruin: 1627-1941,” “Life, Liberty, discussion with
and Ho Chi Minh: 1941-1945,” “The Fall of the French: classmates.
1945-1954,” or “Doc-Lap at Last: 1954-1975.”
2. 30 min- In their groups, students will pick one person to 3. A guided notes sheet
read the text to the group, or popcorn read. Groups will will be provided to fill
then work together to decide on the important details of out.
their section, that they will later relay to other member
of the text. 4. Stretch break will be
provided for students to
3. The will be provided with a guided notes sheet with move around and
questions such as: refocus.
a. What important events happened during this
time? 5. Teacher will circulate
b. Who were the groups involved and why were during the activity to
they in conflict? help students
c. Can we relate this to anything we’ve read in brainstorm and engage
Inside Out and Back Again so far? with material.
4. Teacher will circulate during this time, helping groups

distinguish the most important details of each passage.
5. 30 min- Each student will then be assigned to a different

group, so that all four sections are represented in each
group. Students will then teach the information in their
section to their classmates, while the others use their
guided notes sheet to take notes. By the end of the
period, students should have the important information
about all four sections of “Vietnam Wars”
Exit Ticket
1. On page 28 of Inside Out and Back Again, Há says,
The country divided in half.
Mother and Father came south,

convinced it would be
easier to breathe
away from Communism.
The same week,

North and South
closed their door.
No more migration.
No more letters.
No more family.
Using what you now know about the Vietnam
War, describe in a couple sentences what is
happening from a historical context.
Exit tickets will be graded as a formative assessment.
Assessment:
Teacher tasks:
Day 6 of 15
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Standards:
8.RL.2.2 Analyze the development of a theme or central idea over the course of a work of
literature, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide a detailed
summary that supports the analysis.
8.SL.2.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and

teacher-led) on grade-appropriate topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing personal ideas clearly.
● Identify important themes from the text, such as pain, hunger, family, or food
● Cite evidence from the text to support identification of themes
● Use text to create a visual representation

● Chart Paper
● Markers, Colored Pencils, and Crayons
● Copies of Inside Out & Back Again
Procedures w/Pacing:
6. Students may move
Writer’s Workshop (20 minutes) around the room during
3. Students will independently write on a topic of their writer’s workshop.
choice.
Identifying Themes (30 minutes) provided to students
that sensitive and
1. In their CLCs, students will briefly review the events of contentious topics are
the book so far. being discussed in the
unit. If students feel
2. As a class, we will review the definition of theme and I like they need to step
will ask students to think of some themes that are out at any point, they
important to the story. We will touch on war and can. Students should be
violence, family, etc. in our discussion. The aim in this respectful in all
conversation would be to brainstorm as many different
themes as possible so that students have many to choose discussion with
from. Teacher will make a list of possible themes on the classmates.
board.
8. Teacher will circulate
3. In their groups, students will pick three themes that as students pick their
either struck them as poignant or important to the story themes, prompting
leading up to the Fall of Saigon. Once students have them to think deeply
identified the themes, they will write them on chart about the theme they
paper. choose.
4. For each theme, students should find one quote from the 9. Students may get up
text that they think encapsulates the theme. and move/stretch
during the story
Story Maps (25 minutes) mapping activity.
1. On the remaining space of the chart paper, students will
work together to create a visual map to tell the story of
the book as a large mural in which
one picture contains all of their chosen themes.
2. They may choose a scene from the novel that

encapsulates the themes and illustrate that, or they may
go more abstract.
3. Each CLC will then share their story map with the rest
of the class, explaining their chosen themes, as well as
the textual evidence they found.
Closure: Group assessment of understanding will be conducted by observation during the sharing
of story maps.
Day 7 of 15
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Standards:
8.W.3.3 Write narrative compositions in a variety of forms that ● Use precise words and phrases,
relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences
and events.
8.RV.3.1 Analyze the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in works of literature,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on
meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
● Analyze word choice as part of narrative development
● Discuss how vivid details make a story “come alive”
● Use imagery to make an impact in a creative writing piece
● Create a narrative voice, extrapolating from a text

● Paper and writing utensils to write with
Adaptations:
Procedures w/Pacing: 10. Students may move
around the room during
Mini-lesson on Imagery (20 minutes) writer’s workshop.
1. As a class, we will re-read “Once Knew” (82). This is a
poem from the book that is mostly imagery 11. A disclaimer will be
. provided to students
2. With a partner, students will think, pair, share at least that sensitive and
one question. Questions: contentious topics are
a. What are we supposed to feel when we read this? being discussed in the
b. What imagery does Lai include? unit. If students feel
c. How does the imagery paint a picture of life on like they need to step
land? out at any point, they
can. Students should be
3. Students will share out, and we will discuss how we can respectful in all
use simple images to bring out powerful emotions. discussion with
classmates.
4. I will ask students to take out a piece of paper. Students
will write a sentence using imagery. I will tell students 12. Discussion questions
that before we move on to the next activity, I will come will be written on board
as well as given orally.
around to check their sentence. I will stress the
importance of vivid word choice. 13. Teacher will circulate
during the think, pair,
Creative Writing (40 minutes) share activity to help
1. Using the poem we reviewed as a model, students will students brainstorm and
write a short free verse poem. The prompt: engage with material.
a. Imagine you have had to leave your home and
are on a long journey, possibly across the sea, 14. During the share out,
possibly across the desert. You are students who are
uncomfortable and hungry. What imagery can uncomfortable talking
you use to convey your experience? publicly can pass.
b. Write at least three short stanzas about your 15. Teacher will meet with
journey using vivid word choice. Be creative! students at the
You can take this a lot of different directions. conference table to help
them work through
2. As students are working on their poems, teacher will their writing.
circulate and help students brainstorm vivid imagery.
She will point students back to the text to see what kind
of words are used.
3. If students do not finish their poems during the class

time allotted, they can use their writer’s workshop time
tomorrow to finish it.
4. Students who are finished should turn their poems into

the tray.
Closure: Great work today! Next class we will be talking about symbolism! For homework,
please read pages 95-111.
Assessment: Students will turn in their completed writing. This will serve as a mid-unit
summative assessment. Teacher will provide ample feedback that can be utilized on the final
project.
Day 8 of 15
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Standards:
8.RV.1 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and content-specific
words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression.
● Define symbolism and analyze symbolism in narrative
● Connect multiple sources to discuss a common theme
● Utilize picture books to inform other texts

● Picture Book: My Beautiful Birds by Suzanna del Rizzo
● Symbol Sketch Sheets

● Symbols are objects that represent ideas, such as love, 16. Students may move
equality, pain, or home around the room during
● In Inside Out and Back Again, Lai uses food as a writer’s workshop.
symbol for home, specifically Há’s love for papayas.
● Often in stories of displacement, an object from home 17. A disclaimer will be
will take on new meaning. provided to students
● We can closely analyze picture books in the same way that sensitive and
we can analyze a text or an ad. contentious topics are
being discussed in the
Procedures w/Pacing: unit. If students feel
like they need to step
Writer’s Workshop (20 minutes) out at any point, they
1. Students will independently write on a topic of their can. Students should be
choice. respectful in all
discussion with
Symbolism and Home (40 minutes) classmates.
1. 10 minutes- Individually, students will review “Papaya
Tree” (8), “Rations” (77), and “Nước Mấm” (100). 18. Discussion questions
will be written on board
2. 5 minutes- Student will thin, pair, share with these as well as given orally.
questions:
a. Why do you think Há is so obsessed with 19. A guided notes sheet
papaya? What does she associate it with? will be provided to fill
b. At the refugee camp, she talks a lot about food. out during our
Why do you think that is? whole-class discussion.
3. 5 minutes-Three students will share their thoughts with
the class. 20. Stretch break will be
4. 10 minutes- Teacher will then read My Beautiful Birds move around and
to the class, stopping to pay special attention to the refocus.
illustrations. She will guide the conversation toward the
realization that a pigeon is a constant image in the book, 21. Teacher will circulate
posing the questions: “So what’s with all these pigeons during the think, pair,
and papayas?” share activity to help
students brainstorm and
5. 10 minutes- Students will then do a quick review of engage with material.
symbolism, and discuss how the pigeons and food
symbolize a sense of home and belonging. 22. During the share out,
students who are
6. Teacher will tell students that, often in stories where uncomfortable talking
people are displaced from home, an object comes to publicly can pass.
symbolize all the feelings that home used to produce.
23. Teacher will take the
Symbolism Illustration and Writing (20 minutes) illustration and writing
1. Extrapolating on the lesson, students will decide on an time to conference with
object that symbolizes home for them. students who may need
additional assistance.
2. On the Symbolism Sketch Sheet (passed out by teacher),
students will draw their chosen symbol. Then, they will
rationalize their choice by writing a paragraph about
how the object foster a sense of belonging for them.
3. This will be turned into the tray as a formative

assessment.
Assessment: Symbolism illustrations will be turned in and graded as a formative assessment of

understanding. Teacher will also assess understanding through the think, pair, share exercise.
Day 9 of 15
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Standards:
9-10.RN.2.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says
explicitly as well as inferences and interpretations drawn from the text.
9-10.SL.2.5 Respond thoughtfully to multiple perspectives, summarize points of agreement and

disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify personal views and understanding and
make new connections in reference to the evidence and reasoning presented.
9-10.SL.3.2 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric,
identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
● Define refugee
● Critically analyze the rhetoric of refugee poems
● Determine, based on the poems, whether a sense of home is possible for refugees in the
U.S.

● Printed copies of the poems “Light from a Burning Citadel” and “Before Your Arrival”
● Make sure the document cam is on and functioning
● Copies of guided notes sheet to be used during context portion of lesson

● Yesterday, we looked at how homelessness happens in
this country and how it affects a person’s sense of 1. Students may move
belonging. Today, we are thinking about people who around the room during
have been displaced from their home countries and are writer’s workshop.
seeking shelter in the U.S.
● Refugees flee homes that are no longer safe; they don’t 2. A disclaimer will be
want to leave them. provided to students
● Being in a new culture often means conforming to that sensitive and
“belong” to that culture. contentious topics are
● Can there be a true sense of belonging for refugees? being discussed in the
unit. If students feel
Procedures w/Pacing: like they need to step
out at any point, they
Writer’s Workshop (20 minutes) can. Students should be
1. Students will write independently on a project of their respectful in all
choice. discussion with
classmates.
Context (20 minutes)
3. Discussion questions
1. 5 minutes- We will watch a short Youtube clip entitled will be written on board
“What does it mean to be a refugee?” As we are as well as given orally.
watching, students will take notes on a guided notes
sheet. These will be put into their folder when done. 4. A guided notes sheet
will be provided to fill
2. 15 minutes- As a class, we will discuss what we know out during our
about refugees and the wars that are occuring in Syria, whole-class discussion.
Iraq, etc.
5. Stretch break will be
Questions we will be contemplating: Should refugees be provided for students to
allowed to seek asylum? What would make it hard for move around and
the refugees to get used to American culture? Do you refocus.
think refugees will ever feel at home here?
6. Teacher will circulate
(My goal is to let this conversation flow as it will. I have during the think, pair,
a feeling the kids will want to discuss political views share activity to help
about refugees, which is open for discussion as long as students brainstorm and
everyone is respectful. However, the main goal would engage with material.
be to focus on how refugees may feel in being displaced
and forced to come to a new country.) 7. During the share out,
students who are
Main Activity (30 minutes) uncomfortable talking
publicly can pass.
1. 10 minutes- I will read “Light from a Burning Citadel”
and “Before Your Arrival” to the class. As we go, we 8. Teacher will take the
will keep a list of descriptive words the refugees use to exit ticket time to
describe their experiences. conference with
students who may need
2. 10 minutes- We will compare and contrast the additional assistance. A
experiences of the speakers in the poems, discussing the guided prompt sheet
rhetoric they use to influence the reader’s emotions. For will be provided for
example, “Light from a Burning Citadel” uses violent those who may have
imagery of war to compare America and the speaker’s trouble writing a whole
native country, while “Before Your Arrival” uses paragraph.
imagery of Filipino food to foster a sense of belonging
in New York City.
3. 5 minutes- With a neighbor, students will think, pair,

share.
Questions to choose from:
1. How does the speaker in “Light from a Burning
Citadel” view her new “home” in America?
2. How about the speaker in “Before Your
Arrival?”
3. What allowed the speaker in “Before Your
Arrival” to feel at home?
4. What about American culture is hindering the
speaker in “Light from a Burning Citadel” from
feeling a sense of belonging?
6. 5 minutes- Share out discussion with partner.

1. Based on what we’ve discussed in the past three days,
students will write a short paragraph about how we, as a
culture, can foster a sense of belonging for transient and
displaced peoples. (Formative assessment)
Assessment:
1. Collect exit tickets, which will be graded as a formative assessment.

Day 11 of 15
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Standards:
8.ML.2.2 Analyze and interpret how people experience media messages differently, depending on
point of view, culture, etc.
8.RL.2.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a work of literature propel the
action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
● Empathize with English Language Learners
● Discuss the quirks of the English language and assess difficulty in the context of language
learning
● Analyze how Há’s experience of learning the language impacted her sense of belonging in
her new community
● Foreign Language Sentence Slips

● Video- “What English Sounds Like to Non-English Speakers”
● Exit Tickets

● We often perceive language learners as “dumb” because
they cannot communicate in English with the same level 1. Students may move
of proficiency around the room during
● The English language is full of rules that often don’t writer’s workshop.
apply, making it challenging to master
● Há’s bad experience with language learning impacted 2. A disclaimer will be
her sense of belonging provided to students
that sensitive and
Procedures w/Pacing: contentious topics are
being discussed in the
Writer’s Workshop (20 minutes) unit. If students feel
1. Students will independently write on a topic of their like they need to step
choice. out at any point, they
can. Students should be
ELL Simulation Game (25 minutes) respectful in all
1. When students walk into the classroom, each will discussion with
receive a slip of paper. On each slip of paper, a phrase classmates.
will be written in another language. (For the sake of this
exercise, all languages will use the Latin alphabet, as
students will be speaking the language.) 3. A guided notes sheet
will be provided to fill
2. Students will be asked to sound out the phrase on the out during our
slip, seeing if they can make any inferences about whole-class discussion.
meaning. Students will write down what they think the
phrase may mean. 4. Teacher will take the
exit ticket time to
3. Students will then be asked to flip the slip over, where conference with
they will find a translation of their phrase. students who may need
additional assistance. A
4. Next, students will be circulate the room, reading their guided prompt sheet
phrase in the original language (or their best attempt) will be provided for
and acting it out. Based on the phrase and their those who may have
movements, other students will attempt to guess the trouble writing a whole
meaning of the phrase. paragraph.
5. Students will keep track of how many phrases they got

correct and how many they got wrong.
6. Students will return to their seats.
7. 5 minutes-Teacher will then show students the video

“What English Sounds Like to Non-English Speakers.”
Debrief and Connection (30 minutes)

1. Teacher will ask students, “What was the point of what
we just did?” Students will respond by talking about
how hard it is to interpret another language.
2. Teacher will ask students to take out their books and

find some instances in the text where Há speaks about
her struggle with language learning. We will formulate a
list of Há’s struggle and complaints on the board.
3. We will focus specifically on her struggle with plural

nouns and verb tenses, and discuss the ways in which
English often doesn’t make sense.
4. I will ask students to discuss what they struggle with

about the English language.
5. We will then re-read “Feel Dumb” on pg. 136, analyzing

why she is so angry at her teacher for making her count
in front of the class.
Exit Ticket
1. How can we make English language learners at our
school feel welcome at our school? How do you think
we can do to value their knowledge of another language
and culture?
Assessment: Exit tickets will be collected as a formative assessment.

Day 12 of 15
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Standards:
9-10.SL.2.2 Examine, analyze, and reflect on ideas and support or refute points under discussion,
by providing specific evidence from materials under study and other resources.
● Access previous knowledge to inform opinions on readings
● Discuss aspects of American society that make it hard for displaced people to function
● Apply text to a broader discussion of cultural belonging

● Students should have their devices available to refer back to the reading
● Printed strongly agree, strongly disagree, agree, and disagree signs taped on the walls
● Many of us have privileges that displaced and transient 1. Students may move
peoples do not. around the room during
● Assessing many different viewpoints is important in writer’s workshop.
trying to “step in the shoes” of those who are seeking
new homes. 2. If students feel like
● Belonging comes from acceptances and involvement in they need to step out at
a culture. any point during the
discussion, they can.
3. Students with limited
SSR Workshop (20 minutes) mobility may stay
1. 1.Students will independently read a book of their seated during both
choice. activities. I will ask
students to make their
Tea Party (10 minutes) way to the seated
student during the tea
1. Student will have come prepared with a quote from the party. The vote can be
reading that they found striking or have a question cast orally during the
about. agree/disagree activity.
2. Students will (with their quote in hand) get up and find a
person to talk to about their quote. They will take turns
reading their quotes aloud and discuss why they found
them important.
3. Students will move other another partner, in the manner
of socializing at a tea parties, engaging with as many
people and quotes as they can in 10 minutes.
4. Students will put their quotes in their folders and move
to the center of the room.
Main Activity (40 minutes)
1. Once everyone is in the center of the room, students will

be asked a series of statements. For each statement they
will move to a corner of the room corresponding to
agree, strongly agree, disagree, or strongly disagree.
2. Groups in each corner will take a minute to discuss why
chose a particular answer.
3. One person from each group will share the rationale
with everyone.
4. Possible statements:
a. “Home” is a safe place.
b. Há and her family should feel comfortable in
their new home.
c. The United States is a welcoming place for
refugees.
d. A sense of belonging is important.
e. From what we’ve read, refugees feel a sense of
home in the United States.
f. People who live in American should speak
English.
1. Students will answer two questions before they leave

and turn it into the tray.
a. What did you get out of our activity today?
b. Have your thoughts about displaced peoples
and/or belonging changed since we started the
unit? If so, how?
Closure:
1. Let students know that they should come prepared to write next class!
Teacher tasks:
1. Collect exit tickets. Check for any misconceptions that may need to be corrected before
students can move on.
2. Grade exit tickets as a formative assessment.
Day 13 of 15
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Standards:
8.W.5 Conduct short research assignments and tasks to build knowledge about the research
process and the topic under study. ● Formulate a research question. ● Gather relevant
information from multiple sources, using search terms effectively, and annotate sources. ● Assess
the credibility and accuracy of each source. ● Quote or paraphrase the information and
conclusions of others.
● Form questions that prompt further research
● Use a variety of reliable sources to answer questions about immigration policy
● Draw on knowledge of Inside Out & Back Again, as well as previous knowledge of
immigration in the U.S. to form an opinion on the subject

● Chromebooks
● Potential Research Questions
● Research Guide

● We have been reading Há’s experience of immigration
to the United States, but now it’s time to see some cold, 1. Students who may have
hard facts. trouble researching on
● When formulating a research question, use open-ended their own will join the
inquiries to guide you. teacher at the
● Reliable sources include government produced conference table to
documents (though one has to be critical of who’s voice work together.
in represented), scholarly articles, and immigration
organizations 2. Stretch break will be
Procedures w/Pacing: move around and
refocus.
Writer’s Workshop (20 minutes)
1. Students will independently write on a topic of their 3. Teacher will circulate
choice. while students are
formulating research
Formulating Research Questions and Finding Sources (20 questions to help
minutes) students brainstorm and
1. We have read several narratives of immigration to the engage with material.
United States. Today we will think about the questions
we still have about the immigration process itself. How
does immigration actually work in the United States?
How many refugees do we let in and what is the
criteria?
2. Teacher will pass out the Research Guide, which has
space for two research questions. Teacher will ask
students, “What makes a good research question?”
Students will respond, as eventually be guided to
formulate open-ended questions that investigate a
problem, a solution, or details of a specific program or
policy.
3. Teacher will then ask students about what makes a

reliable source. Teacher will impress on students that
they need to critically examine who produced the
source, whose voice is represented, whose voice is
omitted, and any other biases the source may present.
4. Students will individually work to formulate their own

research questions, and teacher will circulate to help
students brainstorm.
Research Activity (40 minutes)
1. Students will spend the rest of the period independently

researching the questions they posed.
2. On the Research guide, students will record details they

find about the topic, conclusions they come to based on
the research, sources they use, and connections to the
book.
3. At the end of the period, students will brainstorm a

policy or subject they would like to write a letter about,
either to a government official or a character from Inside
Out & Back Again.
Closure: Teacher will inform students that tomorrow we will be writing letter based on our
research for today. Students should continue to brainstorm so they can be prepared to write
tomorrow.
Assessment: Teacher met with every student about research questions. She assessed their
understanding based on that, and helped students deep understanding to pose more open-ended
questions.
Day 14 of 15
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Standards:9-10.W.3.3 Write narrative compositions in a variety of forms that – ● Engage and

orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple
point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters.
● Format a letter and write in a conversational tone
● Synthesize the information they’ve learned over the course of a unit
● Apply their knowledge write to a displaced person

● Printed example of letter formats
● Link on Canvas to submit letter
● Students should have devices available

● When writing a friendly letter, you are having a
conversation with someone, so your tone should be 1. Students may move
informal. When writing a business or persuasive letter, around the room during
your tone should be more formal. writer’s workshop and
● Há uses writing as a way to work through her feelings of in pairs.
isolation and form a sense of community. We are
responding to her in our own voices. 2. Handouts will be
provided with examples
Procedures w/Pacing: of letter formats.
Writer’s Workshop (20 minutes) 3. Teacher will

1. Students will write independently on a project of their conference with
choice. students during their
writing time, providing
Mini-Lesson on Letter Writing (15 minutes) structure for the writing
activity, if necessary.
1. Students are provided direct instruction on the proper
format of a letter. Teacher will provide handouts, as well 4. Modifications will be
as using the document camera to demonstrate. made to the activity for
2. Teacher will explain that writing letters is a powerful those who may struggle
form of discourse, and in writing a letter to either Há or writing three
a government official, we are creating our own paragraphs.
discourse.
5. Students will also have
Letter Writing (40 minutes) writer’s workshop next
class to finish up the
1. Students will write a letter of their choice. Their letter letter if so needed.
should either be addressed to Há, and therefore a
reaction to her stories, or to a government official.
Letters to a government official should be attempting to
persuade the person of an immigration policy position.
Both letters should draw on the research on immigration
policy the students did last period.
2. Students should synthesize the information from Inside

Out and Back Again and the other poems and stories
they’ve read over the past few days, discussing their
own notions of home, how a person may feel when
losing their home, and how it may feel to relocate to an
unfamiliar country. The letter should include examples
(or even quotes!) from class reading.
3. Letters should begin with a greeting, include three

substantive paragraphs, and end with a salutation.
4. Students will be provided a rubric for this assignment.
Wrap-Up
1. Students who have finished their letter should turn it
into the assignment tray. Students who are still working
on their letter should finish it up as homework.
Closure:
1. Inform kids that they’ve done a wonderful job with this part of the unit, and that we will
be moving on to start a longer fiction text next week.
Teacher tasks:
1. Grade letters as summative assessment.
Day 15 of 15
___________________________________________________
Standards:
8.RL.3.2 Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience in a work of world literature
considering how it reflects heritage, traditions, attitudes, and beliefs.
8.RL.2.2 Analyze the development of a theme or central idea over the course of a work of
literature, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide a detailed
summary that supports the analysis.
● Explain the function of the title Inside Out & Back Again
● Describe the evolution of Há’s sense of home and belonging in the book
● Understand and explain the Final Project assignment

● Narrative Arc worksheet (adapted)
● Final Project Assignment Sheets
● Final Project Rubric

● Há slowly find her place in Alabama, without 1. Teacher will circulate
assimilating completely to local culture during Narrative Arc
● We can track the change in character using a narrative activity.
arc 2. Students struggling will
● For the final project, my expectations are… be assisted by teacher
and peers in CLC.
Writer’s Workshop (20 minutes)

1. Students will independently write on a topic of their
choice.
Tracking Change Through Narrative Arc (30 minutes)

1. Teacher will pass out Narrative Arc sheet to students.
We will review the key points of narrative: exposition,
rising action, climax, falling action, etc. As a class we
will fill out the Narrative Arc sheet.
2. Then, in CLCs students will think about the four

sections of the book, “Saigon,” “At Sea,” “Alabama,”
and “From Now On.” Where do they fit on the narrative
arc?
3. Students will track Há’s sense of belonging through the
book by finding evidence that belongs in each part of
the arc.
4. Students will cite evidence in the space provided on the
sheet.
5. We will them come together, and the teacher will ask
students what they found about Há’s sense of home.
Teacher will then ask the question: Based on the activity
we just did, why do you think the book is titled Inside
Out & Back Again?
6. Individually, students will write a paragraph of
summary on why the book is titled what it is.
Explanation and Grading of Final Project (30 minutes)
1. Teacher will pass out Final Project assignment sheets

and carefully explain the options for students and the
requirements for each.
2. Teacher will then hand out the Final Project Rubrics,
and explain each of those.
3. Students will have the opportunity to examine each of
the options and ask questions.
4. Exit ticket (5 minutes)- Do you feel that you understand
what is being asked of you for the final project? What
questions do you still have?
Closure: Thank students for a great reading experience, and

congratulate them on finishing the book! Inform them that their
final projects will be due two week from today.
Assessment: Teacher will collect student paragraphs and grade them as a formative assessment.
Troubleshooting:
1. The final project has multiple options for completion, each with their own criteria.
Students may find this confusing and require further clarification. Teacher will assure
students that they will be looking at the criteria multiple times during the week before the
project is due.
INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN FINAL
PROJECT

Over the past three weeks, we’ve discussed Há’s experience of fleeing
Vietnam and relocating to the United States. We’ve focused specifically on how her
ideas about home and belonging changed when she arrived in Alabama. For our
final project, we will expand our perspective on the ideas of home and belonging.

There are two options for your final project. Pick the one that speaks to you!

Option 1: Your Own Prose Poems

Há writes in a very distinct way, using short phrases to mirror her language
learning. She uses vivid imagery to describe the papaya trees in Saigon and the
wretched conditions on the ship. She shows us her story of belonging instead of
telling.

Now it’s time for you to create your own! Think about the ways in which your
upbring has fostered a sense of belonging. Where do you belong, and what is home
to you? Form your own style of free verse to tell us your story!

Keep in mind the elements of storytelling Lai uses. Look back at the text for ideas.

What this should include:

● Five prose poems of at least three stanzas in length
● A clear idea of belonging, or lack thereof
● Imagery to draw your reader in
● At least one symbol (look at your notes on symbolism for a refresher)
● A two paragraph summary of the ideas behind your prose poems

Option 2: Multimedia Research Presentation

A few days ago, we researched questions that we formulated. For this project
option, I’m asking you to use your research skills to expand on your knowledge of
refugees.

We’ve talked about Há’s journey as a refugee in 1975. What’s it like to be a refugee in
2020?

Here are some possible questions to get you started:
1. How does someone come to the United States as a refugee? Are there
restrictions on refugees?
2. What are the rules for refugees within our country?
3. How do current refugees feel about American culture? Is it easy to fit in?
4. Are there problems refugees experience now that Há would not have?

Use these as a guide, or formulate your own research questions! Then, in a video or
presentation, present your research to us!

What this should include:

● A five to ten minute video or presentation of your research
● A statement of your research questions
● Evidence from at least four reputable sources. These can include other
videos, articles, poems, or info from refugee organizations.
● A bibliography

Book Rationale:
Inside Out & Back Again i s the tale of 10-year old Há, a young girl in the midst of the
Vietnam War, and her family. When Saigon falls in April of 1975, Há and her family are forced
to leave their beloved home in order and flee via ship to a refugee camp in Guam, before being
permanently placed in Alabama. Written in prose poem and narrated by Há, the novel follows
Há, her mother, and her brothers as their world is turned inside out. Há misses Saigon more than
anything, at one point stating that “No one would believe me/ but at times/ I would choose/
wartime in Saigon/ over/ peacetime in Alabama” (Lai, 195). Through beautiful imagery, we see
Há experience the trials and tribulations of refugee life, from being trapped in a basement
apartment to being taunted and called names at school. It forces readers to take a hard look at
how we treat immigrants and refugees in the United States, the pressure we put on them to
assimilate, and the way our educational systems proliferate biases.
In our classroom, critical thinking is key to our educational success. By examining
notions of home, belonging, and assimilation, in Inside Out & Back Again, students also
critically examine their own notions of home and belonging. This allows them to think
analytically about their own lives, as well as the lives of immigrants and refugees. Beyond this,
for any immigrant or ESL students in our classroom, this book is important because they may be
able to see themselves represented through its pages, an important part of building curious and
lifelong readers. Inside Out & Back Again helps us build critical thinking skills and empathy.
Beyond that, it is a National Book Award winner and a Newbery Honor Book.
Parents may be skeptical of this book because it touches on some sensitive subjects,
namely immigration and homelessness. This is important to consider before having students read
the text, as for students who have experienced the traumas of displacement and poverty, the
subject matter can be quite jarring. However, it is also incredibly human and brings light to these
situations as well. Told through the eyes of a young girl, it is not violent or political in its
examination of war and immigration. Rather it is observational, curious, and at times jarringly
hopeful. Moreover, in our unit, we do not politicize the events of the book. Instead, we examine
their effects on one family, tracking their personal struggles and successes. We touch on some
tough subjects, but do so with the most empathetic lens.
To aid you with your decision, I have included several books reviews of Inside Out &
Back Again, as well as a brief biography of the author, Thanhha Lai.

From Publisher’s Weekly
Narrating in sparse free-verse poems, 10-year-old Hà brings a strong, memorable voice to the
immigrant experience as her family moves from war-torn South Vietnam to Alabama in 1975.
First-time author Lai, who made the same journey with her family, divides her novel into four
sections set in Vietnam, "At Sea," and the last two in Alabama. Lai gives insight into cultural and
physical landscapes, as well as a finely honed portrait of Hà's family as they await word about
Hà's POW father and face difficult choices (awaiting a sponsor family, "...Mother learns/
sponsors prefer those/ whose applications say ‘Christians.'/ Just like that/ Mother amends our
faith,/ saying all beliefs/ are pretty much the same"). The taut portrayal of Hà's emotional life is
especially poignant as she cycles from feeling smart in Vietnam to struggling in the States, and
finally regains academic and social confidence. A series of poems about English grammar offer
humor and a lens into the difficulties of adjusting to a new language and customs ("Whoever
invented English/ should be bitten/ by a snake"). An incisive portrait of human resilience. Ages
8–12. (Mar.)
From Common Sense Media
Parents need to know that this book is written in a series of short free-verse poems, which are
easy to read, fast-paced, descriptive, and poignant. Though it is never preachy or instructional,
the short verse poems give much information about life in Vietnam, including the foods,
clothing, traditions, the encroaching war, some politics, family structure, and more. Readers will
also learn about life as an immigrant as Ha struggles with a new language, eats new foods, meets
new kids, deals with attitudes toward Vietnamese immigrants -- and tries to blend Vietnamese
customs with new American ones. While the main character is a 10-year-old girl, this story is
suitable for boys and readers in a wide age range. Parents should know that this story is filled
with beauty and hope even though its backdrop is the Vietnam War.
From Amazon.com
This book is a part of my 8th grade language arts curriculum. In the classroom, it is
supplemented with numerous non-fiction texts about the universal refugee experience.
This book is a mostly non-fiction prose poetry account of the author's experience as a girl forced
to flee Vietnam and resettle in America. The book begins on the Vietnamese New Year (Tet)
1975 and concludes one year later. There is enough historical data embedded in the poems to be
educational and enough emotional personal experience to be enlightening. Additionally, there are
interesting cultural references that introduce young readers to other cultures and religions.
Young Ha's life is turned inside out when war causes her mother to pack up and take Ha and her
older brothers to a refugee camp in Guam. They are sponsored by an American "cowboy" after
they change their religion (on paper) to Christian and this "cowboy" discovers that Ha's older
brother was studying engineering and might be useful repairing cars for his business.
The second half of the book is an account of how Ha's life comes "back again" as she adapts to
her new home and life in the states, facing bullies and wishing that the person who invented
English would be bitten by a snake!
Given the current refugee-related news, this story helped my students understand the difference
between refugees and immigrants and have a better human understanding of the reasons people
flee their homes and seek asylum elsewhere, as well as the struggles they face in their host
countries.
A quick read for an adult. An enlightening read for a child or tween who may have questions
about the refugee condition.
Thanhha Lai
Thanhhà Lai is the #1 New York Times b estselling author of Inside Out & Back Again, her debut
novel in verse, which won both a National Book Award and a Newbery Honor, and the
acclaimed Listen, Slowly, which was named to numerous best book of the year lists. She was
born in Viêt Nam and now lives in New York with her family. To learn more about Thanhhà and
her charity, Viet Kids Inc., visit www.thanhhalai.com.
Standard Reflection
The Indiana State Standard for English Language Arts focus on cultivating critical
thinking skills needed for analytical reading, writing, and oratory. However, these critical
thinking skills are also the skills that we need to think through dilemmas in “real world”
situations. In crafting this unit, I wanted to emphasize to cultivation of new perspective on
diversity and the creation of empathy. Standard 8.RL.3.2, in which students are asked to
“analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience in a work of world literature

considering how it reflects heritage, traditions, attitudes, and beliefs” encompasses what I am
attempting to do in this unit. By asking my students to analyze how Há and her family are shaped
and impacted by the loss of their home, I am also asking my students to examine the culture in
which we live, and the traditional and biases we impose on those seeking refuge.
Likewise, the unit endeavors to propagate empathy in students through collaborative
learning. When students interact with each other in an open and vulnerable academic setting,
they are able to work together to form a better understanding of our world. Indiana State
Standard emphasize collaboration of student by “pos[ing] questions that connect the ideas of
several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence,
observations, and ideas” (8.SL.2.4). By creating an atmosphere in which students engage with
the perspectives of others while also engaging with the world at large through text, we create the
conditions through which students can look at the world both critically and empathetically.
Moreover, this unit also touches on subjects that many students may grapple with everyday.
Issues of poverty, homelessness, lack of representation in the community: these are issues that
we examine in this unit that may already be relevant to my students’ lives. In this way, the unit
fulfill the guiding principle of the Indiana State Reading Standards, in that students “read a wide
range of literature in many genres from a variety of time periods and cultures from around the
world to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic)
of human experience. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers
and writers, and reading skills that they have developed and refined” (Standards, 1).
Works Cited
Beck, Julie. “The Psychology of Home: Why Where You Live Means So Much.” The Atlantic,
Atlantic Media Company, 29 Dec. 2011,
www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/the-psychology-of-home-why-where-you-li
ve-means-so-much/249800/.
Der Vang, Mai. “Poem of the Week | January 20, 2014.” The Missouri Review, 20 Jan. 2014,
www.missourireview.com/mai-der-vang-light-from-a-burning-citadel/.
Rizzo, Suzanne Del. My Beautiful Birds. Pajama Press Inc., 2017.
Hagan, Ellen. “Before Your Arrival.” Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, 28 Feb. 2017,
www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/your-arrival.
Chalasani, Radhika. “Fall of Saigon 40th Anniversary.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 30 Apr.
2015, www.cbsnews.com/pictures/fall-of-saigon-vietnam-anniversary/20/.
Couturie, Gary, director. What English Sounds Like to Non-English Speakers. YouTube,
YouTube, 1 Dec. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU2wkD-gbzI.
Lai, Thanhha. Inside out & Back Again. Thorndike Press, a Part of Gale, a Cengage Company,
2018.
“Meet-the-Author Recording with Thanhha Lai.” TeachingBooks,

www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=7256.
“Brown County, Indiana.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Dec. 2019,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_County,_Indiana.

Inside Out Back Again Unit

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Finding Home: Narratives of Transient and Displaced Peoples

Day by Day Calendar

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

What is Home?: Gallery Walk Book Literature What Happened

Homework: Homework: Homework:

Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10

Homework: Homework: Homework: Homework: Homework:

Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15

Learning Immigration Action Day: Action Day: Closure:

been exposed to narratives of minorities or refugees, making the representation of minorities in

This unit strives to represent those who are often disregarded.

many people take for granted: home.

non-fiction text, poetry, and multimodal sources.

responsibility for their own learning and others.

based on the topic at hand.

Materials needed & Advanced preparation:

Specific teaching points of today: Adaptations:

Lead-in to next class (10 minutes)

Materials needed & Advanced preparation:

Specific teaching points of today: Adaptations:

Procedures w/Pacing: 2. A disclaimer will be

2. 10 minutes-Students will read the passages to one

3. 10 minutes-We will come back together. One student

4. 10 minutes- As a class, we will brainstorm themes for

Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Materials needed & Advanced preparation:

Specific teaching points of today: Adaptations:

3. 5 minutes- On their free verse notes sheet, students will

Introduction to the Novel and Characterization (40 minutes)

1. 5 minutes-Teacher will pass out ​Inside Out and Back

2. 5 minutes- I will play “Meet-the-Author Recording with

3. 10 minutes- As a class, we will read “1975: The Year of

4. 15 minutes-Teacher will pass out characterization sheet.

5. 5 minutes- In a quick share out, one person from each

Materials needed & Advanced preparation:

Specific teaching points of today: Adaptations:

Procedures w/Pacing: 2. A disclaimer will be

2. 5 minutes- Individually, students will quickwrite

4. 3 student volunteers will share their responses with the

Literature Circles (30 minutes)

2. In their groups each student will be assigned a role, and

3. Each group will be given a piece of chart paper. In the

4. The groups will discuss the two questions they

5. On the chart paper, the record will summarize the

6. Each group will share out their two essential questions

Group Discussion (20 minutes)

Materials needed & Advanced preparation:

Specific teaching points of today: Adaptations:

4. Teacher will circulate during this time, helping groups

5. 30 min- Each student will then be assigned to a different

The country divided in half.

Mother and Father came south,

The same week,

Exit tickets will be graded as a formative assessment.

8.SL.2.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and

Materials needed & Advanced preparation:

2. They may choose a scene from the novel that

Materials needed & Advanced preparation:

3. If students do not finish their poems during the class

4. Students who are finished should turn their poems into

Materials needed & Advanced preparation:

Specific teaching points of today: Adaptations:

3. This will be turned into the tray as a formative

1. 5 minutes-Teacher will pass out Inside Out and Back

Assessment: Symbolism illustrations will be turned in and graded as a formative assessment of

Assessment: Exit tickets will be collected as a formative assessment.

Standards:9-10.W.3.3 Write narrative compositions in a variety of forms that – ● Engage and

2. Students should synthesize the information from Inside

Closure: Thank students for a great reading experience, and

Back Again, as well as a brief biography of the author, Thanhha Lai.

From Common Sense Media

“Meet-the-Author Recording with Thanhha Lai.” TeachingBooks,

“Brown County, Indiana.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Dec. 2019,