Jean Fritz’s Homesick My Own Story Detailed Chapter One Lesson Plan Grades 4-6

Jean Fritz’s classic autobiographical novel recounts the story of the author’s sojourn in the Chinese city of Hankow (modern-day Wuhan) as a young girl in the 1920s.

Add depth to your students’ understanding of the novel Homesick: My Own Story (860L) by using this hand-dandy lesson plan replete with reading comprehension and discussion questions (as well as a suggested lesson plan).

F&P Level: X

Classroom Grade Levels: 5 - 7

N.B: Suitable text for middle and high school English Language Learners

Published: 1982

Lexile Level: 860L

Award(s): Newbery Honor Book

What's Included:

• Pre-Reading Activity (with a worksheet for students)
  • 1 Color Visual Poster and Activity of a Chinese junk ship
  • 1 simplified black and white version
• Word List for Chapter One (including character names, geography, phrases and idioms, and vocabulary lists)
• 26 Text-Based Questions for Reading Comprehension (includes a rubric for scoring and grading)
• 10 Discussion Questions (for the whole class and group discussion)
• Includes Self-Checking Google Form Assessment
• Has Answer Key and Model Answers
• 1 Suggested Lesson Plan
• Bibliography

Students will enjoy reading this story, especially for its time-honored theme of belonging. As a teacher, I have taught this novel to English Language Learners. It is perfect for Mandarin and Cantonese EFL-speaking students.

Other Uses for this Resource:

• Fourth Graders Going into Fifth Grade - Summer Reading
• Middle School Language Arts Curriculum (5th and 6th Grades)
• Suitable Text for Middle and High School English Language Learners

Social Studies and Humanities Tie-In: Since the novel is based on a true story, Humanities teachers will find this resource valuable, as it aligns well with modern Chinese history, colonialism, and the Communist rebellion that shook the young Republic of China.

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