Page 58 - Point 5 Literature Program Option 1 Teachers Guide (2) (1)

Waverly announces that she no longer wants to compete in chess so that her mother will stop showing her off to
the neighbors.
Waverly threatens to stop playing competitive chess if her mother does not stop taking her to the market on
Saturdays and watching over her all the time while she practices.

7. Answers will vary, but might include:
Gains: – she learns to think strategically
– she becomes a champion
– she is given special privileges at home
Losses: – freedom to play as a child
– part of her friendly relationship with her brothers
– the good relationship with her mother
8. The brothers complain about her special privileges and the extra work they have to do, so we see they are not
happy about the changes.
9. Waverly became fascinated by chess and was prepared to work hard at it while her brothers just wanted to
continue playing in the neighborhood.

10. The story begins with an explanation of the importance of invisible strength as a strategy for winning
arguments, respect from others, and … chess games. Waverly used the strategy well to win many arguments
with her mother, for example, biting her tongue back to gain permission to play in chess tournaments.
Waverly also gained respect as a girl chess player: I discovered that for the whole game one must gather invisible
strengths …
I used the HOTS of Explaining patterns to see how this notion is repeated and used in the story.

Bridging Text and Context
ask students to answer the question. use rubric 3 on page 88 to mark written answers.
Answers might include:
From this biographical information, we see that the author had actually experienced the kinds of cultural-
generational clashes and conflicts that are described between Waverly and her mother. These kinds of clashes
include the mother pushing the daughter in a certain direction, with the mother keeping her preference for
Chinese values, Chinese sayings and ways of behaving. In other words, although this is not an autobiography of
Amy Tan, we understand that she is writing of clashes and conflicts of a type she has experienced first hand.

Post-Reading Activity
let students choose one of these activities. use rubric 4 on page 88 to mark written answers.

Reflection
students answer these questions in writing.

Summative Assessment
Photocopy page 59 and have students answer the questions in class. Decide if you wish to let them
look at the text of the story in their coursebook.

Possible answers appear on page 60 of this guide, but remember to accept any well justified responses.

58 rules of the game