Boxers & Saints Book Trailer
Ideas for discussion topics and lesson plans...
Perspective: How does your understanding loyalty change as you read each character as a protagonist and antagonist. Are you able to sympathize when seeing the same story from opposing perspectives? Do we experience any other character's perspectives besides Bao or Vibiana?
Extension lesson or activity ideas on perspective: for older grades 7th-8th, pick a current event with opposing arguments and have students create an ad, bill board, or commercial for both perspectives to show an understanding of core beliefs of each party. -- For younger grades, elementary age 5th-6th: have students pick a favorite between two or more things (i.e. "Write down your favorite season and why") then pair opposing students and let each student create a visual for their partners argument to show an understanding of their partner's reasoning.
Magical Realism: What does the reader gain from the blending of real and magical? What was the author's purpose for inserting the fantastical element?
Extension activity on Magical Realism: write a story of an event in your life, but insert a magical/fantastical element. Be careful not to write a fairytale or fantasy.
Writing: Often in graphic novels there will be several panels or even pages with no words where the pictures are telling the story. Pick a moment in Boxers & Saints where this happens, and write what the pictures tell us.
Art: Choose a scene in Boxer's & Saints with pictures and words. How would you recreate the pictures to tell the story without words.
History/ Research: find information on the Boxer Rebellion. Write an essay to give more information on what lead to the rebellion or what has happened since the rebellion.
Extension: Through research find other historical events (wars, rebellions, revolutions) with similar causes and/or outcomes.