Teacher's Pet by Jason Li
'Teacher's Pet' is the first published chapter of the graphic novel series The House on Horse Mountain which is about growing up in the bygone Hong Kong of the 1960s. It follows the story of Ann, a hard-working and responsible but clumsy young girl, as she runs chores around town, gets into trouble at school, and tries to win her parents’ and teachers' approval. Li follows her daily routine into the recognizable elements of her days at school – classroom scenes, her positive relationship with her teachers and her role as a student leader – and also capturing life in Hong Kong at the time, including the harsh realities of social conditions like water shortages and their effects.
The story is based on stories passed down from Li's parents about life in one of Hong Kong’s many post-war refugee communities.
Teacher’s Pet text and illustrations copyright © 2017 by Jason Li.
About the author
Jason Li is a Hong Kong-based independent designer, cartoonist, and consultant working at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and social change. His practice focuses on amplifying underrepresented voices, creating alternative media ecosystems, and making digital safety more accessible. Previous works have appeared at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Asian Art Museum, on the BBC, and on the radio in Spain. He also serves as an editor at Paradise Systems, a publisher of exemplary comics from the US and China, and is a member of Zine Coop, an independent publishing collective in Hong Kong.
Unit lesson plan
Book title: Teacher’s Pet (first book of The House on Horse Mountain)
Author: Jason Li
Publisher: Self-published, Hong Kong, 2017
Reading Level*: Lexile 540L / Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level reading Test 1.1
Suitable for Ages: 7 to 8 years
Proposed grade level: P2
Themes: Memoir, poverty, growing up
Connection to Hong Kong Curriculum: English Language, Language Education KLA
Values: Care for others, Honesty
Modules: We love Hong Kong; Me, my family and friends
General Studies Curriculum: Community and Citizenship, Health and Living, Science and Technology in Everyday Life
Lesson duration: 30 minutes per lesson
Unit Lesson Plan for Teacher_s Pet.pdfSkill Allocation
Reading
L5 (Water shortage)
L10 (Boardgame)
Listening
L6 (Being hygienic)
Writing
L1 (School rules)
Speaking
L3 (Subjects)
L4 (Numeral adverbs)
Grammar
L2 (Onomatopoeia)
L4 (Numeral adverbs)
Literary devices
L8 (Character description)
Vocabulary
L3 (Subjects)
L7 (Housework)
Cultural awareness
L9 (Chinese calligraphy)
Visual literacy
L2 (Onomatopoeia)
L9 (Chinese calligraphy)
Download complete set of lesson plan and teaching materials
( Please email to engl.rcpce@polyu.edu.hk for the ZIP decompression password. )
Download individual lesson plan and teaching materials
( Please email to engl.rcpce@polyu.edu.hk for the ZIP decompression password. )
Lesson plans and teaching materials
Lesson 1 - School rules
Aims:
To understand the role and duties of a student leader.
To create a poster for reminding students to follow school rules.
Focused skill: Writing
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to design a poster for reminding students to follow school rules.
L1 Lesson Plan - School rules.pdfLesson 2 - Onomatopoeia
Aims:
To understand the use of onomatopoeia.
To identify and create comic strips with onomatopoeia.
Focused skills: Literacy device, Visual literacy
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to identify onomatopoeia used in the book.
Students are able to create comic strips using onomatopoeia.
L2 Lesson Plan - Onomatopoeia.pdfLesson 3 - Subjects
Aims:
To learn vocabulary and phrases about different subjects
To talk about favourite subjects.
Focused skills: Writing and speaking
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to use the vocabulary and phrases about subjects to talk about their favourite subject and give reasons.
L3 Lesson Plan - Subjects.pdfLesson 4 - Numeral Adverbs
Aims:
To understand the functions of numeral adverbs.
To talk about habits or routines using the target adverbs.
Focused skills: Grammar and speaking
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to describe their habits or routines related to their personal hygiene using numeral adverbs.
L4 Lesson Plan - Numeral adverbs.pdfLesson 5 - Water Shortage
Aims:
To learn about the period of water shortage in Hong Kong.
To practise reading comprehension skills such as recognising text types, connectives, locating specific information and making inferences.
Focused skills: Reading
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to answer the comprehension questions correctly.
L5 Lesson Plan - Water shortage.pdfLesson 6 - Being Hygienic
Aims:
To learn about personal hygiene
To practice listening skills
Focused skills: Listening
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to answer the questions based on the video.
L6 Lesson Plan - Being hygienic.pdfLesson 7 - Housework
Aims:
To learn vocabulary and phrases related to housework.
Focused skills: Vocabulary
Assessment Criteria:
Students learn the target vocabulary and phrases and show understanding through the worksheet exercise and an acting out activity.
L7 Lesson Plan - Housework.pdfLesson 8 - Character Description
Aims:
To understand the character traits of the main characters
To create a character profile
Focused skills: Literature
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to complete the character profiles and express their personal opinions.
L8 Lesson Plan - Character description.pdfLesson 9 - Chinese Calligraphy
Aims:
To learn about Chinese calligraphy – the tools and brush strokes.
To be able to write some basic Chinese words
Students will experience Chinese calligraphy using brushes and ink.
Focused skills: Cultural awareness
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to recall the Four Treasure of Chinese Study and write some basic Chinese words.
L9 Lesson Plan - Chinese calligraphy.pdfLesson 10 - Boardgame
Aims:
To consolidate students’ understanding of the story.
To understand problems of water shortage; Chinese calligraphy and different types of housework through a boardgame and worksheet.
Focused skills: Reading
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to follow the instructions and play the boardgame correctly.
L10 Lesson Plan - Boardgame.pdf