Quarter 1- Narrative Chinese Cinderella

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How might we create a lasting legacy?

"A doctor". . . "a lawyer". . . "an accountant" ---- all honorable answers to the age-old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Yet by simply adding two words, "your legacy," the question can take on a whole new meaning and whole new perspective on life. "What do you want (your legacy) to be when you grow up?" "Your legacy" implies that it is not what you'll be that's important; it is how you will be it.

In her autobiography, Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah shares stories of hard-work, determination, and success. Her autobiography is written from the perspective of an "unwanted child," living in China, during the early 1900s. In an author's note, she dedicates her book, "To All Unwanted Children," and shares her reasons for writing it --- "To preserve my memories through my writing (and) to “encourage” other unwanted children, without them having to leave their own homes." She goes onto say, "“Do not underestimate the power of such stories.” “Please believe that one single positive dream is more important than 1,000 negative realities” (xi-xii). What did Adeline grow up to be? A doctor. What was her legacy? Encouraging other unwanted to succeed through hard-work and determination. What do you want your legacy to be when you grow up?