Vocabulary—from “Hair” and “Two Kinds”



“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan: Vocabulary List

*You must learn all the ***starred***words, unless I personally told you that you had to learn all of them. The other words you can learn, but you do not have to.

|*lament (v) |To show sadness/sorrow; to regret deeply |

|*prodigy (n) |a genius |

|reproach (v) |To express disapproval; to bring shame upon; to criticize |

|clamor (n) |A loud noise |

|*mesmerize (v) |Fascinate; hypnotize |

|listless (adj) |Without energy |

|reverie (n) |Dream |

|*discordant (adj) |Ugly sounding; inharmonious |

|*dawdled (v) |Moved slowly |

|*debut (n) |First public appearance |

|*fiasco (n) |Complete failure |

|*nonchalant (adj) |Laid back; not caring |

|*sentimental (adj) |Overly emotional |

|*inevitable (adj) |Unavoidable |

|indignity |Humiliating treatment |

Vocabulary Activities

1. Give an example of something that would be considered self-degradation.

2. Why would your mother be lamenting your bad grades?

3. Name three kinds of prodigies:

4. Why did your mother reproach you harshly?

5. Why was there a clamor coming from the kitchen?

6. What things mesmerize you?

7. Why might you be feeling listless in the morning?

8. What were you lost in a reverie during class?

9. Why was the music from the band discordant?

10. Why were you dawdling while doing your homework?

11. What might the audience do after the ballerina makes her debut?

12. How did the party turn into a complete fiasco?

13. If you wanted to appear nonchalant in front of your crush, what might you do?

14. Why might people be feeling sentimental at the movies?

15. Name three things that are inevitable in life?

16. What would be considered a human indignity?

Vocabulary Squares

Choose 8 of your vocabulary words. Fold your paper in fourths. In each square, you will write the word, the definition, a meaningful sentence, and a picture/cartoon of your meaningful sentence. If you are having trouble thinking of sentences, look back to your vocabulary exercise. (You may do more for extra credit.)

Academic Challenge

1. self-degradation (n)--( (v)_______________

2. lament (v) ( (n)_______________________

3. reproach (v) ( (n)_____________--> (adj) _________________ ( (adv)_____________

4. clamor (n) ( (adj) ____________________

5. listless (adj) ( (adv) ________________

6. discordant (adj) ( (n) _____________ ( (adv) _________________

7. nonchalant (adj) ( (adv) ___________ ( (n) __________________

8. sentimental (adj) ( (adv) ____________ ( (n) _________________

9. inevitable (adj) ( (adv) _______________ ( (n) _______________

Name:_____________________Period:____________________

Road Map: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

Essential Questions

• Do parents always know what’s right for their children? Do they ever make mistakes?

• What happens when kids don’t live up to their parents’ expectations?

• What does it mean to be an underachiever? Why does someone become an underachiever?

• What can parents and children do to have a good relationship?

• Do parents ever make their children do things so that they look good?

Reading Strategy

*Analyzing a character’s motivations. Ask why the character does what he/she does. Put yourself in his/her shoes.

Getting Thing Straight

Section 1: pages 1-3

*While you are reading, circle all of your vocabulary words and underline all sentences with the vocabulary word.

*After you finish reading, answer these questions quickly to see if you understood what you just read. If you don’t know the answer to something, go back and reread.

1. What does the narrator’s mother think of America?

2. What does the mother want the daughter to be?

3. What did the mother lose in China?

4. What was the first kind of prodigy the mother wanted the daughter to be?

5. Does the daughter like this? Why?

6. What kind of job does the mother have?

7. In your opinion, do you think “predicting the daily temperatures in Los Angeles” is a realistic expectation?

8. What happens when the girl doesn’t meet her mother’s expectations?

9. What does the girl mean when she says she “saw the prodigy side of me”? (2)

10. Why does the girl start counting the bellows?

11. What does the mother see on the Ed Sullivan show that mesmerizes her?

12. How does the mother pay for the piano lessons?

13. How does the daughter respond to having to go to piano lessons?

14. Connect: How would you react in her situation? Why?

15. Why did Old Chong retire from teaching piano?

16. What kind of piano player does the daughter become? Why?

Characterization: Analyzing Characters’ Motivations (Putting yourself in their shoes).

1. Why do you think the mother wants her daughter to be a prodigy? If you had a daughter, would you want her to be a prodigy? (Consider what the mother has gone through.) Why?

2. Why do you think the daughter starts to rebel against her mother? If you had a mother that pushy, would you rebel against her? Why?

3. Why does the daughter get mad about the piano lessons? If you were the daughter, would you get mad about it too? Why?

Delve In—Section 1

1. Do you think the mother has unrealistic expectations for her daughter? Why or why not? (Write your claim, including title and author, and list 2 quotes from the story to back up your point).

2. Do you think the mother is a good mother? Why or why not? (Write your claim and list 2 quotes to back up your claim.)

3. Predict: What do you think might happen next? Will their relationship improve or get worse (deteriorate?)

Academic Challenge (Extra credit)

1. Write a guide for parents, titled: “How to be a good parent” or “How to form good relationships with your kids.” Have at least 15 points on your guide.

2. Come up with a poster, entitled: “10 Characteristics of a Chronic Underachiever” and “10 Ways for the Underachiever to Achieve”

Getting Things Straight

Section 2: page 3(end) –6

1. Who is Waverly, and why does the narrator hate her?

2. Are the two mothers being honest with each other?

3. Where will the narrator show off her piano playing skills?

4. Predict: How do you think it will go?

5. How does the performance go?

6. How does the girl feel?

7. What does her mother look like?

8. What do mother and daughter start arguing about?

9. What kind of daughter does the mother say she wants?

10. What does the daughter bring up that shocks her mother beyond belief?

11. How does the daughter continue to fall short of expectations?

12. What does the daughter say frightened her the most? (p. 6)

13. What does the daughter think is as a sign of forgiveness?

14. How does she feel now about the piano?

15. What has happened to the narrator’s mother?

16. What is the name of the song on the left-hand side? On the right-hand side?

17. How are the names of the songs similar to the narrator’s life?

Analyzing a Character’s Motivations

1. Why do you think the two mothers lie to each other about their daughters? Would you do the same if another mother came to you telling how great their kid was? Why or why not?

2. Why do you think the daughter refuses to continue her piano lessons? Would you do the same? Why or why not?

3. Why do you think it frightened the daughter that her mother had “given up hope”? Would you be frightened too? Why or why not?

4. Why do you think the mother decides to give her daughter the piano?

Delving In

Choose one of the following to answer in a complete Delve In Paragraph with 3 quotes that are introduced and analyzed. Please write this on the Delve In Paragraph Graphic Organizer.

1. How does the daughter act when she continually fails her mother’s expectations?

2. How would you describe the mother?

3. How would you describe the daughter?

4. How would you describe the relationship between mother and daughter?

5. Why does the daughter refuse to live up to her mother’s expectations?

Academic Challenge

You may complete one of the following options for extra credit.

1. Explain the significance of the two pieces: “Pleading Child” and “Perfectly Contented”.

2. You can complete an Academic Challenge from the previous day.

3. You can complete another Delve In paragraph for extra credit.

4. You can read another story from the same novel, The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, “Rules of the Game” for extra credit. Write a brief analysis of why Waverly stops playing chess.

Name:___________________________Per._____________________ Date:__________

“Two Kinds” Quiz

Part I: Vocabulary Meaningful Sentences

Please write meaningful sentences for the following words. (Remember! “She is a prodigy” will receive 0 points):

1. prodigy:

2. fiasco:

3. discordant:

4. nonchalant:

5. inevitable:

Please write the opposites/antonyms for the following words:

6. dawdled:

7. sentimental:

8. lament:

Academic Challenge: (Extra credit). Please define the following words.

1. reproach:

2. indignity:

3. reverie:

4. tentative:

Part II: Short Answer Responses. For each question, make sure you back up your answer with examples from the story. Please respond in complete sentences, approximately 3-4 will be sufficient.

1. In the story, “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, is the daughter being a good daughter? (Respond with a claim and 2 examples, not quotes).

2. In the story, “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, how would you describe the relationship between mother and daughter? (Respond with a claim and 2 examples from the story to back up your point.)

Delve In Paragraph

Using the Delve In Paragraph format, please answer this question:

1. In the story, “The Pie” by Gary Soto, how does the narrator feel after he steals the pie?

***In your paragraph, you will need to make a claim about how the narrator feels. Then, you will need to prove your claim by finding three quotes from the story to back up your opinion. Then, you will need to introduce and analyze each quote, making sure you are very clear that you are proving your claim. The graphic organizer is provided for your use. Please do not write on the story.

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