Overview
Persepolis is graphic novel that functions as a biographical/historical work that details the events of the Islamic revolution of the 1970s in Iran through the eyes of a young girl. Satrapi tackles huge social/political/human issues with the innocence of a young child. For much of the novel, it is not about politics as it is about a little girl trying to make her way in a world where she has little to no power at all. Accessible to all readers, I believe that this is a great opportunity for parents and students to read a powerful piece of literature together and talk about its implications.
Audience
Because of a lower lexile score and simple cartoonish drawings, this book is very much accessible to all readers. I personally did not come across this little gem until college, but it is intended for anyone who will read it. Scholastic.com puts this work at a lexile score of 380L, but the interest level is set for most secondary students. Basically, this work in terms of reading level is much lower than most books read in 7th grade, however, the themes are very much for older students, and I think that students will benefit from reading such a work. Anyone interested in how lexile scores generally work can consult this webpage
Relevance to Curriculum
Below are the standards that we will be covering in this unit. For more information about the standards used to build this curriculum, click here
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.9 Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
This unit is primarily designed to introduce students to a new place. Since 9/11 and the Iraq war, many ideas have circulated about people in the Middle East that may or may not be true. We certainly will not be teaching any sort of ideology as a part of this unit, but rather we are simply presenting a fairly unbiased and accurate account of Iran's history so that students can form their own opinions. We also want to show students that issues in Iran are similar to issues that have taken place in the United States and other parts of the world. The hope is that students will see that although people groups may have different beliefs, we are not so different from each other. At the end of the unit, students will complete a group project that displays just that. They will compare Iran's revolution to similar events in other countries. Using their own research, they will compare and contrast such the events in Persepolis to those in other areas of the world and then to the United States.
Potential Issues
There are a few potential concerns when it comes to this novel, but I believe that they are minimal. There are some scenes that suggest/depict torture and imprisonment. Also, there are a few choice words that are inappropriate for use by students in school. Fortunately, (as can be see in excerpt above) the drawing style of this novel is quite symbol, so that limits any kind of gore that might potentially traumatize or upset the students. Also, the bad language of this novel is not systematic or pervasive. I would compare it to that of a PG or PG-13 film.
Finally, the last remaining issue is that some may find this novel "cartoony" and not very high in merit. To that criticism, I would suggest doing some research on this novel. For fear of coming off as biased, I do not provide any resources on this novel, but I do know that many exist. From what I can find, there is nothing but positive reviews for this work. Also, I think anyone who picks up this novel and reads even the smallest amount will see its merit right away.
Alternative Works
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana
Cracking India
V for Vendetta
Once again, concerns are always welcome. Feel free to email/call me.
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