NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
10.1.3
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 1
Lesson 1
Introduction
In this first lesson of the unit, students begin their exploration of “Rules of the Game,” the first of two
chapters from Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club that students read and analyze in this unit. Students read the
first three paragraphs of “Rules of the Game” on page 89 (from “I was six when my mother” to “on the
counter with the rest of the items”), in which the narrator recalls an incident from her childhood when
her mother taught her an important lesson. Students begin to make inferences about Waverly’s
relationship with her mother. Student learning is assessed via a Quick Write at the end of the lesson:
What do the interactions between Waverly and her mother in the first three paragraphs suggest about
their relationship?
For homework, students reread the first three paragraphs of “Rules of the Game” and respond briefly in
writing to the following question: What “game” is introduced in this excerpt? In addition, students read
pages 89–93 of “Rules of the Game,” box unfamiliar words, and look up their definitions.
Standards
Assessed Standard(s)
RL.9-10.3
Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations)
develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot
or develop the theme.
Addressed Standard(s)
W.9-10.9.a
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
a. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how an author
draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play
by Shakespeare]”).
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NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 1
Assessment
Assessment(s)
Student learning is assessed via a Quick Write at the end of the lesson. Students respond to the
following prompt, citing textual evidence to support analysis and inferences drawn from the text.

What do the interactions between Waverly and her mother in the first three paragraphs suggest
about their relationship?
 Throughout this unit, Quick Writes will be assessed using the Short Response Rubric.
High Performance Response(s)
A High Performance Response should:

Identify significant interactions between Waverly and her mother in the first three paragraphs
(e.g., Waverly cries in the store to get a treat and her mother refuses, Waverly’s mother teaches
her “the art of invisible strength” (p. 89), and Waverly doesn’t ask for the salted plums at the store
and her mother buys them for her).

Analyze what the interactions between Waverly and her mother suggest about their relationship
(e.g., The interactions depicted in the opening paragraphs of “Rules of the Game” suggest that
Waverly and her mother might see their relationship as a “game” that each wants to “win” (p. 89)
Waverly tries to get her mother to buy her “salted plums” by crying in the store, but her mother
tells her, “Bite back your tongue” and then, at home, teaches Waverly “the art of invisible
strength” (p. 89). With “the art of invisible strength,” Waverly’s mother teaches Waverly to be a
“wise guy” and to “[win] arguments, respect from others, and … chess games” (p. 89). When
Waverly “wins” the treats she wants by not crying or asking for the salted plums the next week,
she demonstrates that she respects her mother and is willing to learn the lessons her mother
teaches her. She also “wins” the respect of her mother, who silently rewards Waverly with the
“forbidden candies” (p. 89).).
Vocabulary
Vocabulary to provide directly (will not include extended instruction)

None.*
Vocabulary to teach (may include direct word work and/or questions)

None.*
Additional vocabulary to support English Language Learners (to provide directly)

ancestral (adj.) – descended or claimed from ancestors
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NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum

Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 1
strategy (n.) – careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of
time
*The vocabulary in this lesson’s text is accessible at grade level. Vocabulary work should focus on analyzing the figurative and
connotative meanings of words in the text, such as the author’s use of “invisible strength.”
Lesson Agenda/Overview
Student-Facing Agenda
% of Lesson
Standards & Text:

Standards: RL.9-10.3, W.9-10.9.a

Text: “Rules of the Game” from The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, page 89,
paragraphs 1–3
Learning Sequence:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Introduction of Lesson Agenda
Homework Accountability
Masterful Reading
Reading and Discussion
Quick Write
Closing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Materials

Student copies of the Short Response Rubric and Checklist (refer to 10.1.1 Lesson 1)
Learning Sequence
How to Use the Learning Sequence
Symbol Type of Text & Interpretation of the Symbol
10%
no
symbol



Percentage indicates the percentage of lesson time each activity should take.
Plain text indicates teacher action.
Bold text indicates questions for the teacher to ask students.
Italicized text indicates a vocabulary word.
Indicates student action(s).
Indicates possible student response(s) to teacher questions.
Indicates instructional notes for the teacher.
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5%
10%
5%
60%
10%
10%
NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 1
Activity 1: Introduction of Lesson Agenda
5%
Begin by reviewing the agenda and the assessed standard for this lesson: RL.9-10.3. In this lesson,
students begin reading the chapter “Rules of the Game” from the novel The Joy Luck Club. Students
listen to a masterful reading of the first three paragraphs of the chapter and then analyze the passage,
focusing on the character development of the narrator and her mother.
 Students look at the agenda.
 Consider encouraging students to read the entire novel independently over the course of this unit to
enrich their understanding of the characters and central ideas they study in this chapter.
Activity 2: Homework Accountability
10%
Instruct students to talk in pairs about how they applied focus standard RL.9-10.4 or RI.9-10.4 to their
Accountable Independent Reading (AIR) texts. Lead a brief share out on the previous lesson’s AIR
homework assignment. Select several students (or student pairs) to explain how they applied a focus
standard to their AIR texts.
 Students (or student pairs) discuss and share how they applied the focus standard to their AIR
texts from the previous lesson’s homework.
Instruct students to take out their responses to the second part of the previous lesson’s homework
assignment. (Read paragraphs 1–3 of “Rules of the Game” on page 89 of The Joy Luck Club and develop
a question focusing on the narrator and a question focusing on the narrator’s mother.) Instruct students
to talk in pairs about their homework responses.
Instruct student pairs to share with the class the question and answer that best supports their
understanding of the text.
 Student responses may include:
What do you learn about the narrator in these paragraphs?
 Student responses may include:
o
o
o
The narrator is named “Waverly Jong.” Waverly may be Chinese-American, since the
first name sounds English but the family name sounds Chinese.
Waverly seems willing to learn from her mother, because when Waverly and her mother
return to the store the next week, Waverly “[bites] back [her] tongue” and her mother
rewards her with “a small bag of plums” (p. 89).
Waverly is looking back on her childhood. Waverly refers to when she “was six” and says
that she and her mother learned “eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time”
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NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 1
that “the art of invisible strength” could help win chess games. The words “eventually”
and “at the time” suggest that a long period of time has passed since the time that
Waverly was six (p. 89).
What do you learn about the narrator’s mother in these paragraphs?
 Student responses may include:
o
o
o
Waverly’s mother seems to have valuable lessons to teach, such as “the art of invisible
strength” (p. 89).
Waverly’s mother is strict and expects her child to behave. She “scold[s]” Waverly when
Waverly cries and “yank[s] her hand,” suggesting that she is angry about her child’s
behavior (p. 89).
Waverly’s mother is probably Chinese or of Chinese descent since she says, “In Chinese
we say,” and constructs sentences in a way that suggests she may not be a native
speaker of English. She says, “Wise guy, he not go against wind” (p. 89).
Lead a brief whole-class discussion of student responses.
Activity 3: Masterful Reading
5%
Have students listen to a masterful reading of the first three paragraphs of “Rules of the Game” on page
89 from The Joy Luck Club (from “I was six when my mother taught me” to “with the rest of the items”).
Ask students to pay particular attention to the interactions between Waverly and her mother.
 Consider pausing several times during the masterful reading to allow students time to write down
initial reactions and questions.
 Students follow along reading silently.
 Differentiation Consideration: Consider posting or projecting the following guiding question to
support students in their reading throughout this lesson:
What “game” is Waverly “playing” with her mother and what “rules” does she learn?
Activity 4: Reading and Discussion
60%
Instruct students to form pairs. Post or project each set of questions below for students to discuss.
Instruct students to annotate for character development throughout the reading and discussion, using
the code CD.
 This focused annotation supports students’ engagement with W.9-10.9.a, which addresses the use
of textual evidence in writing.
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NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 1
 Differentiation Consideration: Consider providing students with the following definitions: ancestral
means “descended or claimed from ancestors” and strategy means “careful plan or method for
achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time.”
 Students write the definitions of ancestral and strategy on their copies of the text or in a
vocabulary journal.
Instruct student pairs to read the first three paragraphs of “Rules of the Game” on page 89 (from “I was
six when my mother” to “on the counter with the rest of the items”) and answer the following questions
before sharing out with the class:
What does Waverly’s description of “the art of invisible strength” suggest about what “strength”
means to her mother (p. 89)?
 Student responses may include:
o
o
o
o
Waverly’s mother views strength as a quality that is not always obvious or showy; it can be
“invisible.”
Waverly’s mother sees strength as necessary for gaining “respect from others” (p. 89)
Waverly’s mother sees strength as a means of “winning” something or achieving a goal (p.
89).
Waverly’s mother sees being strong as an “art,” suggesting it requires discipline and
practice.
 Differentiation Consideration: Consider deepening students’ analysis by posing the following
question:
What effect does the following phrase create in this paragraph: “neither of us knew it at the time”
(p. 89)?
 The phrase “neither of us knew it at the time” creates an effect of foreshadowing. The phrase
implies that Waverly and her mother will realize something later, and that the narrator knows
something that her six-year-old self did not.
What does Waverly’s description of her mother’s lesson about “the art of invisible strength” suggest
about the expectations Waverly’s mother has for her daughter?
 Student responses may include:
o
o
Waverly’s mother expects her daughter to be strong, but also obedient. She “scold[s]”
Waverly when she shows weakness by crying, and tells her, “Bite back your tongue” (p. 89).
Waverly’s mother wants her daughter to be able to “[win] arguments” and to gain “respect
from others” (p. 89).
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NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
o
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 1
Waverly’s mother expects Waverly to demonstrate “invisible strength” to achieve even
small goals, such as getting a treat at the store. At home, she explains a Chinese expression,
“Strongest wind cannot be seen,” to teach Waverly a better “strategy” for getting what she
wants (p. 89).
How does the example of the “wise guy” develop what Waverly’s mother means by “invisible
strength” (p. 89)?
 Waverly’s mother uses the example of the “wise guy” who does not fight against the wind, to
explain that “invisible strength” is not about showing off or taking an obvious stand in order to
get what you want. Instead, she explains that it is “wise” to “blow with wind” when it comes
“from South” because the “North will follow” (p. 89). Therefore, the “wise” man will eventually
get where he wants to go.
How does Waverly’s behavior at the store the next week demonstrate her understanding of “invisible
strength” (p. 89)?
 Waverly demonstrates that she understands “invisible strength” when she doesn’t cry to get
“the salted plums” she wants (p. 89). Like the wise guy and the wind, she does not “go against”
her mother and “bit[es] back [her] tongue” instead of crying for the salted plums (p. 89).
According to Waverly, “invisible strength” is “a strategy for winning” (p. 89). What, if anything, does
Waverly win from her mother in this excerpt?
 Student responses may include:
o
o
Waverly wins the “forbidden candies” that she wanted from her mother (p. 89).
Waverly wins her mother’s respect by following her mother’s advice and behaving while
they were in the store.
What, if anything, does Waverly’s mother “win” from her daughter in this excerpt?
 Waverly’s mother wins her daughter’s obedience. Waverly follows her mother’s orders and does
not cry when they go to the store the next week. Instead, she “[bites] back her tongue as [she
enters] the store” (p. 89).
Activity 5: Quick Write
10%
Instruct students to respond briefly in writing to the following prompt:
What do the interactions between Waverly and her mother in the first three paragraphs suggest
about their relationship?
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NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
Grade 10 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 1
Remind students to use the Short Response Rubric and Checklist to guide their written responses.
 Students listen and read the Quick Write prompt.
 Display the prompt for students to see, or provide the prompt in hard copy.
Transition to the independent Quick Write.
 Students independently answer the prompt using evidence from the text.
 See the High Performance Response at the beginning of this lesson.
Activity 6: Closing
10%
Display and distribute the homework assignment. For homework, instruct students to reread the first
three paragraphs of “Rules of the Game” on page 89 and respond briefly in writing to the following
question:
What “game” is introduced in this excerpt?
Also, instruct students to read pages 89–93 of “Rules of the Game” (from “My mother imparted her
daily truths so” to “and reading from the dog-eared instruction book”). Direct students to box any
unfamiliar words and look up their definitions. Instruct them to choose the definition that makes the
most sense in context and write a brief definition above or near the word in the text.
 Students follow along.
Homework
Reread the first three paragraphs of “Rules of the Game” on page 89 (from the title to “put it on the
counter with the rest of the items”) and respond briefly in writing to the following question:
What “game” is introduced in this excerpt?
Also, read pages 89–93 of “Rules of the Game” (from “My mother imparted her daily truths so” to “and
reading from the dog-eared instruction book”) and box any unfamiliar words in that section. Look up
unfamiliar words, choose the definition that makes the most sense in context, and write a brief
definition above or near the word in the text.
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8