Persepolis Book Review

Part One:
Book Information: Satrapi, Marjane. (2003). Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.

Genre: Graphic Novel

Grade Level: 7-12

Part Two:
Response to Book: Predictions and Thoughts About Craft
Before reading this book, I decided to do a bit of background information to find out what it was about. I found out that the story takes place during the 1980's and is an abbreviated history of Iran from its first occupation by Indo-European nomads, to the establishment of the Persian Empire, to the 1979 Islamic revolution. The author writes that the purpose of her book is to show that Iran is not a country of fundamentalists and terrorists, and that characterizations of the country by the West are inaccurate.

I think that the author did a great job at showing the Islamic and Iranian culture and war. The story is told in a first-person point of view through the eyes of a ten year old girl. She is forced to wear a veil to school by those that called for the cultural revolution in Iran. There are many people who protest for and against this cultural revolution. Her and her family protest against the revolution and the book explains the many struggles and experiences that they go through. I thought this was an excellent book that really gets the reader interested in learning about the war between Iraq and Iran during the 1980's.

The novel has excellent images that do such a great job at explaining the story, allowing the reader to be engaged in the book. All of the pictures are in black and white, and most are basic drawings that are not too complicated. I liked this because it made it very simple to see what was happening throughout the story. The author uses the appropriate amount of dialogue throughout the story that combine with the graphic pictures to make this a great story to learn about the Iranian war and Islamic culture. 

Part Three:
Critique
The author, Marjane Satrapi and her family are against many of the changes that occur in Iran and take a social activist approach. They want to be able to fix the social inequalities and make the world a better place where people do not have to suffer. This is very difficult for Marjane and her family to do while there are bombs being dropped all around them. Marjane stands up for what she believes in which ends up getting her kicked out school, which had now become segregated.  She is very independent and outspoken and stands up for what she believes is right and does not back down. Marjane is a very strong character throughout the book and I think it is great for students to read about people their age standing up for what they believe in. This is a great book that I would definitely use in my future classroom!

Part Four: 
Lesson Sketch
Grades: 9 & 10

Standards:
1.5  Synthesize information from multiple sources and identify complexities and discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium (e.g., almanacs, microfiche, news sources, in-depth field studies, speeches, journals, technical documents). 

1. 3. 2.2  Deliver expository presentations:
1. Marshal evidence in support of a thesis and related claims, including information on
   all relevant perspectives.
   
2. Convey information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately and
   coherently.
   
3. Make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific data, facts,
   and ideas.
   
4. Include visual aids by employing appropriate technology to organize and display
   information on charts, maps, and graphs.
   
5. Anticipate and address the listener’s potential misunderstandings, biases, and expec­tations.
   
6. Use technical terms and notations accurately.

3. 3.5  Compare works that express a universal theme and provide evidence to support the ideas expressed in each work. 
   

Lesson Outline:
For this lesson, students will begin with reading Persepolis and will then follow to complete the webquest found on this website: http://questgarden.com/68/89/6/080728084932/index.htm. I would create my own webquest but here is an example of one that would work well with this novel. The webquest will help students learn and understand the Islamic revolution and the Iran/Iraq war. After reading the novel, students will work in groups of four and research the cultural aspects before and after the revolution to note the similarities and differences that Marjane and people her age went through at the time. Students will create a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation that they will then present to the class. The webquest provides websites and resources for students to access as well. The teacher will be able to assess what students have learned by reading the novel and doing research through their presentations. I would make sure to have students relate the book to the research that they have found as well. Incorporating the novel Persepolis into the classroom is a great way for students to learn about the history of the Islamic Revolution and the Iran/Iraq war. 

Discussion Questions:
What have you learned about the the Islamic revolution and the Iran/Iraq war after reading this book?
Would you stand up for what you believe like Marjane did?
How did the webquest help you to better understand what happened in the book?

Links to Outside Sources:
http://alhussainyblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/marjane-satrapi-persepolis-1-englishforeignmovies-ddl-blogspot-com.pdf (pdf of book)
http://www.tip.sas.upenn.edu/curriculum/units/2011/04/11.04.02.pdf (article on how to teach the book)
http://questgarden.com/68/89/6/080728084932/index.htm (WebQuest for the book)