Summary:
This graphic memoir written by CeCe Bell tells her story that starts at age 4 when she is diagnosed with meningitis. Although, she survives she is now unable to hear. In the beginning CeCe is confused and scared. After her mother gets her to try on a new pair of hearing aids. Although she has a hard time understanding she is now able to hear. When she begins first grade in a main stream school she is given a phonic ear which allows her to hear almost perfectly, but is a large box with wires running up to her ears that she has to wear. Throughout school CeCe's life is filled with drama just like any school child, and she is unable to have friendships like all the other girls in her class. That is, until she discovers that her phonic ear gives her a "superpower" that no one else has. She then begins to think of herself as being "El Deafo" and is able to use her superpowers for the good of others.
This graphic memoir written by CeCe Bell tells her story that starts at age 4 when she is diagnosed with meningitis. Although, she survives she is now unable to hear. In the beginning CeCe is confused and scared. After her mother gets her to try on a new pair of hearing aids. Although she has a hard time understanding she is now able to hear. When she begins first grade in a main stream school she is given a phonic ear which allows her to hear almost perfectly, but is a large box with wires running up to her ears that she has to wear. Throughout school CeCe's life is filled with drama just like any school child, and she is unable to have friendships like all the other girls in her class. That is, until she discovers that her phonic ear gives her a "superpower" that no one else has. She then begins to think of herself as being "El Deafo" and is able to use her superpowers for the good of others.
Key Words to Describe Book:
Teaching Strategies:
Key Vocabulary to help with Understanding:
Electronic Resources:
Learning to Sign: This is a website that students can use to learn some basic sign language. As an activity you can have students go home and learn 5 different signs and then come to class and teach the class the different words. Knowing basic sign language can be really helpful and having the students teach each other makes it fun.
Deaf Awareness: This is a website where students can learn about how we hear, what it means to be deaf, and how to communicate with people who are deaf. This will help students to understand what CeCe is going through and hard it was for her to cope with everything that she had to change upon becoming deaf.
Before Reading Activity:
As a pre-reading activity I would have the students complete a watch- pair- share activity. First show the students the video of CeCe Bell talking about her new book. I would then ask the kids to talk with a partner about how they would feel if they were deaf and had to wear a phonic ear to school. I would then ask the students to discuss how they would treat a student who had a phonic ear and give them tips on how to help them to communicate with people who are deaf.
During Reading Activity:
As a during reading activity have the students separate into groups of 2 or 3 and have them talk about how they think CeCe is feeling since she is having such a difficult time making friends with the people at her school. Ask the students to discuss what they would do if they were one of CeCe's classmates and how they would try and make her feel welcome. Using Voki have the students create an avatar and have that avatar say what they as classmates of a student like CeCe would do to make them feel welcome into our classroom.
Post Reading Activity:
After the students have completed reading the graphic novel ask them to create their own superhero that would help them to overcome something that makes them feel different then others or would have helped them get through a time that they felt alone.
Writing Activity:
As a writing activity have the students write about a time that they did not feel like they fit in or felt left out. Have the students describe how they feel and what they did to make themselves feel better or make a new friend. Have the students connect how they were feeling to how CeCe felt and what happened to make each of you feel that way.
- Bravery
- Confidence
- Self Esteem
- Courage
- Adversity
- Friendship
Teaching Strategies:
Key Vocabulary to help with Understanding:
- Deaf: Not able to hear
- Sign Language: a system of hand movements used for communication especially by people who are deaf
- Hearing Aid: an electronic device worn in or on the ear to help a person who has hearing problems to hear better
- Meningitis: A serious and often deadly disease in which an outside layer of the brain or spinal cord becomes infected and swollen
- Audiologist (Audiology): A branch of science dealing with hearing; specifically : therapy of individuals having impaired hearing
Electronic Resources:
Learning to Sign: This is a website that students can use to learn some basic sign language. As an activity you can have students go home and learn 5 different signs and then come to class and teach the class the different words. Knowing basic sign language can be really helpful and having the students teach each other makes it fun.
Deaf Awareness: This is a website where students can learn about how we hear, what it means to be deaf, and how to communicate with people who are deaf. This will help students to understand what CeCe is going through and hard it was for her to cope with everything that she had to change upon becoming deaf.
Before Reading Activity:
As a pre-reading activity I would have the students complete a watch- pair- share activity. First show the students the video of CeCe Bell talking about her new book. I would then ask the kids to talk with a partner about how they would feel if they were deaf and had to wear a phonic ear to school. I would then ask the students to discuss how they would treat a student who had a phonic ear and give them tips on how to help them to communicate with people who are deaf.
During Reading Activity:
As a during reading activity have the students separate into groups of 2 or 3 and have them talk about how they think CeCe is feeling since she is having such a difficult time making friends with the people at her school. Ask the students to discuss what they would do if they were one of CeCe's classmates and how they would try and make her feel welcome. Using Voki have the students create an avatar and have that avatar say what they as classmates of a student like CeCe would do to make them feel welcome into our classroom.
Post Reading Activity:
After the students have completed reading the graphic novel ask them to create their own superhero that would help them to overcome something that makes them feel different then others or would have helped them get through a time that they felt alone.
Writing Activity:
As a writing activity have the students write about a time that they did not feel like they fit in or felt left out. Have the students describe how they feel and what they did to make themselves feel better or make a new friend. Have the students connect how they were feeling to how CeCe felt and what happened to make each of you feel that way.