"Eric" from Tales from Outer Suburbia written and illustrated by Shaun Tan
"Eric" allows us to believe that if we give people the space and time they need, if we are kind and generous, beautiful things will grow.
In this illustrated science fiction tale, a very special foreign exchange student comes to visit. This clever story reveals that sometimes Belonging, Friendship, and Kindness can be shown in surprising ways.
The Celebration Unit celebrates summer school accomplishment and growth. Through books and shared experiences, you will celebrate your new Strengths with your summer school community.
"Eric" allows us to believe that if we give people the space and time they need, if we are kind and generous, beautiful things will grow.
In this illustrated science fiction tale, a very special foreign exchange student comes to visit. This clever story reveals that sometimes Belonging, Friendship, and Kindness can be shown in surprising ways.
The Celebration Unit celebrates summer school accomplishment and growth. Through books and shared experiences, you will celebrate your new Strengths with your summer school community.
QuickWrite
Dream Celebration
Today we will continue to talk about celebrations.
Today we will continue to talk about celebrations.
- What does a celebration look like to you?
- Take a few minutes to write about and draw your dream celebration.
- Who would be there?
- What would you be doing?
- And most importantly, what are you celebrating?
Vocabulary Words of the Day
Review and add these words and definitions to your vocabulary tab:
• pantry (p. 9): a small room for storing food, dishes, or silverware
• intensity (p. 10): the state of showing strong feeling, purpose, or effort
• exasperating (p. 14): annoying greatly
• departure (p. 14): the act of going away; leaving
• pantry (p. 9): a small room for storing food, dishes, or silverware
• intensity (p. 10): the state of showing strong feeling, purpose, or effort
• exasperating (p. 14): annoying greatly
• departure (p. 14): the act of going away; leaving
Reading
Today we will continue celebrating the Strengths we are building in Summer School. The 7 Strengths help us in many ways, including in our everyday lives. Today we will read a story that helps us celebrate the ordinary, everyday things and events in our lives through the eyes of a very special foreign exchange student. As we read, we will discover how two different individuals can see the same situations in very different ways.
DURING READING
As you read, pause for discussion as noted below. The story begins on page 8 and ends with the art on page 19.
AFTER PAGE 10: What is the narrator's attitude about the foreign exchange student? How do you know?
AFTER PAGE 13: The narrator keeps trying to show what he thinks of as kindness and friendliness to Eric. Why is the narrator surprised by Eric's actions? Why does Eric react this way?
AFTER PAGE 14: What is the narrator's attitude about Eric by this point in the story? How is it different from his or her attitude at the beginning of the story?
•AFTER PAGE 19: How does the narrator's attitude change the end of the story, after seeing Eric's gift? What do you think the family understands-or does not understand-about Eric and his actions?
AFTER READING
The narrator's family was eager to share the things they enjoy with Eric. But Eric's responses often left them puzzled. Yet, the story ends with Eric celebrating his visit and showing the family how much he appreciated their efforts.
- Have you ever traveled to or lived another country?
- What differences did you notice?
- What adjustments did you have to make?
- How can the Strengths of Belonging, Friendship, and Kindness make a big difference to someone in a new place?
DURING READING
As you read, pause for discussion as noted below. The story begins on page 8 and ends with the art on page 19.
AFTER PAGE 10: What is the narrator's attitude about the foreign exchange student? How do you know?
AFTER PAGE 13: The narrator keeps trying to show what he thinks of as kindness and friendliness to Eric. Why is the narrator surprised by Eric's actions? Why does Eric react this way?
AFTER PAGE 14: What is the narrator's attitude about Eric by this point in the story? How is it different from his or her attitude at the beginning of the story?
•AFTER PAGE 19: How does the narrator's attitude change the end of the story, after seeing Eric's gift? What do you think the family understands-or does not understand-about Eric and his actions?
AFTER READING
The narrator's family was eager to share the things they enjoy with Eric. But Eric's responses often left them puzzled. Yet, the story ends with Eric celebrating his visit and showing the family how much he appreciated their efforts.
- What do you think this story has to say about Belonging, Friendship, and Kindness and the value of celebrating these Strengths?
- How can trying to understand someone else's point of view help us develop our strengths?
BRING THE TEXT TO LIFE: Eric's Point of View
Eric views the world around him with a sense of wonder and curiosity. Today, you will look at the world from Eric's point of view and draw what to others is an ordinary, everyday object that fills you with a sense of wonder. It can be an object found in the classroom, at home, or another location. At the bottom of the picture, write a brief paragraph describing what qualities or characteristics about the object fill you with wonder. Again, make sure to describe how this ordinary, everyday object fills you with wonder.
- What can this object do?
- What can it be used for?
- What else do you wonder about it?
READING POWER: Point of View
The narrator's point of view has a big impact on how a story is told and how events are presented to the reader. Sometimes, there is more to a story than the narrator tells us, so we must look for other clues to figure out what is really happening. In "Eric" the narrator's words tell one story, but the illustrations tell another. They help us learn more about Eric's visit.
At first, the narrator is excited to show Eric what he considers the best places in the city. The narrator also claims to be open-minded about what he thinks of as Eric's odd habits. Then, the narrator's excitement turns to confusion when Eric does not react to things as anticipated. Yet, the illustrations make it easy to infer why Eric behaves as he does.
Today you will find examples of how the narrator's attitude influences the way he describes and thinks about events. You will also make inferences based on the illustrations to discover things that the narrator fails to notice and why Eric behaves as he does.
For example:
In this example, the mother is influencing how the family deals with what they consider to be Eric's peculiarities. I will write this in the graphic organizer.
Once again, the narrator's point of view at the beginning of the story shows excitement. However, the narrator is disappointed by Eric's fascination with ordinary things. The narrator finds happiness once again, however, when the narrator discovers that Eric has left a present for the family in the cupboard. The illustrations show there is more to the story. They show events more from Eric's perspective and explain how he adapted and enjoyed his visit.
At first, the narrator is excited to show Eric what he considers the best places in the city. The narrator also claims to be open-minded about what he thinks of as Eric's odd habits. Then, the narrator's excitement turns to confusion when Eric does not react to things as anticipated. Yet, the illustrations make it easy to infer why Eric behaves as he does.
Today you will find examples of how the narrator's attitude influences the way he describes and thinks about events. You will also make inferences based on the illustrations to discover things that the narrator fails to notice and why Eric behaves as he does.
For example:
- I find an example of how the narrator's attitude influences how the narrator thinks about Eric sleeping in the cupboard. Then I'll write it on the graphic organizer under Event from Narrator's Point of View.
- On page 9, the narrator describes the trouble to which the family went to make the spare room comfortable for Eric and how Eric chose to sleep in the pantry instead. Then the narrator writes how the family's mother concludes, "It must be a cultural thing... As long as he is happy."
In this example, the mother is influencing how the family deals with what they consider to be Eric's peculiarities. I will write this in the graphic organizer.
Once again, the narrator's point of view at the beginning of the story shows excitement. However, the narrator is disappointed by Eric's fascination with ordinary things. The narrator finds happiness once again, however, when the narrator discovers that Eric has left a present for the family in the cupboard. The illustrations show there is more to the story. They show events more from Eric's perspective and explain how he adapted and enjoyed his visit.
WRITING POWER: Book Cover for Eric Written and Illustrated by Shaun Tan
Today, you will create a book cover for this short story. Since it is part of a collection, it does not have it's own book cover. Design a Book Cover and include the following: Book Title, author and illustrator, Eric Image with an object that shows his curiosity. Color your Book Cover with map colors only. Background must be in color as well.
Eric also reminds us that even if people appear unmoved, uninvolved, they are not without emotion and internal life. Tan admits that Eric is perhaps a little autobiographical in this regard:
"As an adolescent people would always say I was not expressive and they always made the mistake of thinking that I didn’t feel anything, because I didn’t react to things. My mind reacts but usually a long time after the fact – if something exciting happens I’ll just sort of go “okaaaay, let me process that”, and then three days later I’m excited about it, when everyone else has left the room."
Eric also reminds us that even if people appear unmoved, uninvolved, they are not without emotion and internal life. Tan admits that Eric is perhaps a little autobiographical in this regard:
"As an adolescent people would always say I was not expressive and they always made the mistake of thinking that I didn’t feel anything, because I didn’t react to things. My mind reacts but usually a long time after the fact – if something exciting happens I’ll just sort of go “okaaaay, let me process that”, and then three days later I’m excited about it, when everyone else has left the room."