READ: Hua Guofeng (Graphic Biography)

Hua Guofeng was Premier of China from 1976 to 1980. Was he the architect of China’s great economic and social recovery?

The Graphic Biography below uses “Three Close Reads”. If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.

First read: skimming for gist

This will be your quickest read. It should help you get the general idea of what the graphic biography will be about. Pay attention to the title, headings, images, and layout. Ask yourself: what is this graphic biography going to be about?

Second read: understanding content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. You should also spend some time looking at the images and the way in which the page is designed.

By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

What was the great transformation in China’s economy that took place after 1976?
What did Hua Guofeng do as Premier to help lead to this transformation?
Who usually gets credit for the reforms that led to this growth, according to the author? Why does Hua Guofeng not?
How does the artist use artistic design to demonstrate the transformation in China’s economy between 1976 and 2016?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

In this read, you should use the graphic biography as evidence to support, extend, or challenge claims made in the course.

At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:

How does this biography of Hua Guofeng support, extend, or challenge what you have learned about China’s economic transformation in the 1980s?

Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to read! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished reading.

Hua Guofeng (Graphic Biography)

Writer: Trevor Getz

Artist: Liz Clarke

Hua Guofeng was Premier of China from 1976 to 1980. Was he the architect of China’s great economic and social recovery?

Download the Graphic Biography PDF here or click on the image above.

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