You are here

pre-2011 elementary school ideas

122 posts / 0 new
Last post
clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
pre-2011 elementary school ideas

Let's use this area to discuss curriculum materials and activities to use with elementary school students. Where possible, please include information about the skills being developed and any content standards that are being addressed. Please change the subject line to reflect the theme of your post.

-- What Asia-specific topics do you try to raise with your students?

-- For what topics (e.g., watercolors, family roles) do you use Asia-related examples?

-- How have your students responded to these? (Perhaps tell us a bit about your students.)

-- What books, films, and activities would you recommend?

Thanks for drawing on your experiences.

Please also use this area to ask questions. For example, perhaps you'd like to teach something on poetry and would like some suggestions on poems from Asia that work well with 3rd graders. Or perhaps you need a science, math, health, art, geography or physical education suggestion. Please ask.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from sseal

I have had lots of productive time spent working on the unit for the seminar. My unit was on the Japanese American internments during WWII, and the possible links to recent events surrounding the war on terrorism. I have not taught my unit yet, but look forward to doing so this next month when my 5th grade class studies the constitution. I found lots of really good resources on the web, and many really interesting books written for both students and teachers. This helped the link between the information and language arts become stronger.

clay dube
Topic replies: 1894
Topic Posts: 604
Message from Clay Dube

Steve --

Please share some of the internment-related websites with our crew via the discussion board.

Since our focus here is on Asia, it might be useful to also discuss Asia-US contacts, since that is part of the 5th grade standards (Perry missions to Japan, the amazing exchange between New England and China that started just as America was becoming a nation).

One site that I think you could use with 5th grade kids, at least you can use the idea and images, concerns the gifts that were exchanged by the US and Japan at the time of the Perry expedition (1853-4). Take a look at http://blackshipsandsamurai.com/ and check out the "gifts," "portraits" and other sections for some ideas.

We brought Shigeru Miyagawa, one of the MIT prof. who created the site to LA for a session with our teacher affiliates last November. It was excellent. He also has a great cd-rom for introducing students to ideas about ethnicity and identity. Learn more at http://www.starfestival.com
[Edit by="Clay Dube on Apr 3, 2:15:56 PM"][/Edit]

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from sseal

Here are some of the web resources I found on the case of Japanese internment.

on Japanese Americans in the US prior to WWII this webquest is very good at www.hhs.helena.k12.mt.us/teacherlinks/Oconnorj/japan.html

The Truman library has lots of photos and documents on the issue at www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections

US archives are a good resource as well. www.archives.gov

Here are more:
www.owensvalleyhistory.com
www.nps.gov/manz/

I will put more on later

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from apeel

My experiences are with the second grade curriculum. I usually end up exposing my students to Asia with holidays. Although I would like to expand on my own knowledge of Asia in order to teach it, I inevitably end up talking about the Chinese new year. I have amanged to expand my lessons to art and music though. I try to teach my kids how to write some Chinese characters and explain how they are written from top to bottom. The kids get a big kick out of this, especially because they use watercolor paint and a paintbrush to write with. I also have managed learn how to teach a traditional Japanese dance from our third grade teacher. All children love movement and always giggle at the sound of the Japanese music which is so different from what they are used to hearing. This also manages to satisfy the dance standard we have in second grade. Just two ideas of things I have done that really get students to interact with learning about Asian cultures.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from jharrington

I want to introduce a book that might help teachers who teach young children. The book is called "Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children." By, Louise Derman-Sparks and the A.B.C. Task Force. The book offers an arry of approaches that deal with an anti-bias curriculum. For example, it explains how to set up an anti-bias environment and how to integrate anti-bias content into daily classroom environments. The book explains about racial differences and similarities; it teaches children about disabilities; it teaches about cultural differences and similarities; it also teaches about gender identity. Very importantly it explains how to resist stereotyping and discriminatory behavior. Lastly, a chapter is devoted to working with parents of different cultures.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from gkim

Janice, thanks for the book idea! I'm going to look into getting this book so I could integrate culture into my classroom a little more.

Geny

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from jharrington

Geny,
I just read what you posted about the book I recommended to teachers who teach young children on anti-bias curriculum. On Monday, I will bring the book to class and share it with you. Janice

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from jharrington

When teaching young children (4-5 yrs) it is important to introduce all activities that are age-appropriate. When I want to expose the children to different cultures, I begin by showing the children on a map (globe) where that country is. I explain to the children about some of the traditions. For example, the significance of the "Chinese Children's Hat" and how the child's mother or grandmother hand sews and embroiders the hat to look like a tiger, elephant, pig, dragon, panther, dog, or fish. I explain to the children that in the Chinese culture these animals have lucky qualities that protect the child. I explain to the children that in the old days in China, children weren't given a name until they were one month old. Then on that day the child got his first haircut, and was given his first protective hat. I discussed with the children that the family and friends would have a big celebration with lots of food and present. And, also on that day, the Chinese tradition was to give the child his first pair of tiger shoes. And as part of the Chinese tradition, I explained how the tigers on the shoes have their eyes wide open to protect the child and keep him from tripping when he learns how to walk.

The children are learning about differences, cultural values, traditions/customs. They are exposed to geography (i.e., maps, globes) and the children are able to visually see where the cournty located.

In the classroom, centers are set up for the children to make "Chinese Tiger Shoes" and "Chinese Tiger Hats." One of the greatest experience in teaching young children is they are always curious and they do not lact motivation. The children love to make these projects. They also do not care how the final project looks rather it is the process that they are involved in that is important to them. The children are having fun while learning about different cultures and traditions.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from gkim

Here are some websites that have lists of Asian books for children.

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/mulasia.htm (This site has books from Southeast Asian countries, which I had a hard time finding on other sites.)

http://www-wsl.state.wy.us/natrona/asianamerican.html (This particular site focuses more on Asian American literature.)

http://old.weber.edu/loda/asian.htm (This site has some books that the other lists don't have.)

http://www.leeandlow.com/ (Lee and Low are publishers of multicultural books for children. I found this under my list of resources from grad school.)

Hope this is useful for elementary school teachers!

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from mchu

Thanks Geny!
I printed out some of the list of books--- I plan to get them them weekend. Student discounts at Borders this weekend (20% off).

Amy,
This is for second grade but of course you can adapt this. During the unit, Our Country and It's People, I normally have my students "make" paper suitcases. They each have to fill up their suitcase with things they want to take with them to another country. They can use magazines or draw the things. I normally give them an hour to work on this. Afterward, they have to briefly write a paragraph to explain what and why they brought the items they picked. I normally give them a limit of 8 items. I specifically say they will not be able to go back to their homes so they have to make sure they take things that are important to them or things they will need. We have time to share afterward. This would be a good way to open up the unit so they can see the choices they have to make. Then I read them several books about immigrants. There is so much we can do to integrate Asian culture into our classroom.
May[Edit by="mchu on Aug 13, 6:38:08 PM"][/Edit]

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from dlevengood

Hello elemnetary school teachers! I posted this on web resources, but thought you might find it more easily here. Thought it might be helpful. You have to read to the end to see how it applies to elementary school though.

After our discussion I went out and bought Monkey. I think it would be very accessable to High school kids- pehaps middle school (I haven't gotten very far yet and have been reading for my own pleasure). If you were doing folktales or mythology obviously it would be a good resource or history teachers IT HAS MANY CULTURAL CLUES AND REFERENCES TO CONFUCIONISM so if you want to use certain passages as models then you're smart like me- good idea!

Anyway, I found a great site www.geocities.com/wucheng_en/

It has pop culture influneces- including anime you know you students know and how they've been influenced by this story. It also contains various resources and versions of the story- information on monkies- links galore. Even elementary school teachers could use this site. It also has links specifically for teachers. The name of the site is "Monkey King Central."

Look it up.
DEAN

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from jharrington

This is a great web-site: WWW.Earlychildhood.com. This site has an array of articles that include earlychildhood news. activities and curriculum, arts & crafts, etc. What is really important is the list of multiculture books that teachers can use in their classrooms. Even though the web-site is intended for young children, teachers who teach k-2nd grade can benefit from this site.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from jharrington

Here is another web-site that includes many multiculture activities for young children.
www.preschoolrainbow.org

Kdgn-2nd grade teachers can benefit and get great ideas from this site. Check it out.
Janice

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from jharrington

Dean,
I found the web-site "Monkey King Central" and you are right....it is very good. I found a lesson that deals with maps. Even though the children I teach are very young, I can still gear it towards their age level.
Thanks, Janice

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from tnguyen

If you want a good resource on the city of Hiroshima and Nagasaki then take a look at www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/abomb/mp08.htm. This website has everything you need to know about both cities in comparison. It has information on both cities' condition before the attack, during the attack, and the aftermath of the attack. It also connects with the Children's Peace Museum. It's teacher and student friendly. [Edit by="tnguyen on Jan 29, 9:23:45 PM"][/Edit]

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from tnguyen

Another great resource for the city of Hiroshima is www.city.hiroshima.jp/index-E.html. This site tells about the origin and history of Hiroshima.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from tnguyen

This site is like another LA Times news online. Take a look at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/. It covers everything up to date at your finger tips everyday. I find it real interesting, especially becuase not only does it focus on Asian country, but also America, Europe, and Middle East, and Africa. It has links to usually as something you would see in LA Times.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from ccelis

This is a great link to a pre-made Jeopardy Game for elementary teachers. The categories focus on China's geography, cultures, animals, food, and inventions. Although the questions may be too easy for upper-grade teachers, the template can be easily adapted to make it more challenging.

www.hardin.k12.ky.us/res_techn/download/china.ppt

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from rrustamzadeh

I have noticed that my students enjoy it when I talk about chineese culture and how they do things differently. They like to here things in story formats. So when I teach I try to play the role of a story teller. I can easily notice the reduction of noise in my room when I tell stories. Let it be known that I teach sixth graders.
A better story telling, is showing movies. I have been reading many comments about good chinese movies that other folks have watched. I tried a couple of movie rental places near my house. I could not find any of the topics that I had on my list. What I could easily locate in the international sections were nothing but movies that promoted violence. The titles and cover pictures resembled that. I simply refuse to promote any of that Hollywood style China culture in my classroom. I have enough guilty feelings as a parent to last me a lifetime( Show me a parent who does not!).
Would it be too much if I asked other colligues to give the source of the movies that they share with others. It would really help those of us who are interested in watching the same movies.
Thanks.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from jpratt

Hey Christine,

Is this game computer based? Have you used it in the classroom? Would I be able to use a projector for this game (assuming that it is on a web site). I think that I have seen this used for math and science classes.


Thanks,

jemila

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from ccelis

I haven't used it...but I think it would prove useful as a review before a test. I would use an LCD projector and make it a class game - boys against the girls is always fun!

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from ccelis

I absolutely enjoy bringing games into the classroom - it makes the kids so motivated to learn. Anyway, here's another Jeapordy-like game. The five categories include the 5 major religions of the world. This can be so easily adapted if you want to change any of the questions to make it more effective for your students. ENJOY!!!

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from kfenimore

The book Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges shares a story of a girl growing up in China. The pictures are beautiful done and the story is well written. This story could be shared from 2nd-5th grade.

There are many different extension activities that you could incorporate with this book.

1. Students could write their own autobiography since the story discusses her life
2. Students could write a poem since Ruby shares a poem she wrote in the story
3. Students could write about a celebration from their culture because Ruby talks about Chinese New Year
4. Students could write about family traditions and relationships

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from kwalsh

Little Oh by Laura Krauss Melmedis a folktale-type story involving an origami girl that comes to life.

During reading, the students could discuss how the illustrations help in comprehending the text. They could also discuss the style of the illustrations. There is one particular landscape illustration that has a lot of empty space. This discussion could lead to a larger one about how space is used in painting.

After reading the story, the students could practice making origami, take a well-known folktale and rewrite it with a new twist, or compare and contrast Little Oh, with Pinnocchio or another come-to-life story.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from kfenimore

I think it would be beneficial to incorporated Chinese art and music into the classroom. I really like the idea of teaching the students different Chinese characters through the use of watercolors and paint. My students are currently learning to speak Chinese trough physical education. At the beginning of their PE class, the teacher reviews Chinese characters and words that the students have learned. I think it would be beneficial to start a word study book for Chinese characters. This journal could be used for new vocabulary words the students learn. The students could paint the new characters and write the meaning or the word. This could become an excellent resource that the students could continue to add to and use as a reference.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from kfenimore

Origami is a great way to incorporate Chinese art into the classroom. There are numerous books that provide step-by-step instructions. The students will benefit from learning how follow directions and procedural steps while making an animal or object to share with friends and family.

Another idea I had was to incorporate Chinese art is the use of tangrams in Language arts or mathematics. The Tangram idea comes from China. The students can create their own tangram design to represent something they have learned about the Chinese culture

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from ccelis

I absolutely agree with you. Origami poses so many benefits to our students. They gain an appreciation of a different culture and perhaps open a doorway to further exploration and increased tolerance of differences. Additionally, students must watch closely and listen carefully to specific instructions and then carry them out with neatness and accuracy in order to be successful (this is often something that we really need to work on with our students). Transforming a flat piece of paper into a three dimensional crane (or other origami figure) provides a unique exercise in spatial reasoning. It’s also an excellent tool for teaching symmetry. Moreover, the fundamental idea of “whatever is done to one side” must be done to the other” leads to algebraic reasoning.

As a mathematics teacher, I use origami quite often in my classroom. I have discovered that children who are not "stars" in other academic areas are often quick to learn origami and help their classmates master the steps. This boosts self-esteem and drives motivation to do finish the lesson. I believe that origami engenders a patience that leads to pride in one’s work and the ability to focus one’s energy. Students are always eager to learn another fold.

One book that I particularly enjoy using with my students is titled Origami Math (ISBN: 0439539927), which is geared towards 4th- 6th grade students. The folds aren’t too challenging and there is a good selection of folds to choose from.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from ccelis

SADAKO AND THE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES, by author Eleanor Coerr, is a wonderful and truly powerful children’s novel. The story is depicts Sadako Sasaki, a young Japanese girl, who experienced the atomic bombing at the age of two. Struck by leukemia ten years later due to the effects of radiation, Sadkako folds 1000 paper cranes for the gods in a desperate hope to make her well again. Surely, this story symbolizes the long-term consequences of war and one person’s ability to create change. I think it’s a great tool to use with children of all ages.

One useful link I found to use with this poignant book can be found at the Kids Peace Station Hiroshima. This is a great website in which students can watch an animated clip about Sadako’s life and the effects of the atomic bomb. It even has a link in which kids can write letters to Sadako and post their letters on the Internet. One last idea for your class is to actually construct 1000 paper cranes, string them on garlands of 100 cranes each, and send them to Japan. The address is as follows:

Children's Monument in Hiroshima's Peace Park
Office of the Mayor, City of Hiroshima
6-34 Kokutaiji-Machi, 1 Chome Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730 Japan.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from cashb

Great lesson! I use one much like this for my fifth grade students. There are many other books that lend to this type of unit; "Number the Stars", "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson", "Zlata's Diary" etc.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from babrown

I too have used the previous mentioned books and oragami in the classroom. They are great. I started working on my lesson plans during winter break and I picked up a great book. It is called Science in Ancient China by George Beshore. It is a short children's book, but very informative for its level. It includes Alchemy, medicine, math, and star gazing.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from cashb

01/09/06
Good Math Books; Japanese not Chinese. Good cultural lessons as well as good math lessons.

Anno, M.. Anno’s Mysterious Counting Jar, Dowaya, N.Y., Tsubo No Naka, 1982
Great illustrations and nice visual for students to understand exponential growth.

Anno, M.. Anno’s Magic Seeds, New York, N.Y., Philomel, 1995
Wonderful way for students to understand consumption or exponential growth.

Anno, M.. Anno’s Math Games III, New York, N.Y., Philomel, 1982
Geometric and Graph mathematics good for students who need visuals to better achieve in the “Measurement and Geometry” mathematics strands.

Anno, M.. Anno’s Counting House, New York, N.Y., Philomel, 1982
Multi’level. Students learning to count, add, or multiply can get something from this.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from cashb

01/09/06
Fairytale parallel
Young, E.. Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story from China, New York, N.Y., Philomel Books, 1974
Basically this is the Cinderella story that we know but with a twist of Chinese influence.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from cashb

01/09/05
Novel type reading
Wilkinson, C.. Dragon Keeper, New York, N.Y., Scholastic, 2003
This one is a good novel for the intermediate reader 4th or 5th grade. On the level of Harry Potter Books.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from cashb

01/09/06
Reluctant Readers Choice
Robertson, L.. The Best Book of the Martial Arts, New York, N.Y., Kingfisher, 2002
This book is an interesting hook for younger boys because of the topic. However the underlying introduction to ancient origins are provided in brief.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from cashb

01/09/06
Immigration story, good for 5ht grade history.
Hoobler, D and Hoobler, T.. We Are Americans, voices of the Immigrant Experiment, New York, N.Y., Scholastic 2003
This book is an introduction of several cultures into America. There are portions of the book that talk about Asian immigrants.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from cashb

01/09/06
Elementary presentation of Chinese and Japanese history.
Rambeau, J.. China Boy, San Francisco, Field Educational Publications Inc., 1968
This book is told in the voice of a young china boy. It speaks of Chinese history through WWII.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from cashb

01/09/06
Literaure Based
Clement, C.. The Painter and the Wild Swans, New York, N.Y., Dial Books 1990
Beautiful Illustrations! A story of the migration of the swans.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from cashb

01/09/06
Fairytale version… cultural influence
Zoehfeld, K.. Mulan, New York, N.Y., Disney Enterprise Inc., 1968
No words necessary here, we all know Disney’s work.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from cashb

01/09/06
Poetry – interesting introduction to the literature base…
Wyndham, R.. Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes, New York, N.Y., Philomel Books, 1968
A book of poetry. Wonderfully Illustraited.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from rrustamzadeh

For those of you who teach multisubjects( 6th grade history and math): 2 birds with 1 stone

• Break the class into groups
• Give each group a transparent graph paper to cover an ancient map of China
• Give each group a large (2 feet by 3 feet) graph paper to recreate the map based on their scaling knowledge (math standard). It is a better idea to have them create the graph paper using a blank paper, if their inclination allows that)
• Now thy can create China’s natural barriers such deserts, seas, mountains, plateaus, as elements of isolation and rivers as elements of unification and communication
• Now you are ready to give a mini lecture to match the maxi- maps. It will cover at least two history standards and a math standard.
• What do you think? Let me know.


This project does not have to be drawing and coloring. Students can cut and past, or even use paper and glue to make 3 dimentional maps. Let the groups show you how creative they are!!

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from bsmith

Thanks K. Fenimore for the tip on the book Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges. What impressed me most about the story was that it was inspired by the life of the author's grandmother. (A true insite into the Chinese culture.) It's a story of a young girl's wish to have the same opportunities as her brothers- including a university education! Ruby's gentle manner, and her determination helped her to succeed. I highly recommend this book for it's beautiful illustrations and motivating story.[Edit by="bsmith on Jan 14, 10:54:49 PM"][/Edit]

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from bsmith

First graders may find the traditional haiku too difficult or too limiting with the 5,7,5 syllable scheme but I just found out that there can be different types of haikus. I would have the kids use free-form "brainstorm" words that come to mind when they see pictures of cherry blossoms.
I've done poetry before with first graders using animals of the Rainforest.
I know first graders are capable of producing amazing poetry.


[Edit by="bsmith on Jan 17, 10:39:53 PM"][/Edit]

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from bsmith

Pandas
A 4th grade teacher told me about a great website that all kids love.
It brings science to life in your classroom on a daily basis. Instead of watching
a video on Pandas, have your class watch a live Panda cam which provides a window into the world of the zoo's giant panda mother -Mei Xiang, and her cub Tai Shan. The cub was born on July 9 and weighed only 1.85 pounds. In early Jan. , he weighed 27 pounds. It's fun to watch him grow!!
This is at the Smithsonian National Zoo Park. http://national zoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/[Edit by="bsmith on Jan 16, 10:23:44 PM"][/Edit]

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from bsmith

Another great site for science lessons for elementary students:

http://www.sciencestandslessons.org/

designed to help k-12 increase student learning in the area of science.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from gmzarou

Visual and Performing Arts Standards are often overlooked in the elementary grades, and this is a great place to infuse some Asia. For example, when I read these dance standards:

Creation/Invention of Dance Movements
2.1 Create, memorize, and perform complex sequences of movement with greater focus, force/energy, and intent

Application of Choreographic Principles and Processes to Creating Dance
2.4 Demonstrate principles of opposing weight and force/energy, balance and counterbalance, or cantilever

Connections and Applications Across Disciplines
5.2 Describe how dancing requires good health-related habits (e.g., individual and group goals for flexibility, strength, endurance, stress management, nutrition).

I immediately thought of Tai Chi. I've attached a picture of my students attempting the movements. Clearly, they have a ways to go before attaining inner peace. But you can't deny that chi flow!

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from gmzarou

Could be useful...

-m@x

The Chinese Lunar New Year

Saturday, January 28, 2006; Posted: 10:03 p.m. EST (03:03 GMT)

(Reuters) -- Here are some key facts about the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, which began on Sunday:

# The Lunar New Year, also called the Spring Festival, is the most important holiday for ethnic Chinese and a time when many of China's 1.3 billion people traditionally head to their hometowns to be with family. New Year's Day usually falls on the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice.

# The New Year is celebrated with firecrackers, dragon dances and visits to friends and family. The 15-day New Year season ends with the Lantern Festival, when brightly colored lamps are strung up in parks around the country.

# According to the Chinese zodiac, which is based on a 12-year cycle with each year represented by an animal, January 29, 2006, marks the start of the year of the Dog, which will last for 385 days until February 17, 2007.

# Chinese soothsayers predict that the year augurs well for the global economy but drought and fires could be a problem. Chinese tradition also holds that 2006 will be a year of bad luck for those born under the sign of the Dog.

# Every year the rush of Chinese heading home for the Spring Festival sparks the biggest movement of people on earth, with an estimated 144 million traveling by train during the 40-day peak travel season which began on January 14.

Sources: Reuters, People's Daily Online www.english.people.com.cn

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from gmzarou

http://www.mandarintools.com/chinesename.html

This site takes factors such as your birth date, character traits, and given name to construct a Chinese name for you. The kids love it. It's part of an On-line Chinese Tools website that has everything from a Chinese/English Dictionary to a Currency Converter, Chinese Software, Flashcards, and calendars.

Worth a visit,
m@x[Edit by="gmzarou on Jan 29, 12:39:45 PM"][/Edit]

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from fisakson

m@x,
Thanks for the information. I had posted a question in the Middle School thread about information and ideas about Chinese New Year. I am going to share the information with my students on Monday. Usually, I have calendars that mark the Chinese New Year, yet for some reason this year, none of my calendars had the date in it. We are discussing the Chinese Zodiac as well, lots of fun for 6th graders.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Felisa

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from kfenimore

I teach second grade and at our school we have Big Buddies program where 5th graders comes in to work with my second grade class. I decided to incorporate a lesson celebrating China through art, map skills, and writing. My students first made a Chinese Lantern with their buddy in order to celebrate the Chinese New Year. We spent time discussing the Chinese New Year as a class. When they completed their lantern, they received a map of China. Together they were able to color in the map and answer a number of questions using the map. The students gained map skills along with learning interesting facts about china. Students were able to identify cities and rivers in China and label their map accordingly.

Anonymous (not verified)
Anonymous's picture
Message from kfenimore

I just taught my students how to write numbers 1-10 in Chinese. The students used a felt tip pen to resemble a calligraphy brush. The students spent time practicing each number. During math time my students paired up and created math problems with another child in the class. Each pair would roll a dice, whatever number the dice landed on, the student would write down that number in Chinese and also the number their partner rolled. Then the students would have to use those numbers to write an addition or subtraction fact to complete. The students enjoyed writing math problems with Chinese numbers.

Pages