English Blast Unit of Inquiry Lesson Plan

Unit of Inquiry Name: CHINA

Unit Contributed by: Holly and Katrina

Duration of Unit (in classroom hours): 3

Target Age Group (in years): 5 - 8

Basic Goals and Objectives: Introduce the culture of China; give children an opportunity to do a presentation.

Reference Materials Recommended (texts, workbooks, picture books, maps, videos, websites, audio materials, etc.): A variety of story books and chapter books on China are recommended.  Additionally, this lesson uses Beijing (Appleseeds) and Growing up in China (Faces) both from Cobblestone Publishing. There is a teachers' guide with additional ideas.

Week 1

Materials Required: One copy per family of the magazine Beijing.  Books relating to China, map of China, music of China.

Class Content and Activities: Introduce China.  Find it on a world map.  Ask children, "What do we already know about China?" "What do we want to know about China?"  Make lists. Hand out the magazine Beijing to the children. Start list of aspects of Japanese culture that are similar to Chinese culture.  Ask the children why they think this is so.  Then discuss how Chinese culture traveled to Japan over the years. Teach children how to count in Chinese and read the book, Count Your Way Through China.  Sing or listen to a Chinese counting song if possible. Explain that children will do presentations on some part of China. They should research with parents, make a poster for a presentation, and find any relevant books or items to display.  Examples of assignment areas:  Great Wall, Forbidden City, Yangtze River, Yellow River, Shanghai, Xi'an, Tibet, Canton, Inner Mongolia.

Homework: Parents and children read "Welcome to My City" and "Manners Matter" from Beijing.  Start work on presentations.

Week 2

Materials Required: Origami paper and scissors. One copy of the magazine Growing   (Faces, Cobblestone Publishers, 1996).  Materials for making paper using card stock or milk cartons; previously liquefied paper with some onion skin for gold flecks, a frame with a screen, dish pan (parent leading this activity should practice at home in advance).

Class Content and Activities: Talk about similarities and differences between their daily routines and those of Ting Ting and Louis.  Also compare manners.  Continue our lists. Introduce the Chinese writing. Discuss the system—how it compares to Japanese, how it developed. Make paper cut-outs. Make and play Sanjiao game (see instructions in Growing up in China). Make paper, one of Ancient China’s inventions.  Then at home, write an old Chinese character on your paper and bring to class next week. Assign families food items to bring for the following week’s party.

Homework: Parents and children read "Family Life"” and "Go Fly a Fengzheng" from Beijing. Children should prepare presentations. Children should also practice writing a Chinese character and write it on their homemade paper. All families should bring any China items (jewelry, instruments, music, clothing, photos or postcards, kites, masks, books, etc.) to put on display, and bring assigned food for the China party.

Week 3

Materials Required: Chinese cookbooks, foods for party.

Class Content and Activities: Set up China displays. Children give presentations about their part of China and explain their posters. Hold a China party (Longevity Noodles (see Growing up in China), foods that are symbolic -- something with lotus root, something with broccoli, something with peanuts, dumplings, Chinese sweets, oranges, fortune cookies, tea. Discuss the symbolism of the foods.

Homework: Children read a story book relating to China and write a reaction to it in writing journals to share with other children.

Reference Materials (texts, workbooks, picture books, maps, videos, websites, audio materials, etc.):  A variety of story books and chapter books on China are recommended.  Additionally, this lesson uses Beijing (Appleseeds) and Growing up in China (Faces) both from Cobblestone Publishing There is a teachers' guide with additional ideas.

Additional Notes, Suggestions or Comments about the Unit: It's helpful to have a guest from China visit the class.