Lesson 1: Phases of the Moon; Preparations leading up to Chinese New Year Chinese New Year's Eve celebration
Essential Questions: Why is Chinese New Year celebrated on a different date (by our calendar) each year? Describe and explain the reason for some of the special preparations for Chinese New Year.
For my lesson, I use a trusty worksheet from Enchanted Learning.com that shows the phases of the moon, and discusses during which phase of the moon Chinese New Year begins (New Moon), and which phase of the moon ends Chinese New Year -- Full Moon (and what the festival is that ends Chinese New Year--the Lantern Festival). I encourage them to think back to when people didn't have timekeeping devices or even calendars like we do--and help them to realize what other ways people can measure the passage of time (observe the sun, night & day, seasons, days getting longer or shorter, and the changing moon phases). This year, I also found this YouTube video to show to my students--so they can relate what they see in the sky to what they see on the video.
To give students an idea of what preparations are done for Chinese New Year, I read some books to them. Favorite ones I have are:
My First Chinese New Year by Karen Katz
Dragon Dance, a Lift-the-Flap Book by Joan Holub
Bringing In The New Year, by Grace Lin
and, for older students, Happy New Year by Demi.
This Next New Year, by Yangsook Choi -- especially great for showing that you don't have to be Chinese to celebrate Chinese New Year! I also love the message of hope and optimism at the end of the book.
Lesson 2: The Story of Nian
Essential Questions: What is a myth? Describe some traditions that are based on myths. How are some Chinese New Year traditions similar to holidays or festivals that we celebrate in other countries? How are they different?
Activity: Make Firecracker Craft
Resources: "The Story of Nian" iPad storytelling Apps:
"The Tale of Nian" from Hongen Education (in Chinese; $1.99)
"Nian is Coming", one animated story from "6 Chinese New Year Stories" from Lu Feng Technology (in Chinese), also available on iTunes in the App Store for $2.99
Additional Resources: "The Myth of the Man-Eating Monster" on Edhelper.com
Lesson 3: The Chinese "Amazing Race" -- Story of the Chinese Zodiac Animals
Essential Question: How did Chinese characters originate (where did they come from)?
Activity: Make Dragon Puppet
Resources: "StoryChimes: "Story of the Chinese Zodiac" FREE iPad app--in English
Additional Resources: Chinese Zodiac Story (Reading Comprehension) on Edhelper.com
The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac, by Dawn Casey
The Dancing Dragon by Marcia Vaughan (stunning artwork in this one--and the pages open up into a big, LONG dragon! It gives a big "wow" factor if you read it to your students)!
Lesson 4: Hong Bao
Essential Questions: How is Chinese New Year similar to holidays or festivals that we celebrate in other countries? What does it mean to be "lucky"?
Activity: Read "Sam and the Lucky Money" by Karen Chinn and make hong bao (red envelopes) with these great patterns
I usually have the students make 1 hong bao--with instructions to put something in it to give away to someone else (as inspired by Sam in the book). Then I give the students a hong bao to keep. I usually put some Chinese candy and a toy "gold coin" in it for them.
Lesson 5: Lantern Festival (on final day of Chinese New Year)
Essential Question: Why do you think that lanterns are used so much in Chinese holidays?
Activity: Make lanterns (many websites have similar patterns--this one from Enchanted Learning contains detailed instructions).
Resources: Story of the Lantern Festival (Yuan Xiao Jie), iPad app from Lu Feng Technology, in Chinese, download app for $0.99.
Moonbeams, Dumplings, & Dragon Boats, by Nina Simonds -- has LOTS of great stories about Chinese Festivals, and has a particularly great one about the Lantern Festival.
For my final lesson, I will most like do a "wrap-up" and assessment of my students, with some simple multiple-choice questions about the stories that they heard, when Chinese New Year begins and ends, and some basic traditions. Last year, my students really enjoyed seeing videos of Dragon dances and Lion dances, so I will most like make some time for them to see those as well. (YouTube has some great videos of Dragon Dance and Lion Dance competitions--and the acrobatics and skill level is simply stunning)!
There is so much more that can be added and included, but this contains some of my favorite activities and materials that I've compiled thus far. Please feel free to add your favorite materials, websites and resources here as well!
新年快樂! 恭喜發財! (xin nian kuai le! gong xi fa cai!)