Laura Vaden

East Asia Since 1800

Fall 2012 Pasadena Seminar

Dec. 15, 2012

Curriculum Project

Lesson Plan #1

Japan (1 hour)

Kindergarten – Second Grade

Objective: Students will be able to say hello and thank you in Japanese. They will learn about Japanese culture and will learn how to say color words in Japanese. They will also practice saying and writing the characters for Japanese color words.

Materials:

Projector

Lap top

Book: Colors of Japan by Holly Littlefield

Tempra paint: red, yellow, blue, green, white, brown, black, orange, gray, pink, purple

Large painting paper

Easels

Brushes

Paint cups

Tape

White boards

Dry erase markers

Drying rack for paintings

Steps and Whole Group Instruction:

  1. Ask students if they know how to say hello in another language. Have them share their answers. Ask them if they know how to say thank you in another language. Have them share their answers.
  2. Tell them that today we will learn how to say hello and thank you in Japanese. Hello: “Konnichiwa” Thank you: “Domo-Arigato”. Have the students turn to their shoulder partner and practice saying hello and thank you to their partner. Tell the students that we will be saying hello and thank you to everyone around us in Japanese today so we can practice.
  3. Show the students the video at the website:

Have the students practice saying the color words in Japanese. Go through the video a few times.

  1. Read the book: Colors of Japan by Holly Littlefield. As you read discuss the cultural aspects of the book and say the Japanese color words aloud as a class.
  2. Explain that in small groups (5 students per group) they will pick their favorite color. They will be painting something that color and will take one of the Japanese character worksheets. After they paint their color picture they will practice writing the color character with black paint.

Independent Practice:

At their small-group center the parent helper will help each child choose his/her favorite color. They will have the character for that color written on a large piece of paper. The parent will have them practice writing that character on a white board with a dry erase marker. This will help them when they get ready to paint the character on their painting.

Each student will choose his/her favorite color from the book and will paint a picture of something that color and will practice writing the Japanese character for that color using black paint. The characters will be written large on a piece of laminated paper that they can have taped next to their painting on the easel so they can copy it.

Sharing:

The next day after the paintings have dried, each child will have a chance to share their painting and tell us their color they chose and why. As they share have them say the color word in Japanese.

* You could do this same lesson with Chinese and with Korean color words.

Lesson #2

Korea (3 hours)

Kindergarten – Second Grade

Objective: Students will learn how to say hello and thank you in Korean. They will also compare and contrast the English version of Cinderella with the Korean version of Cinderella. They will write their own Cinderella story.

Materials:

Book: Cinderella by Amy Ehrlich Illustrated by Susan Jeffers

Book: The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo Illustrated by Ruth Heller

paper

Double bubble templates for comparing and contrasting

Pencils

Erasers

Crayons

Steps and Whole Group Instruction:

  1. Ask students if they know how to say hello in another language. Have them share their answers. Ask them if they know how to say thank you in another language. Have them share their answers.
  2. Tell them that today we will learn how to say hello and thank you in Korean. Hello: “ann-yeong” Thank you: “kamsa-hamnida”. Have the students turn to their shoulder partner and practice saying hello and thank you to their partner. Tell the students that we will be saying hello and thank you to everyone around us in Korean today so we can practice.
  3. Read Cinderella by Amy Ehrlich to the class. Talk about the main characters, the setting of the story and the events of the story.
  4. Make a chart that shows the main characters, setting and key events.
  5. Read The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo. Talk abou the main characters, the setting of the story and the events of the story.
  6. Make a chart that shows the main characters, setting and key events.
  7. Discuss and model the similarities and differences between the two versions of the story Cinderella.
  8. Model how the students will make a double bubble thinking map at their seats to show they understand how to compare and contrast the story.

Guided Practice:

At small group centers (5 students per group) have the children fill out their double bubble (compare and contrast) template for both stories. Refer to the charts for each book if needed. Lead a discussion and make sure the students understand what they are doing.

Independent Practice:

Have the students write their own version of Cinderella. For Kindergarten and First grade this will take a period of days. Kindergartners will illustrate the story events first and then write them or the teacher will take dictation. First grade and second grade will use a story structure template to plan their story.

Sharing:

The students will share their story with their reading buddies on Friday when they come to read. They will ask their reading buddy to share what their favorite part of the story was.

Lesson Plan #3

China (3 hours)

Kindergarten – Second Grade

Objective: Students will learn how to say hello and thank you in Chinese. They will learn about the Zodiac Calendar and will discover which animal year they were born in. They will learn about the origin of the Zodiac animals and they will learn the characteristics of each different animal. They will draw their animal and write three things they learned about the Zodiac calendar from the book.

Materials:

Ingredients for Chinese Dumpling Recipe (see website below)

Any paper goods and utensils for eating the dumplings

Frying pan to cook the dumplings

Zodiac Poster

Book: Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac by Ed Young

Book: The Animals of the Chinese Zodiac by Susan Whitfield Illustrated by Philippa Alys-Browne

Book: Legend of the Chinese Zodiac: English Chinese by Monica Chang

Book: Great Race by Dawn Casey

Chart paper

Markers

Paper

Pencils

Steps and Whole Group Instruction:

  1. Ask students if they know how to say hello in another language. Have them share their answers. Ask them if they know how to say thank you in another language. Have them share their answers.
  2. Tell them that today we will learn how to say hello and thank you in Chinese. Hello: “ni-hao” Thank you: “xie, xie”. Have the students turn to their shoulder partner and practice saying hello and thank you to their partner. Tell the students that we will be saying hello and thank you to everyone around us in Chinese today so we can practice.
  3. Show the Zodiac poster and ask students if they have ever seen this before. Explain that the Chinese calendar runs in a 12-year cycle. Each year is a different animal. Read the books that explain the origins of the animals in the cycle.
  4. As you read each book take a large piece of char paper for each animal and chart the characteristics of each animal. Also list the years of each animal.
  5. Model that during centers they will draw their animal with the teacher (a directed drawing) and will write 3 facts they learned about the Zodiac calendar.

Guided Practice:

In small group centers (5 students per group) the students will do a directed drawing of their Zodiac animal. They will then take a sheet of lined paper and write three facts they learned about the Zodiac calendar. Kindergarten students will need to dictate the sentences.

Independent Practice:

We will get together with our neighboring first grade class and will show them our pictures of the animal we drew and will read them our facts. We will help them find out which animal they are and will tell them which characteristics their animal exhibits.

Sharing:

We will put our animal drawings and facts up on our bulletin board. We will make Chinese dumplings and invite our parents in to see our pictures and to share one of our books about the Chinese Zodiac Calendar. Then we will cook and eat our dumplings.

Recipe and directions for Dumplings can be found at:

Enjoy!!

I also take my students to China Town on the Gold Line. We shop, look at the buildings, and eat some Chinese pork buns.

The Chinese American Museum is also close by and we go there as well.