Ancient+China

=Ancient China Unit=

Week of 2/2
Creation stories - Beginning/Middle/End and Compare/Contrast 1) Read "//Big Mama Makes the World"// by Phyllis Root and together document the beginning/middle/end of the story. 2) Have students review Pan Gu story from Ancient China SS text book and in groups of two (or individually) document beginning/middle/end of that story, using handout from [|Read, Write, Think]. 3) If time allows, read "Coyote" from "Marduk the Mighty" by Andrew Matthews and "The Mud on Turtles Back" from "When the world was Young" by Mararet Mayo, and compare/contrast similarities and differences between the creation stories, using handout from [|Read, Write, Think]

**Week of 2/9 & 2/16**
Chinese Zodiac - Characteristics of Animals (This is a simplified version of the lesson plan at [|EDSITEment].) 1) Review what the students know about the Chinese Calendar. 2) Hand out [|Chinese Zodiac Animals Traits List.doc] for recording positive/negative traits of each animal. 3) Read "Cat & Rat" by Ed Young (Rat & Ox), "Why Rat Comes First" by Clara Yen (Rat & Ox), "Story of the Chinese Zodiac" by Monica Chang (Rat & Ox), or "The Great Race - The Story of the Chinese Zodiac" by Dawn Casey (Rat & Ox). 4) Have students record traits for each animal while stories are being read. 5) Review traits as a group.

Week of 2/23
1) Read "The Animals of the Chinese Zodaic" by Susan Whitfield (all of the animals are mentioned), "The Rooster's Antlers" by Eric Kimmel. (Dragon & Rooster), Animals in the Stars by Gregory Crawford (one story for each animal), "The Dragon's Tale" by Demi (one story for each animal) to complete the charts. 2) Compare traits in small groups and try to complete charts.

Week of 3/2, 3/10, & 3/30
Have students return to their lists of animal traits and see if they still have gaps to fill in. If so, use traits in books to complete charts. Then select one animal about which to make a bookmark. Bookmark should contain: 1) Picture of animal 2) Name of animal in Chinese and English 3) Positive and Negative traits of animal 4) Recent years of that animal 5) Student's name

Make bookmarks out of oak tag and laminate. [|Rubric for Peer evaluation of Bookmarks.]

Week of 3/30 & 4/6
Read **The Great Wall** by Elizabeth Mann and looked at **Mongolia** by Jan Reynolds

Books to Use During Library Time in Coming Weeks (in no particular order)

 * Ancient China Archaeology Unlocks the Secrets of China's Past** by Jacqueline Ball & Richard Levy
 * Five Heavenly Emperors** **- Chinese Myths of Creation** by song Nan Zhang - Chinese Mythology (to compare to Greek)
 * Auntie Tigress and Other Favorite Chinese Folktales** by Gia-Zhen Wang
 * A Time of Golden Dragons** by Song Nan Zhang & Hao Yu Zhang - (Chapter 2) compares Dragon history in East and West.
 * Confucius - The Golden Rule**, by Russell Freedman (Chapter 4)
 * The Great Wall of China** by Leonard Everett Fisher (Chapter 5)
 * Tibetan Tales for Little Buddhas,** by Naomi C. Rose, in Fenn Collection

=Books by Theme=

Collections of Chinese Stories

 * **Chi-Lin Purse: A Collection of Ancient Chinese Stories** by Linda Fang (Author), in Fenn Collection. [|Read Reviews Here].
 * **Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends** by Rena Krasno (Author), Yeng Fong Chiang (Author), borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown.Gr. 2-6. **//(This would make a great read-aloud.//**) This collection of 23 Chinese stories provides a showcase for some remarkable pieces of Chinese calendar art and advertising posters from the 1920s and 1930s. Organized into four sections, the tales represent ancient legends, traditions and virtues, stories from history, and selections from literature. Prefaces provide cultural insight for some stories, and the brisk retellings weave important background unobtrusively into the narrative. Each story is accompanied by a full-page illustration. The authors "consulted a variety of sources in Chinese and English," but none of these story sources are listed. An appended note, however, explains the fascinating history of the reproductions and gives full citations. A time line of Chinese history and brief explanation of the Chinese calendar are included, but there is no pronunciation guide. Libraries may have better retellings of Chinese stories, but the extraordinary combination of art and story in this volume comprises a unique package. //Linda Perkins// //Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved//
 * **Tales of a Chinese Grandmother: 30 Traditional Tales from China** by Frances Carpenter. [|Read Reviews Here]. Borrowed from MLN. Text too dense for students to read on their own.
 * **HoYi the Archer and Other Classic Chinese Tales** Retold by Shelley Fu, in Fenn Collection. [|Read Reviews Here.]
 * **The Spring of Butterflies and other Folktales of China's Minority Peoples** by He Liyi, in Fenn Collection.
 * **Favorite Children's Stories from China and Tibet** by Lotta Carswell Hume, in Fenn collection.

Dragons in Chinese Culture

 * [|Wellesley School's 5th Grade bibliography of Dragon books].
 * **A Time of Golden Dragons** by Song Nan Zhang & Hao Yu Zhang, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown [|Read Reviews Here] A picture book introducing the importance of Dragons in Chinese culture....history, legends, and a celebration of the millennium year.
 * **Awakening the Dragon: The Dragon Boat Festival** by Arlene Chan. In China Cart at B&T [|Read Reviews Here] A respected librarian and experienced dragon boat racer explores the origins of the Chinese dragon boat festival, its customs, and the races themselves, which today celebrate the cultural heritage of the Chinese traditions.
 * **Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like** Written by Jay Williams, Illustrated by Mercer Mayer. Borrowed from MLN. A fabulous tale about a dragon who comes to save a town in the shape of an old man. Only because a lowly gatekeeper boy believes in him, does he accomplish his task.
 * **Imagine a Dragon** Written by Laurence Pringle, Illustrated by Eujin Kim Neilan. Borrowed from MLN; in B&T cart. A great comparison of Dragons in cultures from around the world. Could be done as read-aloud. Age appropriate.
 * [|Dragon Keeper] series by [|Carole Wilkinson] Taking place during the Han dynasty, a young slave girl becomes the dragon keeper of an ancient and wise dragon. Authentic details from the time period are interspersed throughout the entire trilogy.

Trickster Tales
>
 * **Monkey King** by Ed Young, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, [|Read Reviews Here]
 * **Monkey the Classic Chinese Adventure Tale** by David Seow, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown
 * **The Making of Monkey King** by [|Robert Kraus] (Author), borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, [|Read Reviews Here]Fantastic multilingual age appropriate story.
 * **Adventures of Monkey King** by R.L. Gao, in Fenn collection.

Chinese Zodiac
All of these books are for primary grades, but are good examples of how young children learn their culture's traditional stories. >
 * **Cat and Rat - The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac** by Ed Young, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, [|Read Reviews Here] This is a trickster tale - illustrations are dark and hard to see if reading aloud to a group, but beautiful for individual enjoyment.
 * **The Great Race** by Dawn Case, in Fenn Collection. [|Read Reviews Here] This is an almost identical telling as the first book. Very different illustrations which could make for a good comparison.
 * **Why Rat Comes First: A Story of the Chinese Zodiac** by Clara Yen, requested from MLN. [|Read Reviews Here] This is her family's version of the story; not a traditional telling. It is a very different story from the others which could make for a good comparison.
 * **The Cat's Tale - Why the Years are Named for Animals** by Doris Orgel, borrowed from MLN. [|Read Reviews Here] This is a new book (2009) which uses a modern-day cat flash back to tell the traditional story.
 * Suggestions for other books, from EDSITEment Lesson Plan on Chinese Zodiac: Read aloud the following books about the Chinese zodiac to the class: //The Rooster's Antlers: A Story of the Chinese Zodiac// by Eric A. Kimmel, //Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac// by Ed Young, //The Animals of the Chinese Zodiac// by Susan Whitfield, //The Dragon's Tale: And Other Animal Fables of the Chinese Zodiac// by Demi, and //The Story of the Chinese Zodiac// by M. Chang.

Variations on Mulan

 * **The Song of Mu Lan** by Jeanne M. Lee, in Fenn Collection, [|Read Reviews Here]
 * **Ballad of Mulan** - Retold by Song Nan Zhang, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, [|Read Reviews Here]Use this book after the students know the story so that they can simply look at the illustrations, which are very traditional, and tell the story themselves based on the illustrations.
 * **Fa Mulan: The Story of a Woman Warrior** by Robert San Souci, need to buy it.

Folktales

 * **The Khan's Daughter: A Mongolian Folktale**, by Lawrence Yep, in Fenn Collection, [|Read Reviews Here] A peasant shepherd must prove his worthiness to win the hand of the daughter of the Khan.
 * **Tibetan Tales for Little Buddhas,** by Naomi C. Rose, in Fenn Collection.
 * **How the Rooster Got His Crown** by Amy Lowry Poole, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, [|Read Reviews Here] A Miao folktale from Western China. (Could be compared to "How Chipmunk Got his Stripes", a Native American tale, by Joe Bruchac)
 * **The Seven Chinese Brothers** by Margaret Mahy (Author), Mou-Sien Tseng (Illustrator), borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, [|Read Reviews Here] Seven brothers have extraordinary powers but need to learn to work together.
 * **The Magic Horse of Han Gan** by Chen Jiang Hong (Author), borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, [|Read Reviews] [|Here]Tells a fantasy story of artist Han Gan from 1200 years ago. Gorgeous book - get it!
 * **The Boy Who Swallowed Snakes** by Laurence Yep (Author), Jean Tseng (Illustrator), <span class="wiki_link_ext">Mou-Sien Tseng (Illustrator), in Fenn Collection. Great read aloud.
 * **The Sons of the Dragon King: A Chinese Legend** by <span class="wiki_link_ext">Ed Young (Illustrator), in Fenn collection, [|Read Reviews]
 * **The Stone Lion** by Alan Schroeder, borrowed from MLN, [|Read Reviews] A Tibetan tale of a greedy brother and an honest brother.
 * **The Emperor and the Kite** by Jane Yolen and Ed Young, borrowed from MLN. Youngest, smallest, largely ignored child of the king saves him when he's captured in a tower by building a kite which is used to rescue him. What is the source of the story?
 * **The Dragon's Robe** by Deborah Nourse Lattimore, in Fenn collection.
 * **The Junior Thunder Lord** by Laurence Yep, in Fenn collection.
 * **The Weaving of a Dream** by Marilee Heyer, in Fenn collection.
 * **The Beggar's Magic a Chinese Tale** by Margaret and Ramond Chang, in Fenn Collection

Creation Stories

 * **Five Heavenly Emperors Chinese Myths of Creation** by Song Nan Zhang, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, [|Read Reviews Here]. Could be used as a read aloud. Not available at B&T, need to buy used on Amazon
 * **Hou Yi Shoots the Suns** by Feng Jiannan, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown. Published by Dolphin Books in Beijing in both English & Chinese. Part of "Chinese Tale Series".The mother sun gave birth to ten sons. When they grew up, they took turns shining over the earth, one brother each day. Once, however, all young suns appeared in the sky together. It became so hot that everything on earth was scorched dry and people were on the verge of perishing. A magic archer saved the world by shooting down nine of ten suns, leaving the last one to carry on. Like many of Chinese myths, this story may have been based on an actual person, in this case a skilled bowman who lived sometime between[| 2436-2255] B.C. Available used on Amazon.
 * **When the World Was Young: Creation and Pourquoi Tales** by Margaret Mayo - OOP, available used through Amazon. Borrowed from CPL. Can also be used for a unit on Native Americans, [|Read Reviews Here].
 * **Marduk the Mighty and Other Stories of Creation** by Andrew Matthews - Ditto from the above title. [|Read Reviews Here]
 * //**The Dreamer**// by Cynthia Rylant & Barry Moser

Fables/Proverbs

 * **The Dragon Lover and Other Chinese Proverbs** by Yongsheng Xuan, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, [|Read Reviews Here]. Five different Chinese proverbs written in both languages and told as fables in English, with universal morals: "The Lazy Farmer," "The Crane and the Clam," "The Musician and the Water Buffalo," "An Old Horse," and "The Dragon Lover."
 * **The Ant and the Grasshopper** by Amy Lowry Poole, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, [|Read Reviews Here] An Aesop fable retold taking place in the Chinese Emperor's Summer Palace.
 * **Chinese Proverbs** illustrated by You Shan Tang, in Fenn collection

Fairy Tales

 * **Auntie Tigress and Other Favorite Chinese Folk Tales** by Gia-Zhen Wang, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown. Summary from amazon.com: Auntie Tigress, a fearsome child-eating monster who decorates her immense cape with trophies collected from her victims, finally meets her match in the unlikely form of a kindhearted little girl. How the girl triumphs makes for a story full of sly wit and intrigue, with echoes of Little Red Riding Hood. In the second tale, a hardworking, generous fisherman outwits his greedy landlord. The final tale, a Cinderella story, finds a foolish father discovering that the most valuable gifts aren’t the most costly. Beautifully illustrated and filled with fascinating details, these satisying stories are the perfect introduction to the folklore of China.
 * **Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China** by Ed Young, [|Read Reviews Here.]
 * **Yeh-Shen** by Ai-Ling Louie, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, [|Read Reviews Here] - Chinese Cinderella
 * **The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty & the Beast Tale** by Laurence Yep (Author), Kam Mak (Illustrator), in Fenn collection.[|Read Reviews Here]

Fairy Tale Variants from other Asian Cultures

 * **Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderell**a by Jewell Reinhart Coburn (Author), Tzexa Cherta Lee (Author), Anne Sibley O'Brien (Illustrator), borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown. A tender variant of the Cinderella story from the Hmong people of Southeast Asia (Laos) takes place in a peasant village.
 * **Angkat: The Cambodian Cinderella** by Jewell Reinhart Coburn (Author), Edmund Flotte (Illustrator), in Fenn collection.
 * **Brother Rabbit A Cambodian Tale** by Minfong Ho & Saphan Ros, in Fenn collection.

Biography

 * **Confucius - The Golden Rule**, by Russell Freedman, in Fenn collection. [|Read Reviews] This will make a fabulous read-aloud.

Myth Collections (world-wide collections which include China)

 * **Sun, Moon, and Stars** by Mary Hoffman, in Fenn collection.
 * **Asian Tales and Tellers** by Cathy Spagnoli, in Fenn collection.
 * **Folk Tale Plays Round the World** by Paul Nolan, in Fenn collection
 * **Stories from The Silk Road** by Cherry Gilchrist, in Fenn collection
 * **Don't Know Much About World Myths** by Kenneth C. Davis, in Fenn collection
 * **Fire and Wings Dragon Tales from East and West** by Marianne Carus, in Fenn collection
 * **The Woman in the Moon and other tales of Forgotten Heroines** by James Riordan, in Fenn collection
 * **Trickster Tales Forty Folk Stories from Around the World** by Josepha Sherman, in Fenn collection

Chinese Fiction (Picture Books)

 * **The Greatest Power** by Demi, in Fenn Collection
 * **The City of Dragons** by Laurence Yep, in Fenn Collection
 * **The Jade Horse the Cricket and the Peach Stone** by Ann Tompert, in Fenn collection
 * **The Red Butterfly - How a Princess Smuggled the Secret of Silk out of China** by Deborah Noyes, in Fenn collection
 * **The Cloudmakers** by James Rutherford, in Fenn collection
 * **The Topsy-Turvey Emperor of China** by Isaac Bashevis Singer, in Fenn collection
 * **Dream of Jade The Emperor's Cat** by Lloyd Alexander, in Fenn collection
 * **Beautiful Warrior the Legend of the Nun's Kung Fu** by Emily Arnold McCully, in Fen Collection

Chinese Poetry

 * **Beyond the Great Mountains A Visual Poem about China** by Ed Young, in Fenn Collection

Websites

 * [|itinearysample.pdf (application/pdf Object)]
 * [|Ancient China]
 * [|Primary Source | Resources | Publications | Enduring Legacy]
 * [|Primary Source | Professional Development for K-12 Teachers in History and Humanities]
 * [|A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization]
 * [|Welcome to the International Dunhuang Project]
 * [|Condensed China: Chinese History for Beginners]
 * [|A S I A for E D U C A T O R S | Columbia University]
 * [|The Art of Chinese Bronzes - ancient Chinese bronze artwork]
 * [|Appreciation of Chinese Calligraphy]
 * [|www.chinaknowledge.de]
 * [|AskAsia.org]

Ancient Civilizations
[|Ancient Mesopotamia This History Our History]

[|5th grade China Resources from Wellesley Public Schools] Rich selection of age appropriate resources

Search Engine Created for Ancient China Resources
media type="custom" key="3033798"

WebQuests:
[|A Journey to Ancient China] [|Curator's Challenge Design an Exhibit on Ancient China] [|Ancient China WebQuest] (Middle School 6-8 grade) [|WebQuests on Ancient China]

Teacher Guides and Resources
[|5th grade China Resources from Wellesley Public Schools] Rich selection of age appropriate resources

Ancient China Curriculum Binder (Primary Source Online catalog) created by Erica Ilyin, Julie Kenerson, Lesley Reilly A binder containing the actual curriculum created for the 5th grade social studies classes in the Wellesley public schools for 2003-2004. The unit is practical and informative. The topics covered on Ancient China cover geography, history, government, literature and writing, technology and the cultural beliefs. Wellesley, MA : Wellesley Public Schools, 2003. 346p.
 * Lisa has e-mailed one of the creators of this curriculum -- still waiting for a response.

<span class="wiki_link_ext">[|The Enduring Legacy of Ancient China] compiled by Primary Source of Watertown, MA, FSL

[|China Online Teacher Guides Smithsonian Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery]

Lisa and Lucia Meeting
Friday, January 23, 2008

**Brainstorming Session**:
Ideally this unit of study is a shared 5th grade experience: shared reading, projects, and skills What skills/highlights/enhancements/extensions from the library? What are the themes for this unit of study?
 * Folklore, folktales, fairy tales
 * Creation stories, e.g. Gods from "the dawn of time" (//[|Dragons, Gods & Spirits]//...by Tao Sanders, Out of Print, Grades 7-10, FSL)
 * Creation of the World - Pan Gu (//[|Chinese Myth A Treasury of Legends, Art, and History]// by Philip Wilkinson, FSL)
 * Adapted Korean creation story by Nick: Title?
 * Early Heroes
 * Chinese dragons
 * [|Dragons in Chinese Culture]
 * Buddhist Tales
 * Folktales of ordinary life (//[|Tongues of Jade]// by Laurence Yep, Out of Print, Grades 3-7)
 * Religion
 * Worship of many Gods
 * Daoism/Taoism
 * Confucianism
 * Buddhism
 * Government
 * Roles of People
 * Legacies [Research report?]
 * Geography
 * Just finishing maps of Ancient China

**What are the "text books" for this unit of study?**
//[|The Story of Ancient China], 2nd edition,// 2005 by Suzanne Strauss Art Primary Source Binder created by Nick ?Future Summer grant work: A reading binder of folklore, fairy tales, etc.; need to check Copyright regulations?

Questions for Monday, January 26th's planning meeting
1. How long will this unit last in 5th grade? Rest of year. 2. Do you want the librarians to share stories from Ancient China with the 5th graders? (See listing, below.) Yes 3. Research Project
 * What is the subject of the research project? TBD
 * When does it start? After March Break
 * What will it entail? Research, Note taking, paraphrasing, writing paragraphs, bibliography
 * What library/research skills do boys need to do it successfully? TBD
 * How can we help teach those skills? (EISLA Research Skills Scope & Sequence for 5th Grade) Examples could include the following:
 * Why it is important to cite your sources (plagiarism, academic honesty, etc.)
 * What is a [|Pathfinder]?
 * Use NoodleTools to do note-taking/bibliography
 * Copyright and [|Copyright Friendly Images and Sounds]
 * Subject Headings, Keywords, and Tags: Online library catalog (OPAC), online subscription databases, etc.
 * Teach how to use Google's Advanced search techniques via the Google game, etc.
 * Teach how to evaluate a website

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