THIS WEEK'S LESSON ACTIVITIES
INSTRUCTOR___Ratchada Scott____
Length of Unit ______5 days____
DATE____________ CLASS LEVEL__B-Beginning Basic Education ______
Length of each lesson ___2 hours/lesson___
Topic: Close Read
China Today Chinese Culture
From ReadWorks.org
Lesson Objectives:
The students will:
1) Describe about Chinese culture and Chinese New Year.
2) Be able to see what Chinese writing and Chinese New Year look like.
3) Demonstrate their understanding about Chinese New Year by summarizing the text and develop a short essay.
CCR Standards Aligned to this Lesson:
RI.3.2; RI.3.3; RI.3.4; RI.2.6; RI.2.8; W.3.2; W.3.8; SL.3.2; SL.3.4; SL.3.6; L.2.1&3.1; L.2.2&3.2; L.2.4; RF.2.3&3.3
Reading: (to include text dependent questions and pre-reading strategies as needed, such as vocabulary, grammar, spelling, phonics,
sentence structure)
Vocabulary: advanced, civilization, influenced, cultures, invented/inventions, compass, symbols, calligraphy, annual, movements,
firecrackers, tradition, forgives, grudges
Grammar Point: passive voice in present and past simple tenses
Sentence Structure: use of commas
Text Dependent Questions
What are some of the things that we use today were invented in
China?
What is the main idea of this passage?
Possible Student Answers
Lines 2-4; They are paper, silk, gunpowder, and the compass.
Lines 5-21; To understand important elements of Chinese
culture.
Lines 6-13; Chinese writing is a very important part of Chinese
culture. There are thousands of Chinese symbols which are used
How would you summarize about Chinese writing?
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instead of letters. Also, the symbols are written on silk or paper
to form an art and it’s called calligraphy.
Lines 21-27; Chinese celebrate the New Year with parades,
decorations, and gifts with their families and friends. They get
together for a feast and stay up playing games and watching
firecrackers. They welcome the New Year by opening doors and
windows of the house and let out the old year.
Students may refer to lines 24-27. Chinese people wish for peace
and happiness and would like to let the old year out and
welcome the new one.
Explain how Chinese people celebrate Chinese New Year.
What is the definition of “grudges”? Why do Chinese people
forgive old grudges for the New Year?
Writing:
“China’s most celebrated annual holiday is the Chinese New Year”. Summarize about the festival and explain how Chinese people
celebrate the New Year. Compare and contrast how you celebrate the New Year.
Paragraph one may include the following:
Lines 16-20: This holiday is also called the Spring Festival. China’s calendar is based on the movements of the sun and the moon. The
New Year happens sometime in January or February and an animal represents each New Year.
Paragraph two may include the following:
Lines 21-27: Chinese celebrate the New Year with parades, decorations, and gifts with their families and friends. They get together for
a feast and stay up playing games and watching firecrackers. They welcome the New Year by opening doors and windows of the
house and let out the old year.
Paragraph three may include the following:
Write how you celebrate the New Year and compare and contrast with how Chinese celebrate their New Year.
Listening/Speaking:
Teacher teaches students pronunciation for the –ed ending sounds. There are three sounds; /d/, /t/, and /ɪd/. In Groups, students will
take turns reading the passage out loud and discuss the text dependent questions and compare and contrast their cultures with Chinese
culture.
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How I will scaffold my lessons to reach all of my students' levels:
 Go over the vocabulary with students and use pictures to explain the meanings if possible.
 Teach Grammar points and use the examples from the passage.
 Provide students with pictures of Chinese New Year’s Festival and Chinese writing.
(http://www.ancientscripts.com/chinese.html)
 Explain and show students about the animals that Chinese use to represent each New Year which is called Chinese Zodiac.
Students can find out the animals that represent the years that they were born.
 Use peer-reviews to help review students’ essays.
 Read the passage by repeating after the teacher and practice reading aloud in small groups.
How I will assess my students' mastery of the lessons:



Teacher and students have the whole class discussion about the passage and have students come to the board to make a list of
what they have learned about it.
Review students’ writing and answers.
Observe small group discussion.
Suggested Five Day Plan:
Day One: Have a small discussion about Chinese culture and Chinese New Year after reading the title. What can students explain or
describe from the title? Students follow the text along while teacher is reading it to the class. In pairs, students practice reading aloud.
Students highlight vocabulary and teacher goes over and provide examples.
Day Two: Teacher teaches grammar points; passive voice in present and past simple tenses and practice using them.
Day Three: In groups, students read the text together, discuss, and answer text-dependent questions. Explain and show students
Chinese writing and Chinese Zodiac. Students can find out the animals that represent the years that they were born.
Day Four: Students summarize about the festival and explain how Chinese people celebrate the New Year. Compare and contrast
how you celebrate the New Year.
Day Five: Students share their writings with classmates and help each other checking their paper. Teacher reviews students’ writing
and look for any mistakes. Then, students edit and write their final drafts.
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Sources: 1. Murphy, Raymond. 1997. Essential Grammar In Use. 2nd edition. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
2. http://files.prokerala.com/general/calendar/images/chinese-zodiac.jpg
3. http://www.ancientscripts.com/chinese.html
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https://www.google.com/search?q=chinese+new+year+festival&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS476US477&source=lnms&tbm=isch
&sa=X&ei=ggmJU_ycPNLooAS2moGADQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=607
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China Today Chinese Culture
Ancient China was once the world’s most advanced civilization. China’s art, food, and government influenced all the nearby
cultures. Many things that we use today were invented in China. Some of these inventions are paper, silk, gunpowder, and the
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compass.
Writing
The oldest dated book using woodblock printing was made in China in 868 A.D. Chinese writing is a very important part of
Chinese culture. Chinese writing uses symbols instead of letters. There are thousands and thousands of Chinese symbols. Just to read
the newspaper in China, you would need to know about 3,000 symbols!
In China, writing these symbols can be an art form. For about 2,000 years, artists have used a paintbrush to draw Chinese
characters. Artists paint the characters on silk or paper. This is called calligraphy. It is one of China’s most famous art forms.
Festivals
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China’s most celebrated annual holiday is the Chinese New Year. This holiday is also called the Spring Festival. The Chinese
calendar is different from the calendar used in the United States. China’s calendar is based on the movements of the sun and the moon.
The Chinese New Year happens sometime in either January or February on our calendar. An animal, like a tiger, a dragon, or a dog,
represents each New Year.
People celebrate the New Year with parades, decorations, and gifts. Everyone visits family and friends. On New Year’s Eve,
the whole family gathers for a feast. After dinner, the family stays up playing games. They leave the lights on in the house all night.
At midnight, firecrackers light up the sky. Then everyone knows that the New Year has come. The family opens all the
windows and doors of the house. This tradition is a way to let out the old year and welcome in the new one. Everyone forgives old
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grudges. They wish for peace and happiness.
1 compass- an instrument that shows directions
2 annual- yearly
3 grudges – bad feelings that you hold against someone
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