The Chinese New Year Unit
Lesson Plans
By Sharon F. Gettel
Teacher of the Gifted, Jonestown Elementary, PA
Grade Levels:
Gifted 1-5
Curriculum Focus: Culture, People Places and Environment, Arts, Foreign Language
Lesson Duration: Eight or more Class Periods
Student Objectives for Unit:
 Compare and contrast the location of China and the United States on a world map
 Demonstrate an understanding about Chinese New year and the traditions involved
with the families
 Discuss and compare taboos/superstitions of Chinese New Year
 Compare and contrast traditions for Chinese New Year and United States
 Identify specific characters and symbols for Chinese New Year greetings
 Create a lantern, dragon, scroll and lucky red envelope
 Review Chinese Zodiacs and determine the individual’s animal sign
 Complete projects that signify different traditions of Chinese New Year
 Attend a field trip
 Complete an independent research project on a topic related to China and share with
peers
Materials:
 “Happy New Year” by Demi
 “The Great Race” by David Bochard
 “Ms. Frizzle’s Adventure Imperial China” by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
 Video “Celebrate With Me: A Chinese New Year” by Silver Burdett Ginn Company
 World Map
 Chinese New Year Greeting Templates
 Construction Paper, assorted colors
 Scissors
 Chinese New Year background information
 Lantern directions
 Paper Scroll directions
 Crayons, markers, paints
 Chart Paper
 Venn Diagrams
 Website for Zodiac Animal symbol
 Zodiac Animal or any animal stamps
 Zodiac birth year chart
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Zodiac Fortunes and descriptions
Pictures of dragons
2 long empty paper towel rolls for each student
Yarn or ribbon
Roll type paper, such as butcher paper, for each student
Glue
Lucky Red Envelope Story
Lucky Red Envelope Pattern
Vocabulary:
 Chinese New Year/ Spring Festival – the most important Chinese festival, which
celebrates the Chinese New Year. If falls on the first day of the first lunar month
usually around a month later than in the Western calendar) and lasts for 15 days.
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Astrology – The attempt to tell the future from the planets. Chinese astrology is
based on the Chinese calendar. The 60 year cycle contains 12 zodiac animals,
such as the dragon, horse, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, and rat each with five
possible elements. People born in an animal’s year are supposed to inherit its
characteristics.
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Chopsticks – Pair of long, thin wooden implements used for eating.
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Wok – A large round, metal Chinese cooking pot with a curved base.
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Lai see – little red envelopes with money inserted, for good fortune
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Lanterns – were said to have been used on the night of the fifteenth day of the
first lunar month to help see the gods by torch light.
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Firecrackers – were used to chase away the mythical monster, Nian, which had
terrorized the people
Procedures for Lesson 1 of Chinese New Year:
1. Introduce the concept of Chinese New Year to the gifted students. Compare and
contrast the countries of China and the United States on a world map. Provide
numerous resources to look at the two countries to make the comparison and
make it age appropriate.
2. Students will write differences and likenesses of China and the United States on
age appropriate Venn Diagrams.
3. Show the video “Celebrate with Me” (or any other video about Chinese New
Year) and describe the traditions Chinese participate in during the New Year
celebration.
4. Students will discuss the taboos/superstitions and compare to U.S. Holiday
traditions.
Procedures for Lesson 2 of Chinese New Year:
1. Read “Happy New Year – Kung His Fa Ts’Ai” and provide background
information about Chinese New Year. Students will discuss the traditions and
compare to U.S. Holiday traditions.
2. Students will see the Chinese New Year templates and practice writing them.
They will choose two of the following wishes to reproduce on paper:
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Wishing you a good fortune
Good Luck
Happiness
Prosperity
To Wish
New Year
3. Place students finished projects in their individual Chinese notebooks.
Assessment: Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate student’s work during
the first two lessons.
 3 point – Students participated fully in class discussions, compared and
contrasted two cultures with 4 items and wrote two Chinese New Year
greetings.
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2 point – Students somewhat participated in class discussions, compared and
contrasted two cultures with 2 items and wrote one Chinese New Year
greeting.
1 point – Students did not participate in class discussions, was unable to
compare and contrast two cultures, could not complete Chinese New Year
greeting.
Procedures for Lesson 3 – Chinese New Year Lanterns:
1. Explain to students that the Chinese calendar, based on the lunar and solar
calendar, is different than the Gregorian calendar used by the United
States. After reading about Chinese New Year, discuss and chart New
Year customs and traditions for both China and the United States by using
a Venn diagram.
2.
Explain that they will make Chinese lanterns used during the celebration
of Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. Model the construction of one
for the students.
3. Let students choose either colored paper or white paper for their lanterns.
If they choose white paper, they can decorate the lantern paper using any
designs or colors they like, a Chinese motif would look nice. Point out that
red is considered a lucky color for the Chinese. Students may also wish to
draw and color any of the zodiac animals on their lanterns.
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Decorate the paper which will be the lantern.
Fold decorated paper in half the long way.
Cut along the long side up from fold every two inches – stopping 2 inches
from the open end.
Open the folded paper and bend and round out along the short sides into a
circle shape. Staple the two open ends together at the top middle and
bottom.
Cut out paper strips and staple to the top of the lantern to act as a handle.
4. Display lanterns in locations other students are able to see in school.
Follow Up, Extensions and Modifications for Lantern Activity:
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Ask students why Chinese New Year is celebrated in the spring (seasons based
on Chinese calendar). Have students’ research different kinds of calendars and
report on them. (Research projects depending on ability level).
Procedures for Lesson 4 – Chinese New Year Paper Scroll:
1. Show the students an example of a scroll and explain that scrolls are
used as decorations during the Chinese New Year celebration and as an
art form.
2. Explain to the students how to decorate color and paste the New Year
greeting templates on the scroll paper.
3. Complete the scroll by gluing and or stapling the ends of the scroll
paper to the paper towel rolls.
4. Hang the scrolls up with yarn to display.
Follow Up, Extensions and Modifications to Paper Scroll:
 Discuss, define and show examples or pictures of scrolls. Have students make
a list of where they might see a scroll (graduation, government, church or
synagogue).
Procedures for Lesson 5 – Chinese New Year “Laisee” Lucky Red Envelopes:
1. Students will learn about “laisee”, the lucky red envelope and make an envelope
or use a commercially purchased one.
2. Explain, or have students read about the lucky red envelopes given out during
Chinese New Year. The story is below:
The Lucky Red Envelope Story
Red is a lucky color to the Chinese and is used decorations during holidays, especially
Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. Red is one of the colors in the Yin and Yang
symbol. The red portion represents positive energy. Traditional Chinese Wedding dresses
are red, too!
In the Chinese culture, if a child is alive to celebrate a new year’s celebration, the older
relatives give that child a red envelope with money inside. The red envelope has positive,
good power to protect people from negative or bad power.
Another custom during Chinese New Year is for married people to give unmarried people
a red envelope with money in it. Also, older relatives, such as a grandmother, give young
members of her family a lucky red envelope. In China, it is believed that this red
envelope will bring luck to the person who gets it and to the person who gives it.
Sometimes the red envelope is called “lay see” or lisee. Giving Chinese children money
is important to them because they usually do not get spending or pocket money in the
form of an allowance.
3. Discuss what an allowance is and chart the number of students who receive an
allowance. If appropriate, you may wish to chart or graph the different amounts.
4. Students may receive an allowance for doing certain chores. Discuss what it
means to earn money.
5. Provide red envelopes (commercially made or make some with a pattern). Have
the students decorate the envelopes with a picture and the words, “Gung Ho Fat
Choy” meaning Happy New Year.
Follow Up, Extensions and Modifications for the Red Envelopes:
 Research, discuss and chart other cultures’ customs where money is given as a
gift. Use commercially made coins of different denominations to go in the
envelopes. Have the students write a letter to their parents asking for an
allowance or an increase in their allowance outlining what they will do to earn
it. Have the students make a list of the things they would like to do with an
allowance.
Procedures for Lesson 6 – Chinese Zodiac:
1. Read “The Great Race” to the students and discuss the meaning and the zodiac
animals.
2. Show the students the Chinese Zodiac charts. Discuss and name the animals.
3. The students will locate the year they were born and find out which zodiac sign
they were born under. They will review the traits listed for their zodiac and assess
how accurate it is for them.
4. The students will draw, cut out pictures or stamp the animal that they are.
Follow Up, Extensions and Modifications:
 Display different kinds of calendars. Have the students’ research and discuss
how the months got their names.
 In cooperative groups or for homework, discuss and chart the different way of
keeping track of time (hour glass, clock, sun dial, and calendar). Discuss the
reasons for keeping track of time.
 Have students color, cut and paste animals of the zodiac on craft sticks to make
puppets.
Procedures for Lesson 7 – Chinese New Year Dragon:
1. Discuss dragons and Chinese New Year with the students. Explain the importance
of the dragon in the Chinese culture and that many Chinese believe it is a symbol
of good luck.
2. Have students think and chart American cultural items that symbolize good and
bad luck such as a four leaf clover, a rabbit’s foot, a penny found on the ground,
walking under a ladder, etc.
3. Students plan out a dragon head design then draw it on the first sheet of drawing
paper, trying not to loose too much in size. Then decorate the dragon head and cut
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it out and set it aside. (The dragon head section is not folded into accordion style
pleats.)
Students then plan out, draw, decorate, and cut the dragon’s tail section from the
second piece, again not to loose. The tail section should narrow toward the end
tip.
The third and fourth pieces of paper are to be the body or middle section of the
dragon. Students should decorate and plan the two middle sections. Older students
may do a sketch and plan what the completed dragon will look like before they
start to decorate.
Have the students place the four pieces of the dragon on the table on floor in the
correct order to see what the completed dragon looks like.
Make sure students decorated all sections of the dragon and make feet for the
dragon.
Fold all sections of the dragon, except the head, into accordion style pleats.
Younger student might need to have the folding of pleats modeled for them.
Students should connect all parts of the dragon in the correct order with staples,
glue or tape. Attach the feet to the dragon’s body.
Follow Up, Extensions and Modifications for the Dragon:
 Students can attach 2 dowels or sticks to the front and rear of the dragon and have
it walk and move around the room or the school and show the other students.
Procedures for Lesson Eight – Chinese New Year Finale:
1. Read “Ms. Frizzle’s Adventures, Imperial China” to the students. Discuss the
topics covered in the book, such as inventions, how to use chopsticks, how to
grow rice, Chinese writing, first inventions, food and capital.
2. Provide mini instructions on the above topics and spark interest for students to
explore potential topics to research and complete an independent research project
to be shared with their peers.
3. Develop timeline of due dates for the independent research project and give the
students opportunity to research in class.
4. Take students on a field trip to a Chinese restaurant and store, eat the food and
practice the use of chopsticks and see how the food is prepared. See some of
Chinese products in the store.
Follow Up, Extensions and Modifications for Activity 8 – Chinese New Year Finale:
 Have students write a story about a Ms. Frizzle visit and adventure to United
States.
 Ask students to prepare a book about the highlights of their field trip to the
Chinese restaurant and store.
Culmination to the Unit:
 Students will share their projects with the other students in the school and have a
Chinese New Year celebration. They would be able to explain and show classes
the meaning and significance of all of the traditions in the Chinese New Year.
Assessment: Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate student’s work during the
remaining lessons of this unit (lesson three to eight):
3 point – Students actively engaged in class discussions, projects and completed the
assigned task with all components on the end product.
2 point – Students somewhat engaged in class discussions, projects and completed the
task with some of the components on the end product.
1 point – Students did not engage in class discussions, projects and could not complete
the end product.