Curated OER
The Poetry of Chinese Immigration
Numerous people from China immigrated to the US during the era of industrialization and expansion. Provide your class with a glimpse into the life of a Chinese immigrant through the poetry they left behind. They then compose a poem of...
Curated OER
Chinese Shadow Puppets
Young scholars explore Chinese culture by performing a shadow puppet play. They create the puppets, develop a script, and rehearse and perform a play which illustrates an understanding of Chinese stories and traditions.
Curated OER
Geography and Culture of China
Take out a map, a paper, a ruler, and those coveted colored pencils for a lesson on Chinese culture and geography. This is a multifaceted approach to basic geography skills that incorporate story telling, class discussion, primary source...
Curated OER
Confucianism in a Changing Society
A great lesson plan promotes thoughtful discussion, global perspectives, and links between economics and culture. Learners view four clips showing how Confucian teachings have shaped Chinese culture and how filial piety plays a role in...
Curated OER
Becoming American: The Chinese Experience
Students examine the experience of Chinese American immigrants in the PBS series BECOMING AMERICAN. ESL learners investigate and explore their own identities within a multicultural context.
Curated OER
Asian-American History
Students explore aspects of Asian-American culture. In this lesson plan, students use the internet to research American history and the Asian American experience, complete Asian inspired art and read a biography. This lesson...
Curated OER
World Literature: “The Wounded” By Lu Xinhua
“The Wounded,” the title story from a collection of stories about the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1977-78), is the central text in a World Literature unit examining choices. An anticipation guide, discussion topics, vocabulary list,...
Indiana University
Asian Literature: “The View in Spring” by Du Fu
Over the course of the lesson, your pupils read and analyze a translated eight-line poem from the Tang Dynasty written by Du Fu, a poet caught behind enemy lines during the An Lu-Shan rebellion (755-763). Literary/historical context is...
Indiana University
British Literature Restoration Unit: The Pillow Book – Sei Shonagon
First drafted in the year 996, The Pillow Book contains reflections of those met by a lady-in-waiting in the Japanese court. A brief summary, historical context, and discussion questions are provided on the first two pages. Then, two...
Curated OER
Barriers to Immigration: The Chinese Exclusion Act
Students study the Chinese Exclusion Act and its impact on the Chinese here in the US and abroad. They watch a video, then perform research which is guided by worksheets imbedded in this lesson plan.
Curated OER
Chinese New Year
Students explore the Chinese New Year celebration. Through the use of interactive video and the Internet, they will examine the sequence of events that occur during the preparation and festivities. Students compare the Chinese New Year...
Curated OER
Chinese Dragons
Students identify where China is in relation to the US. They investigate the history of dragons in Chinese culture. Students explore the nine different parts of a dragon and incorporate them into their own dragon. Student identify the...
Curated OER
Brushstrokes From West to East
Students meld their ideas about art with the philosophy of the Chinese. They discuss each art project, discover the history and culture of each project in China. They create a tea ceremony and various Chinese art projects.
Curated OER
Orville and Wilbur Wong and the Fantastic Flying Machines
Upper elementary and middle schoolers examine the role of Chinese immigrants in America. They investigate literature, history and cultures of Chinese-Americans. This ambitious plan takes two weeks to complete, and it brings in elements...
Curated OER
The Star Fisher
What a terrific way to discuss racism in the 1920's. Learners read a story called The Star Fisher by Laurence Yep. It is about a Chinese American girl who experiences racism and prejudice after moving from Ohio to West Virginia....
Curated OER
Chinese Kites
First graders investigate the concept of kite making in the culture of China. They design and create their own kites. The purposes of making kites is discussed and the question of a kite's functionality is covered.
Curated OER
Understanding History Through Oracle Bone Study
Learners study the Chinese characters and oracle bone inscriptions in order to understand the relevance of language to the reflection of cultural values. They examine the appearance of an oracle bone and the use of oracle bones in...
Curated OER
Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter
Students read the novel Falling Leaves. They evaluate the repeated story lines which compose the history of narration. They analyze and defend reasons why self-esteem affects the success or failure of characters.
Museum of Tolerance
Disenfranchised People of the New Nation
Why are some immigrant groups in the United States embraced while others become disenfranchised? To answer this question, teams investigate why groups emigrated to the US, why some of these these peoples were...
Curated OER
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel
Jamie Ford’s historical novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, explores the relationship between a young Chinese American boy and a Japanese American girl set against the backdrop of Seattle during World War II. The teaching...
Curated OER
Religion Through Language Arts & History
Students explore the principal religions which are alive today: Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and the Philosophies of the Chinese. They determine that there are scientific explanations for many of the subjects that...
Curated OER
China: Culture and Young Adult literature
Eighth graders are introduced to Chinese language and culture to make Asian reading selections in literature circles more meaningful. They write about Chinese characters, work on oral speaking, and read Asian books and then have...
Curated OER
Chinese Shadow Puppets
Young scholars explore the art of Chinese shadow puppetry. They create puppets, develop and rehearse scripts and perform a show in front of the class.
Curated OER
Day of the Dragon King
Second graders explore various cultures to compare them to their own culture. They read Mary Pope Osborne's Day of the Dragon King and identify the Chinese New Year, Chinese Zodiac, and how the zodiac differs from ours. After reading,...