Penguin Books
Folklore and Fairytales: A Guide to Using Traditional Tales and Reimagined Classics
Every culture has its own stories to tell. An interesting educator's guide shares a large collection of fairytales and folktales, some from different cultures and some re-creations of classics. A summary and brief teaching ideas...
Curated OER
Chopsticks and Chinese Food Culture
Sixth graders discover why food is an important part of a culture. As a class, they practice the table manners used in China and identify the underlying values. They develop the skills to properly use chopsticks to end the lesson.
Curated OER
Mongolia: Land, History and Culture
Students examine the land, culture and history of Mongolia. In groups, they use the internet to determine what groups held power and during what time periods. They also identify the most important parts of their culture and why they...
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Korea's Literary Tradition
Students read a text about Korea's literary tradition. In this literary tradition lesson plan, students read the multiple page text to learn about Korea's literary tradition.
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Customs
Young scholars explore Chinese New Year. In this Chinese culture activity, students read associated literature and use worksheets to explore aspects of the Chinese New Year. Young scholars complete this activity by making and hanging...
Indiana University
Asian Literature: “The View in Spring” by Du Fu
Over the course of the activity, 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...
American Documentary
Confucianism in a Changing Society
The Last Train Home, a 2009 documentary about China's migrant factory workers, provides viewers with an opportunity to explore how China's emergence as a global manufacturing force is challenging Chinese traditional values like filial...
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.
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Winter Celebrations
Students draw and label pictures about holiday customs and traditions from their countries.
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Introduce Vocabulary: Ruby's Wish (Bridges)
Jump into traditional Chinese culture with budding readers as they examine vocabulary in context through Shirin Yim Bridge's book Ruby's Wish. This book is read on YouTube if you don't have it on hand. Scholars are briefly introduced to...
Curated OER
The Cultural Geography of East Asia
Students use information from the Asia Society's AskAsia Web site to explore the cultures of China, Japan, and Korea. They answer four questions and then use what they have learned to write a letter of introduction to a Japanese exchange...
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Should the Ming End the Treasure Voyages?
During the first century of Chinese Ming dynasty (1368-1644), the government sent out a total of seven voyages into the Indian Ocean. Young historians will discuss, explain, role play, and compare the decisions made by rulers during the...
Curated OER
Chinese Bronze Vessels: A Ceramic Interpretation of a Historic Tradition
High schoolers demonstrate a knowledge of a historic period (Shang Dynasty) and an appreciation of a different culture (Chinese) by making a ceramic container that is meant to hold something of value.
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Chinese And Japanese Tomb Cultures
Students examine burial customs in ancient China and Japan comparing those customs to burial traditions from other cultures. This lesson leads to group creative projects of mock "tombs".
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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...
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Animals of the Chinese Zodiac
Third graders study the elements of the Chinese zodiac. They observe the placement of the animals on the zodiac chart while studying the Chinese New Year.
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Chinese New Year
Students identify and present the history and legend of the Chinese New Year and respond to questions included. Students practice saying the common greetings and wishes in Chinese for the Chinese New Year. Students identify and explain...
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Introduction to China
Compare and contrast the distinctive characteristics of art forms from various cultural, historical, and social contexts, and describe how the same subject matter is represented differently in works of art across cultures and time...
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Unrolling the Landscape
Young scholars create a landscape painting using traditional Chinese techniques. They review Chinese landscape paintings, paint an original landscape and write a poem to go with their picture.
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Woodblock Printing: Early Printing Traditions in China
Students examine important role of woodblock printing in Chinese history, identify message important to them, and create woodblock prints to gain first-hand understanding of how it was used as tool for communication.
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Chinese Landscapes
Learners explain some of the topographical features of China's landscape. They view a Chinese landscape and discuss their view of the harmony between man and nature, then create their own karst mountain scene.
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Japan
Seventh graders identify some key concepts, ideas, and facts about Japan. Students identify shared traits and differences of Japan as compared to other asian countries. Students identify how geography can affect the culture of a place....
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Chinese Paper-Cuts
Students identify the art and culture of China while increasing their dexterity in art and their skills of papermaking. Students identify and analyze the application of the elements and principles of design to the cute of paper-making...
Curated OER
A Tour Through China
Students explore the culture, development, inventions, and geography of China in the seven lessons of this unit. The teachings of Confucius are examined and the celebrations for the Chinese New Year are inspected.