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Teaching With Asian Chilren's Literature: A Thematic Unit Of Study for K-6
 

Good Versus Evil

By Cindee Quan
Literature
Reading
Writing
Social Studies
Science
Yeh-Shen, A Cinderalla Story From China. by Ai-Ling Louie 
The Golden Slipper, A Vietnamese Legend by Darrell Lum  
The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo  
Walt Disney's Cinderella		 Listen to the story. Discuss, compare and contrast. 
Listening Center. 
Cross-age reading. Read your own version to a younger child.		 Individual stories. 
Journal writing. 
Class story. 
Make a big book. 
Dictate a story to a study buddy. 
Rewrite the story. 
Write a play. 
Publish a book. 
Pen pal letters to Korea, China, Vietnam, etc.		 Map skills, identity location. 
Geography. 
Currents events in newspapers & magazines. 
Interview/invite a guest to share Chinese, Korea, Vietnamese culture. 
Compare neighborhoods, homes.		 Identify the seasons of the years, the story takes place. 
Talk about lunar calendar and western calendar. 
Identify special holidays of 3 cultures.
Health Nutrition
Music
Art
Math
Physical Education
Compare and contrast Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean foods. 
Taste test cookies, candies, bread, teas. 
Visit an Asian market. 
Use chopsticks. 
Plan an international food tasting party.		 Listen to original Walt Disney's Cinderella. 
Learn to waltz. 
Listen to Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese music.		 Design a beautiful shoe. 
Draw a stepmother (American, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese). 
Make a card that Prince Charming would send to Cinderella. 
Make an invitation to a ball or special party. 
Plan a fashion show		 Shoe Math - use addition, subtraction and multiplication skills. 
Estimating with shoes. 
Count 1-10 in Korean/Vietnamese, and Chinese. 
Trace or print 1-10.		 Play red light, green light. (substitute with Chinese & Korean words.) 
Good and Evil through Literature

Objective:
The class will be introduced to two or more Asian cultures by exploring the good versus evil theme through literature.
Materials:
Cinderella, Walt Disney
The Korean Cinderella, Shirley Climo
The Golden Slipper, A Vietnamese Legend, Darrell Lum
Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story From China, Ai-Ling Louie
Anticipatory Set:
Bring in a nice high heel shoe or fancy Asian slipper to show the class. Stimulate discussion. Who would wear this shoe? Where would a lady visit in this shoe? What has this shoe seen? If this shoe fits any girl in the class, perhaps she can choose a fellow to share extra time on the computer, go out to recess 5 minutes early, have lunch with the teacher, enjoy a special treat, or be excused from one homework assignment.
Precedure:
The teacher will read various versions of Cinderella (English, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese), compare and contrast them, and then use these versions as a springboard to explore American, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese cultures. Additional lessons and activities throughout the curriculum will provide a better understanding of Asian culture. Other ethnic versions of Cinderella can be substituted in or encouraged to be read.
Evaluation:
Through oral discussion of the Cinderella version, the teacher will determine understanding and appreciation of the stories. To encourage additional experience of American, Korean, Chinese And Vietnamese cultures, the teacher can integrate the suggested lessons and activities that go beyond "holidays for a day".

Good Versus Evil: Reading

So much of the school year is spent on required reading text. A reading gem is a story that your students will love to hear many times. Adapt these activities to your classroom:

  1. Read different versions of Cinderella. Compare and contrast the stories. Discuss the different style of illustrations in the various books. What things on the pages reflect a distinct culture?
  2. Have a Cinderella and tape available at a listening center.
  3. Ask for volunteers to read their own Cinderella stories or original books to younger students. Practice oral expression and personality in reading.

Good Versus Evil: Writing

After reading the different versions of Cinderella, students can participate in the following writing activities:

  1. Individual Stories - Rewrite the beginning and/or ending, change the evil character to a stepfather, rewrite the story from the stepmother's point of view, or add a new twist to the story. Write a newspaper interview with Cinderella or other characters.
  2. Journal Writing - Write a diary entry that Cinderella might have written. React to the story.
  3. Class Story - Teacher will initiate and lead class to write a group story. Children can later illustrate the pages. Laminate and hang class story from the ceiling.
  4. Class Big Book - Create with the class a big book of your own. Retell the story and have students illustrate the pages in small groups. Add to the class library.
  5. Study Buddy Fun - Pair younger students with older students (lower & upper grade). The younger student can dictate a story to the older student to write. Encourage cross-age activities.
  6. Write a Cinderella play. Put children into groups of three-four. Each group can work on various acts of the play (Act 1, Act 2, etc.).
  7. Publish your own Cinderella book.
  8. Establish pen pals to Korea, Vietnam, China or other American cities and states. Try using e-mail.
  9. Trace or write some Korean, Vietnamese, or Chinese letters and words. How are the letters different or similar to our English alphabet? Ask a parent volunteer or other resource to help give your students Chinese or Korean names! The students would love it!

Good Versus Evil: Social Studies

Integrating Asian countries into the curriculum will be natural through Social Studies activities. Try and adapt the following activities:

  1. Map Skills - identify location of Korea, China, Vietnam and the United States. Discuss continents, oceans, and location. Where are we in relation to these Asian countries?
  2. Current Events - Look at newspaper and magazine articles for current articles concerning politics, culture, travel, and religious activities happening in the Asian communities. Asian newspapers can often be purchased at Asian grocery stores.
  3. Interview and invite someone who is from Vietnam, China, and/or Korea to class. They can share family stories, bring photographs, and explain customs.
  4. Watch a video or filmstrip about Korea, China, and/or Vietnam. Are the neighborhoods, communities, and homes similar or different to our American cities and countrysides?
  5. Notice how the various illustrators of the different Cinderella books costumed the story characters. Bring out similarities and differences. If possible, show pictures of traditional clothes of Asia. Invite students to bring in their ethnic clothes (not necessarily Asian only).

Good Versus Evil: Science

After the December holidays and New Year celebrations, children will be excited to start saying and writing the "new year" on their papers. This will provide a natural lead into the following activities:

  1. Talk about New Year celebrations in the United States, Korea, China, and Vietnam. How is this holiday celebrated? How long? Traditions that prevail? Time of year?
  2. Talk about the Lunar calendar and the Western calendar. How are they different? How does it affect the day of your birthday? New Year's? Anniversary?
  3. Identify two to three special holidays celebrated in America, Korea, and Vietnam. Compare and contrast these holidays.
  4. Identify the types of trees, flowers, and animals that are illustrated in the various Cinderella books. Compare and contrast the scenaries.

Good Versus Evil: Health & Nutrition

Sometime during the school year, teachers will talk about the importance of eating a balanced meal. What a great time to introduce foods of other cultures! With a diverse population of students bringing ethnic foods for lunch, this gives you a natural lead to the following activities:

  1. Show a video of American, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean culture. Usually the Consulates of various cultures will loan you a video upon request. Discuss the similarities and differences of family life and food.
  2. Visit an Asian market if possible. Many markets are anxious to keep a positive profile in the neighborhood and welcome your interest. (99 Ranch Markets are large and usually have an English-speaking manager to give you a tour.)
  3. Taste test cookies, candies, breads, and teas of other cultures. Discuss the flavor, texture, and taste.
  4. Buy inexpensive disposable chopsticks (usually found in Asian markets or in the Asian food section of Western markets). Your students can practice picking up cotton balls.
  5. Plan an International food tasting party. Encourage all students to bring something to taste from their culture, or a culture they enjoy. Your students will eat their way to a better understanding of many cultures!

Good Versus Evil: Music

Children of all ages love music. They hear music in the car, at home, and in the store. Try these activities:

  1. Listen to the original Walt Disney Cinderella album. It's a classic and easy to find in the children's music section. These is a book and cassette set available also (great for a listening center).
  2. Learn to waltz! Learn to do the box step! Your students will have a wonderful time learning a new dance step. At the end of the week or so, have a "ball." Wouldn't it be fun to dress up? From the Cinderella album, your students can dance to "So This Is Love."
  3. Listen to Korean music (rock-and-roll and traditional). What instruments can you hear? How is it different or similar to American music? Can you feel the beat?
  4. Listen to Chinese or Vietnamese music (contemporary and traditional). Compare and contrast this music to American, Spanish, and/or Korean music. Can you dance to it? Clap your hands to the beat of the music.

Good Versus Evil: Art

The highlight of the school week is often an art lesson. Try some of the following activities after reading Cinderella:

  1. Design a beautiful shoe. Using a thin black marker, draw a fancy shoe. Use markers, crayons, glitter and shiny paper to decorate the picture.
  2. Draw a picture of a stepmother (American, Korean, Chinese, or Vietnamese).
  3. Make a card that Prince Charming would send to Cinderella. Include a short letter or greeting inside the card. Make the card pretty.
  4. Make an invitation to a ball or special party. Be creative. Have fun with it!
  5. Plan a fashion show of ethnic clothes from your classroom. If your students do not have ethnic clothes, have them wear a fancy American outfit. Choose a student to emcee the occasion. A group can plan and make programs. A few might want to be newspaper reporters and cover this event for a class newspaper. Everyone can participate!

Good Versus Evil: Math

Try the following math activites after reading the Cinderella stories:

  1. Shoe Math - Use the shoes in your class. The kids will love taking off their shoes. How many shoes are in the class? Count by ones, count by twos. Multiply, add, and subtract shoes. Make a floor graph and use the various shoes to sort. Compare and discuss the physical styles and purposes of the shoes worn to school.
  2. Estimation Fun - How many shoes will it take to go around the dodgeball circle? The four square diamond? From the closet to the door? Around the table?
  3. Balancing the Scale - Put one shoe on a balance scale. Use various items in the classroom to balance the scale. Estimate how many items it will take and compare it to the actual balance count. Make a poster or graph showing your results.

Good Versus Evil: Physical Education

Children around the world love playing games. Running is universal. Try playing Red Light, Green Light:

Object of the game
The students will want to reach a goal line.
Procedure:
Have the students line up across the starting line. Whenever the teacher says "green light," the students can walk/run towards the goal line. Whenever the teacher says "red light," the students must stop in place. If a child moves on "red light," he/she must go back to the starting line.
Options:
Try substitution "red light" and "green light" in Korean and Chinese.
Korean: Pal-gan Bul (red light), Pa-ran Bul (green light)
Chinese: Hong Deng (red light), Lu Deng (green light)

Good Versus Evil: Bibliography

Additional Cinderella Books Return to the top of this page.

Sacrifice

By Jean Nagle
Literature
Reading
Writing
Social Studies
Science
Peach Boy, The Rabbit in the Moon, Florence Sakade 
The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein 
Eyes of the Dragon, Margaret Leaf		 Native speaker reads original text 
Teacher reads English text 
Choral Reading 
Shared Reading 
Listening Center 
Play/Puppet Center		 Class Book with Tape 
Buddy Rewrite 
Theme/Story Chart 
Travel Journal 
ABC's Class Book 
Story Cube		 Venn Diagram of Characters 
Intro World Map 
Donation Activity 
Pet Animals/Care 
Resolution Request		 Comparison Chart - Habitats/Animals 
Plant/Animal Growth Chart 
Pet Care 
Plant National Flower
Health/Nutrition
Music
Art
Math
Physical Education
Visit Asian/American Market 
Visit Pet Shop 
Rabbit Cookies, Monkey Bread 
Animal Eating Habits		 Introduce Asian Instruments 
Nursery Rhymes from Asian Countries 
Birthday Songs 
Skipping Songs		 Introduce Asian Calligraphy 
Shoe Box 
Film Strip Center 
Flag Art 
Rabbit, Monkey, & Fox Art 
Water Coloring		 Gold Coin Activity (A.I.M.S. Style) 
Rice Stimation/Measuring 
Symmetry 
Counting in Other Asian Languages 
Comparing the Number of Strokes Between Languages		 Rabbit in the Hole, Body Writing, Black Cat, Japanese Bingo
 

Sacrifice: Reading

  1. Invite a volunteer or parent if possible from the country for which the story comes from. After the native speaker reads the text, have the students interpret the story from the tone and expression of the language as well as the illustrations. Record feedback before and after reading the English version and then compare.
  2. Record the text in both languages for the class listening center.
  3. Rewrite the story with the class, cross age tutor or family members.
  4. Introduce simple nursery rhymes from Asian countries.
  5. Class Travel Journal -- record new expressions and customs.

Sacrifice: Writing

  1. Make a Class Book with audio tape - each child takes a page home and illustrates alone or with a family from which the story comes. Designate one student to take home and record onto audio tape with family. If parent or child insist they can't speak English well, emphasize that some have different English accents that enhance the story. Later in the year these books with tape can be raffled off.
  2. Story Cube - record and illustrate title, beginning, middle, and end of story.
  3. Keep a progressive chart - record each country represented in each story. Include as the title - What We Know, What We Want To Know, and What We Have Learned. You can break this down into more detailed specifics, such as vocabulary, expressions, school life, clothing, etc.
  4. Story Pie - buddy/peer age tutor assist with writing and/or illustrating main points.
  5. Theme Study Chart - compare and contrast the sacrifices made among the stories.
  6. Journals - the student can draw and/or write something he/she is willing to give up for a week. Exchange or read out loud feelings before, during, and after the process. If this is successful, extend the activity to the family.

Sacrifice: Social Studies

  1. Venn Diagram - combine and compare two books or all of them using visual characteristics: clothes, facial features, environment, seasons, etc.
  2. Geography - introduce and identify locations of countries using names of students, parents, and/or grandparents as an indicator or a small version of the flag itself stuck onto a toothpick.
  3. Flags - students can choose a country and draw the symbol from that flag to designate their tables, cooperative groups, reading circles, etc.
  4. Symbols - each student brings a suitcase containing one or more items that symbolize the country from which their ancestors originated. This is great even for generations of Anglo-Americans. One example: a crockpot filled with a piece of apple pie, baseball, and a cowboy hat.
  5. Donation - request each child sacrifice his/her favorite book to donate to charity. This may fall under writing, but have the class illustrate and rewrite one of the stories in extra-large print and then donate it to a retirement home. If time permits, record it on tape as well.
  6. Pet Animals - ask a veterinarian to visit the class and talk.
  7. Grandparents Day - a traditional Korean holiday. Ask any grandparent to come and share a folktale or story of how they came to America.

Sacrifice: Science

  1. Venn Diagram - compare the habitats of the characters from the various stories.
  2. Planting - bring in picture or plant each country's national flower. Extension: leave the plants or pictures unlabeled and estimate what each is and why.
  3. Pet vs. Animal - compare and contrast how animals as pets are treated in various cultures. Example: even today, elders, usually male, in Korea and Vietnam, eat dog to increase their sexual stamina, and sometimes here cats are treated better than people.
  4. Class Pet - chart the growth pattern of a rabbit and maybe even name it after a story or country. Talk about pet care.

    5.  

Sacrifice: Health/Nutrition
  1. Snack Time - is always a good time to introduce and discuss various snack favorites from Asian countries such as rice cakes from Korea, cookies and hard candy treats from Japan, and of course, traditional popcorn here in the U.S. Of course you can remind students that Chinese fortune cookies is not a custom, but in fact was invented by Americans.
  2. Market Field Trip - visit an Asian market and explore the various signs written in the native language, various fresh vegetables, packaging and labeling variations, imported goods, etc. Follow this up with an American market trip comparing and contrasting the diverse aspects of each market on a Venn Diagram or make into an opposites book.
  3. Candy Decision - since you are introducing the idea of "sacrifice," have each student give up a favorite candy or snack and then graph the responses on a class graph. Later, get the whole family involved - maybe give up one hour of T.V. and substitute this with a family cooking hour, whereby each student brings in a family culture recipe.
  4. Expressions - with the help of your "expert" student, introduce the various fruits, vegetables, and snacks in the student's native tongue. This is not intended to be learned vocabulary, but simply words or phrases the students can use and experiment with out at snack or lunch.
  5. Baking - make and decorate the animals from the stories while reinforcing their names in various languages.

Sacrifice: Music

  1. Colors - introduce the basic colors in two different languages and reinforce this with a class color song.
  2. Numbers - after you have introduced the numbers in one or two different languages, play numerical musical chairs or skipping songs that will reinforce counting in that native language.
  3. Happy Birthday - introduce this song in a different language every time the event arises. By the end of the year the child will have been exposed to several and will be begging to sing it for you. Get your parents to translate for you.
  4. Puppet Play - make animals from stick puppets or an old man from paper mache for The Giving Tree, and then videotape it for Open House. Emphasize that retelling a story orally is important for carrying on history.
  5. Choral Readers Theater - when introducing nursery rhymes early on, choose one that is simple and have a parent volunteer translate it for you. Later, ask groups to learn one version and present it to the parents on graduation day or Children's Day (Japanese holiday).
  6. Good Bye Song - teach it in Japanese and later find or write your own for the various languages represented in your own class. See "Sayonara" song.
  7. Music Box - ask parents who speak other languages to donate a tape of native songs. Play a tape during quiet time or art.

Sacrifice: Art

  1. Animal Characters - introduce and teach Chinese and Japanese characters for the three animals represented in the Japanese story.
  2. Origami - ask a parent volunteer to come in and demonstrate how to make a paper crane. Do this before vacation break or else you will have paper cranes flying all over.
  3. Flag Art - draw and illustrate the various countries' flags represented in your room by groups or tables, then use these to designate the group's name or table.
  4. Animal Art - draw and illustrate a dog, dragon, fox, and rabbit from their stories using the various mediums in art, e.g. water colors, pastel paints, chalk sketching, 3-D form, torn paper, and/or shadow layers. Later, you will have plenty to choose from to make a book of animals independently or in a class book.

Sacrifice: Math

  1. Numbers - introduce the numbers 1-10 or adapt it to your age-appropriate group. Reinforce with the game, "How many beans?" Child guesses and then someone counts in the native language taught. Sing the numbers when playing skipping songs, lining up by tables, and so on.
  2. Market Math - design a store front with the help of your students or cross age tutors/buddies. During centers time, encourage students to use their "new language" in free dialogue when asking for or describing foods, sizes, shapes, and colors. Include a list of merchandise and price list for each language. Keep it simple and use two languages. This works well with heterogeneous groups where one student is the "store keeper" - native speaker for that language being practiced. This student then takes the role of the teacher by listening and checking for correct vocabulary used and then can reward the others with that country's money. Ask parents for their country's money and photo copy.
  3. Shopping - a game that involves teams or groups. Each team receives 100 yen (use poker chips, buttons, or bingo markers) and a price list for the objects they will sell. A student from each team rolls the dice and moves that number of spaces. He must buy whatever object is pictured, unless it is an object that his team is selling. Any team that runs out of money before the end is out.
  4. Graph - count and graph the number of strokes it takes to write the names of the three different animals in both Chinese and Japanese or compare the strokes of the numbers 1-10.

Sacrifice: Physical Education

  1. Black Cat - one student is chosen as the "black cat" to stand in the middle, and the remaining students line up on one side of the playground. The "black cat" yells "who's scared of the black cat?" Meanwhile, the others have a rope hanging from t he back of their pants/shorts, and they respond by running to the other side saying "not I." Whomever gets their rope stepped on by the black cat becomes the black cat along with the original black cat.
  2. Body Writing - break up into small groups and listen for numbers, letters, or animals called out by the leader, then by using your body, try to spell each one out. The animals must be shown by their Chinese or Japanese characters.
  3. Bingo - play bingo using numbers, objects and/or animals in various languages. Interesting how some will pick up on this easier than the traditional way.
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Greed

By Rosalie Butler

     
    Literature
    Reading
    Writing
    Social Studies
    Science
    Magic Spring 
    The Giving Tree 
    The Old Man Who Made Trees Blossom    		 Parner Reading 
    Individual Reading 
    Group Reading 
    Role Playing 
    Cross-Age Reading    		 Interview with an older person 
    Interview with parents about the day they were born 
    Venn Diagram 
    Practice Korean writing. 
    ABC books    		 K-W-L Chart 
    Time lines: personal/historical 
    Venn diagram of housing, farming, social system 
    Research modes of transportation    		 American vs. Asian trees - uses, etc. 
    Water cycle 
    Environment: deserts, perma forest, tropical forest 
    Plant a tree. 
    Animal 3 fold 
    Create-an-animal
    Health/Nutrition
    Music
    Art
    Math
    Physical Education
    Walking time vs. Running time (1 mile) 
    Rice nutrition: compare recipes. 
    Aging: discussion, families    		 Korean musical instruments 
    Venn diagram of Korean and American music and instruments 
    Explore Korean folk, traditional, modern, and rock music 
    Film on Korean traditional dances    		 Paper mache masks and animals 
    Mural of Korea 
    Portrait of an older generation 
    Draw the created animal (science), Tree blossom art    		 Measurement: standard, metric 
    Estimation 
    Mileage 
    Measuring game    		 Rice, Rice, Potato game 
    Olympics
     
Greed: Writing

Greed: Social Studies

Greed: Science

Greed: Health/Nutrition

Greed: Music

Greed: Art

Greed: Math

Greed: Physical Education

Greed: Bibliography

Jijii, Hanasaka. The Old Man Who Made The Trees Bloom. Heian International, Inc. 1985.

Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree. Harper & Row Publishers. 1964.

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