Ancient China
Our study of Ancient China continued through Chinese New Year, 2011. The youngest children explored the world of Ancient China in many different ways.
The children visited Syracuse University to make paper. After selecting a Chinese character, which they practiced using black ink and brush pens, they drew their character on the handmade paper. These were framed and given as Chinese New Year gifts to families. The children wrote and performed a play based on the Chinese story, How the Rooster lost his horns.
Children studied and colored, using colored pencils, a map of China, locating its deserts, rivers, mountains, seas and plains. Discussions focused on what each landform was, what is a legend, the compass rose and what effects such land features might have on the people of China?
Our next unit focused on Chinese fairy tales. We read Lon Po Po, by Ed Young, and Yeh Shen by Louise Aling. The children were quick to recognize both stories as Chinese versions of Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. Children compared and contrasted these stories and discussed how it could be that countries so far apart could share similar stories.
Finally the whole school listened to more than ten picture books about ancient China. While listening children made observations which were recoreded on a chart about architecture, clothing, food, government, religion and recreation. They also looked for examples of dilemma, symbols and metaphors. Some of the titles we read were: Night Visitors, The Artist and the Architect, Red Thread and the Eyes of the Dragon.
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