This month we have been spending time exploring Chinese culture and learning about the Chinese New Year. This is the year of the dragon.
We have read many books including: "The Emperor and the Kite" by Jane Yolen, "The Runaway Wok" by Ying Chang Compestine, and "The Enchanted Tapestry" retold by Robert D. Dan Souci. These stories have offered many vocabulary building opportunities. Some of the words of focus are: international, gorge, sorceress, province, plateau, communist, mortal, widow, terrace, tapestry, stroll, culture, crocus, sprout, cinema, bustled, athiest, constitution, judge, endangered, magic, surveyed. Brigitta has both defined and put these words in alphabetical order.
Our grammar lessons have included study of nouns (proper & common, singular, possessive, and plural), capitalization, and punctuation.
Brigitta has also been learning the locations of the following places in Asia: Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Macao, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, and South Korea through the use of maps and the "Geography Songs" CD.
For the remainder of the month we are going to be learning about pandas and endangered animals, Chinese writing using the book "Long is a Dragon Chinese Writings for Children" by Peggy Goldstein, Chinese art using an article/lesson by Mary Parks titled "Brush Up on chinese Landscapes", alliterations, similies, acrostic poems, as well as the comparison of China to the United States using a Venn Diagram.
In Little School we have touched on some of the Cultural stories and customs of China as well. Piper has enjoyed making a kite, reading stories, making a Chinese Dragon, and eating Chinese food.
