Magic Chinese

學習目標Learning Objectives
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Objective: To increase student's cultural understanding about the Moon Festival and the Chinese culture.
Goals: Upon completing the project, students will be able to:
1. Identify when the Moon Festival takes place.
2. Explain the difference between the lunar calendar and the solar
calendar.
3. Share one story about the Moon Festival.
4. Name the main holiday treat for the Moon Festival.
5. Explain what moon represents in various cultures around the
world.
MAGIC UNIT I
中秋節文化故事
MOONFESTIVAL CULTURAL PROJECT

Moon Festivalis among the three biggest festivals. The Chinese have been celebrating it for thousands of years. Let's find out what it is all about and why it is so important.

To the students:
Your research project includes the following components:
  1. [INTERPRETIVE COMMUNICATION] You will be engaged in reading various types of audio, video presentations, authentic prints in celebration activities, and passages about ways Chinese celebrate the Moon Festival.
  1. You will be asked to conduct some internet search such as visiting Chinese websites that help you understand what common activities modern Chinese people do during the festival.
  1. [INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION] To report the result of your research. You will work in small groups to create a presentation for your class. Your presentation can be paper-based (poster), activity-based (skit performance), or technology-based (Slideshow).
  1. [PRESENTATIONAL COMMUNICATION] Your group will speak in front of the class and share what you have learned with the class.
  1. You will write a short composition with the following information:
  2. Summarize what you have learned from your research project
  3. Share your thoughts:
  4. What is the most interesting thing about the Moon Festival? Why?
  5. What is the least interesting thing about the Moon Festival? Why?
  6. What part of the Moon Festival do you enjoy/like the best? Why?
  7. What part of the Moon Festival do you enjoy/like the least? Why?
  1. Share what you have learned with at least one of your family members and ask for his/her/their autograph(s). You can share by:
  2. Reading your paper to him/her/them, or
  3. Do a presentation to him/her/them.


This cultural project is fun and engaging. Students fulfill an array of level requirements according to National Standards for Foreign Language Learning:
Communication:
Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics
Cultures:
Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied
Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied
Connections:
Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language
Standard 3.2: Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures
Comparisons:
Standard 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.
Communities:
Standard 5.1: Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting

Cultural Project 1

MOON FESTIVAL
CULTURAL RESEARCH PROJECT
Research Directions中秋節主題研究

  1. You will form a group with designated number of classmates. Your teacher will tell you how many students can be in your group.
  2. Each group will receive a topic from your teacher. The topic choices are (your teacher will give you more information about each topic):
  3. Origin
  4. Food
  5. Traditions and taboos
  6. Stories and legends
  7. Celebration
  8. Symbolism of Moon
  9. Decide, as a group, your presentation format. Your presentation must/should include the following:
  10. (MUST) Be sure to use the Chinese proper names, not the English titles. For example, use zh!ngqi% ji6 instead of Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival.
  11. (Should) Decoration, pictures, photographs, or actual items.
  12. Three questions for your classmates at the end of your presentation.
  13. Note cards for each person to use during presentation.
  14. Research on the Internet, in the library, and ask your friends and neighbors for information.Prepare and complete your presentation.

Teacher will present to the students:
  1. Origin: (Who/When/Where/How/Why):How did the festival come about? What was the original reason for having the festival? Are there any stories and legends associated with the origin of the festival? What are some of the other names for this festival? When and who first started celebrating it? How long do people celebrate this festival?
  2. Food: What kinds of food are popular during this time? What are the significance of these food items? Please also provide the recipes.
  3. Traditions and taboos: What do people typically do during this festival? What are people not allowed to do?
  4. Stories: What are some famous stories and legends associated to this holiday?
  5. How do Chinese people celebrate this festival? (US, Asia, Europe, SE Asia, Australia, etc.)
  6. Other Cultures: Select one culture from each continent except Asia. When and how does this culture celebrate its festival of family reunion?
  7. Symbolism of Moon: What does moon represent in other cultures, such as American Indian? Select 4-5 cultures. Also discuss their significance.

Important points:
  1. Please do a full and exhaustive research and double check your information for accuracy. You will be challenged and questioned if your information is incorrect. (It will also affect your grade!)
  2. Use multiple sources, including both digital and print media. DO NOT rely on search engines.
  3. Please cite your source properly. Do not use the search engine links, such as Google and Yahoo.
  4. Please use your creativity freely in decorating your poster.
  5. Group members must work together. That means everyone should know about one another's work. Do not divide the work and try to put them together the day of the presentation. You are giving ONE presentation, and you will be graded as one on your cohesiveness and transition.
  6. Practice your presentation.Be prepared for questions.
FOOD FOR MOON FESTIVAL
Chinese Grape Fruits / Moon Cakes
Chinese Caltrops / Chinese Yams

Cultural Project2
MOON FESTIVAL
AUTUMN FESTIVAL ARTS AND CRAFTS

LANTERN燈籠

Lantern is one of the essential tools the Chinese people use at night in ancient China. During the Moon Festival, children will carry around a home-made lantern to parade around the neighborhood. The lanterns were made out of various materials, including paper, silk, and tin cans. Today, we are going to make a lantern out of paper.

Materials needed:
  1. Two sheets of rectangular paper, different colors.
  2. A pair of scissors
  3. Glue
  4. Color markers

Instructions:
  1. Decorate one sheet of your paper. You can write a few Chinese characters or draw a Chinese lucky animal, such as the dragon and rabbit on your paper. You can also put the characters around the lucky animal.
  2. Fold the paper in half, lengthwise. On the folded edge, and perpendicular to the fold, cut evenly spaced slits in the painting with scissors, stop about 2 inches from the edge of the paper
  3. Unfold your paper. Using your glue, glue one of the short sides to the other, creating a cylinder. Spread out the thin strips to create the lantern effect.
  4. Cut another long strip of paper. Decorate it with more characters.
  5. Add a handle to your lantern by gluing the long strip of paper across the top of your lantern.

Campus Parade:
When all of you have completed your lanterns, line up for a parade around the school. Be sure to follow your teacher’s lead and stay in line. When you encounter other people along the way, be sure to wish them Happy Moon Festival by saying:
中秋節快樂!

Cultural Project 3
MOON FESTIVAL
AUTUMN FESTIVAL ARTS AND CRAFTS
SHADOW PAPER-CUTTING中秋剪影

Shadow Paper-Cutting is one type of traditional Chinese arts. Legend has it that one of the Han Emperor was very depressed from missing his concubine who had passed away. In order to appease the Emperor, one of his court officials cut out the outline of the concubine for him on black paper, and told the Emperor that his concubine left her shadow behind to keep him company. What a great comfort that is to the Emperor! Since the great moon has always been said to the one revealed during the Moon Festival, many great poets of China had wrote about shadows of old friends seemingly seen under the great moon light. Legendary poet of China Li, Bai danced with his own shadow after enjoyed the best Chinese wine.


Materials needed:
  1. A model, such as classmates, stuff animals, etc.
  2. Black paper and one light color paper
  3. A pair of scissors
  4. Glue
  5. Color marker

Presentation of your art:
When you are done with your Shadow Paper-Cutting, share it with your classmates and ask them one of the following questions:
  • If your model is a person (Chang e; Wu Gang; Lincoln, Linda):這是誰?
  • If your model is an object/animal (tea pot, sofa; a plant; jade rabbit, dog):
這是什麼?

When you hear the right answer,
be sure to say "你答對了, 恭喜!"
If you hear the wrong answer,
be encouraging and say "對不起,你答錯了!
Please try again.”

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