Candidate:
Jennifer Scarbrough
Lesson Topic:
Chinese New Year Reading
Lesson
Date Taught:
7/21/2015
What went well:
Before I began reading, I
asked my students questions about what they knew about the Chinese New Year
celebration and our New Year’s Eve celebration.
They know a lot more about the Chinese New Year than I thought they
would. I showed them pictures of Chinese
New Year celebrations on my computer before we started reading. I think it really helped my students get
excited about the story. My students
understood the concept of comparing and contrasting when we compared the
Chinese New Year to New Year’s Eve in a Venn diagram. They really enjoyed making the Chinese
lanterns after reading the book Lanterns
and Fireworks. The students were
excited to have something to take home to show their parents.
What did not go as planned:
I wish I had showed the
students pictures of our New Year’s Eve celebrations. They did not know as much about our holiday as
they did about the Chinese New year once we read the story. Also, when we made the lanterns, I wish I had
cut notches in the paper the night before.
Although, I think the kids enjoyed getting to do it themselves.
How to change for subsequent lessons:
The next time I teach
this lesson, I will also show pictures of our New Year's Eve celebrations to help activate prior knowledge. Mrs. Hensley suggested drawing dots or lines where they are supposed to cut their lanterns. I will definitely do that next time.
Jen- I really did enjoy this lesson. I thought it was great how you front loaded information about the Chinese New Year and activated the students' prior knowledge. The students really enjoyed making the lanterns. When they take them home they can tell their family about the read aloud and the new information they learned!
ReplyDeleteThose lanterns were interesting, during dismissal I wondered what the story was behind them. One of your students was actually enjoying his blowing in the wind while we waiting in the car loop.
ReplyDeleteIt's pleasing to hear you are enriching the students with festivities from other cultures and furthering their knowledge about our own. Imagine what kind of new conversations your students have when their parents or guardians ask, What did you learn today?
Jen, your lesson sounds very interesting! I know the students were fully engaged. I liked how you incorporated pictures, activated prior knowledge, and had students complete a hands on activity. You are doing an amazing job with the younger kids!
ReplyDeleteThe lanterns were a great activity and involved fine motor skills. It was also a great way to incorporate a cultural lesson into a reading activity. The Venn Diagram was a great way to learn how to compare and contrast two cultural events. I'm not sure how your changing the division activity and beads though would affect this lesson.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing the lanterns at the end of the day. The kids seemed really proud of them. I liked that you made this extension to your lesson. I really believe that you have done a great job with your kids!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what those cute little lanterns were! It is obvious that your students were engaged. Showing pictures and videos to activate schema always gets the ball rolling. This makes me think of a Scholastic News lesson I taught on the Chinese New Year. The students celebrated another culture and enjoyed it as the same time!
ReplyDeleteJen,
ReplyDeleteAs you know, anything about China is very near and dear to my heart! I really appreciated how you incorporated multiculturalism into your reading lesson and tied it to a celebration that your students are familiar with. I loved the paper lanterns as they play a huge role in the Chinese New Year celebrations. I think the children really enjoyed making the lantern paper craft and having an artifact to take home and share their learning with their family. On a side note, thank you for allowing us to borrow the book "Library Mouse," our children really enjoyed having it read aloud and discussing how they themselves are authors too:-) I want to say how impressed I am by all your hard work this summer in doing all you can to make a difference in your children. Keep up all the great work!
My best,
Jamie