Lanterns+and+Firecrackers+-+A+Chinese+New+Year+Story+Reinforcing+Activity

__**Objective:**__ Students will be able to compare and contrast New Year celebrations from around the world to prove how the US is culturally diverse.

__**Materials:**__
 * Book, //Lanterns and Fireworks//
 * Graphic Organizers
 * Computers for research

__**Procedures:**__ Start of the class by brainstorming different ideas on the following prompt: "In what ways is the New Years celebrated here in the United States?"
 * On the board the teacher should create a graphic organizer, outlining all of the different ways that his or her students celebrate the new year.
 * As you proceed to reading the story to the class, encourage them to think of the similarities and differences between how they celebrate the New Year, and how the family in the story celebrates it. Have the students fill out the graphic organizer like below:

Here is an example of a graphic organizer for the board:

Types of New Years Who(Culture) When( Date ?) Characteristics New Years Eve parties Banging pans ||
 * New Year in America || Varying Cultures || January 1st || Ball drops at midnight
 * Chinese New Year ||  ||   ||   ||

Read //Lanterns and Firecrackers - A Chinese New Year Story// out loud to the class.
 * Prompt these questions during the reading:
 * "Are fireworks a large part of American New Year's practices?"
 * "Why is this family setting off fireworks as a part of their celebration?"

After the reading is completed, compare the ideas that were discussed at the beginning of the class regarding American New Year's practices, with the ideas that they got from the story.
 * Classroom discussion: "What are the similarities and differences between the American and Chinese New Year celebrations?"
 * "Does anyone have any prior experiences with celebrating the Chinese New Year?"

Divide the class into four groups. Have each group research a different New Years tradition and how it is celebrated around the world, and in particularly in the United States. The various New Years they could research include: Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur (Jewish New Year), Songkran (Buddhist New Years), Baisakhi (Hindu new Years), Hijri (Islamic New Years). Have students create a similar graphic organizer with the name of the new years, who celebrates, when it occurs, the characteristics of the new year, and how it has been brought to the United Staes. Have students share their New Years with the class.

Have students reflect how the various New Years show that the US is culturally diverse. Why are all of these New Years celebrated in the US? How did they come to the US?

Grade 2: Geography, Human Systems 9. Interactions among cultures lead to sharing ways of life.
 * __Other Standards:__**