Long-Long's New Year - China

Long-Long’s New Year
Catherine Gower
Illustrated by He Zhihong
2005 Tuttle Publishing
Boston, MA

Long-Long’s New Year follows Long-Long’s trip to the market to prepare for the big spring festival, the Chinese New Year. Long-Long is there to help his grandfather sell cabbages they had grown and to buy food, decorations, and treats for the festival. It is Long-Long’s first trip to the lively market and he turns out to be a big help to his grandfather and many other people. The book gives very colorful descriptions of what goes on at the market and gives children a glimpse of all the Chinese goods that are traditionally part of the spring festival.

“The Chinese Market”

Standards
English Language Arts
2-1 The student will read and comprehend a variety of literary texts in print and non-print formats.
2-1.7 Create responses to literary texts through a variety of methods (for example, writing, creative dramatics, and the visual and performing arts).
Social Studies
2-2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the local community and the way it compares with other communities in the world.
2-2.2 Recognize characteristics of the local region, including its geographic features and natural resources.
2-2.5 Compare the history and features of the local community with those of different communities around the world.

Objective: The student will contribute to a class mural that depicts the market in China which Long-Long visits.

Materials: A large sheet of paper or several large pieces of paper connected, drawing materials, tape.

Procedure: After reading Long-Long’s New Year with the whole class or a group, the teacher will ask students to mention some of the things that Long-Long saw or did at the market. The teacher will write a list of these things. Ask the students to mention specifically the produce and other goods mentioned in the book.
Then each student will choose one or more things off the list to draw a picture of which can be as detailed as they like. For example, a student who chooses oranges may draw a person selling oranges out of a basket.
When they finish their picture they can cut it out and tape it onto the mural.
The student will then label there picture, if they want they can look up the Chinese character and add that as well.
When all of the students have added their picture he class will have a large mural representing a traditional Chinese market place.