Honoring Our Ancestors
by Jessica N. Rivera

 

Table of Contents:
Outline    Standards     Lesson 1 Day of the Dead (Mexico and more)     Lesson 2 Qing Ming (China)    Lesson 3 Obon (Japan)     Lesson 4 Global View     Lesson 5 Reports     Resources       E-Mail

Outline
This unit is an extension of the Houghton Mifflin Reading third grade theme "Celebrating Traditions." It goes more  in depth  into different cultures' ways of honoring their ancestors, and the traditions followed in their celebrations.  In this unit the students use the internet to learn about several cultures' traditions on remembering their dead ancestors, and then they use different technologies to investigate and  make a report on one of these traditions.

Target Students
 Because this unit is an extension of a third grade theme in a reading series, the target students are third graders. This unit doesn't necessarily need to be tied to the Houghton Mifflin unit, thus can be used in other grades. The third grade involved in this project consist of  children with European, Hispanic and Asian backgrounds. It includes students of different abilities from students with learning disabilities to GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) students.  The socio-economic level of the students is varied.

Major Goals
 One of the goals of this unit is to bring previous experiences lived by the students into the classroom for sharing and validation. Another goal is to help the students learn more about their own cultures and to preserve their traditions.

Timelines
 This unit was done over a month. The first week was an introductory week where the students learn a little about the different traditions, are assigned a topic and find motivation. The next two weeks are for investigation and preparation of their report. The last week is the presentation of their reports.

Types of Assessments
An assessment is used at the end of this unit to evaluate the students' success in investigating the topic and presenting it. The scoring system is found at the end of lesson five. For most other lessons teacher observation is used.

Standards
Language Arts Standards:

Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication
1.5 Organize ideas chronologically or around major points of information.
1.6 Provide a beginning, a middle, and an end, including concrete details that develop a central idea.
1.7 Use clear and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas and establish the tone.
1.8 Clarify and enhance oral presentations through the use of appropriate props (e.g., objects, pictures, charts).

Lesson One-Day of the Dead

Instructional Objectives

• talk about previous experiences and traditions in his/her family related to "Honoring Our Ancestors"
• gain information from the internet about celebrating "The Day of the Dead" in different hispanic cultures
• take notes about the subject
  

Time Required
This lesson takes less than an hour whether done as a whole class with a projection device, or in a computer lab. With extra time for writing a poem, printing and coloring.

Advance Preparation/Materials Needed
Computer with projection device or computer lab time set aside.
Internet connection and the following list of sites (click here for a hotlist):

Vocabulary
Honoring: showing respect and admiration
Ancestor: a person from whom one is descended in direct line
Tradition: the handing down of stories, traditions or customs
Celebration: the act of honoring, an observance in honor of anything
Día de los muertos: Day of the Dead (November 2)

Procedures

• I like to begin by reading part the book Honoring Our Ancestors Stories and Pictures By Fourteen Artists, edited by Harriet Rohmer. Children's Book Press, San Francisco, California.
  
• Introduce the theme and ask the students to tell if they have participated in  any "Day of the Dead" activities, and/or if their families celebrate it. Often times their immediate family might not, but the older family members (grandparents, aunts and uncles) do. Give the students a chance to share their traditions. Emphasize the value of continuing the traditions.
• Go to the sites on the hotlist to learn more about Day of the Dead. Discuss as a class.
• Have the students take notes on what interest them the most and discuss at the end.
• Have the students go to http://elbalero.gob.mx/kids/about/html/holidays/ddead_kids.html#   to print a calaverita coloring page, and to follow the instructions for writing a calaverita poem.
  

Activities

• Listen to the teacher read from a book.
• Do a search on the Internet.
• Take notes.
• Discuss the notes.
• Print a  coloring page from the Internet.
• Follow online instructions for writing a poem.
  

Extensions
Make a Day of the Dead altar.
Make bread of the dead (recipe can be found online).
Do some of the activities from the Internet sites. i.e.   Color your calaverita or make your calaverita
(papel picado, cempazuchitl) @
http://elbalero.gob.mx/kids/about/html/holidays/ddead_kids.html#

Homework
Ask your family members about you family's or cultures traditions in honoring your dead ancestors, and be ready to share that information with the class.
Write a calaverita poem with one of your family members.

Evaluation
The lesson is successful if the students have notes and are able to share why those things were of interest to him/her, if they successfully print the coloring page from the Internet, and if they complete a poem following the online instructions.

Illustrative Materials
Hotlist

Student Work Samples

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Lesson Two-Qing Ming (China)

Instructional Objectives

• review experiences and traditions in his/her family related to "Honoring Our Ancestors"
• gain information from the internet about celebrating "Qing Ming" in China
• take notes about the subject and discuss the notes
• Compare and contrast the two different traditions seen so far
  

Time Required
This lesson takes less than an hour whether done as a whole class with a projection device, or in a computer lab. Extra computer time might be needed to complete individual work.

Advance Preparation/Materials Needed
Computer with projection device or computer lab time set aside.
Internet connection and the following list of sites (click here for a hotlist):

Vocabulary

Procedures

• Continue reading another part the book Honoring Our Ancestors Stories and Pictures By Fourteen Artists, edited by Harriet Rohmer. Children's Book Press, San Francisco, California.
  
• Introduce the theme and ask the students to tell if they have participated in  any "Qing Ming" activities, and/or if their families celebrate it. Often times their immediate family might not, but the older family members (grandparents, aunts and uncles) do. Give the students a chance to share their traditions. Emphasize the value of continuing the traditions.
• Go to the sites on the hotlist to learn more about Qing Ming. Discuss as a class.
• Have the students take notes on what interest them the most and discuss.
• Compare and contrast Day of the Dead and Qing Ming.
• Have the students read the preview of The Ballad of Mulan online @ http://panap.com/mulan_index.html    Here they can see the Chinese characters below the English text. You can discuss Chinese traditions and Chinese writing using this story.

Activities

• Listen to the teacher read from a book.
• Do a search on the Internet.
• Take notes.
• Discuss the notes.
• Read a preview of a book online.
  

Extensions
Learn a Chinese ribbon dance.
Do a search on Wang Yani and learn about a young Chinese brush painting (Sumi-e) artist.
Learn to use the Sumi-e brushes, grinding stone and ink.
Draw baboons like Wang Yani's using a sumi-e brush.
Write a letter using a sumi-e brush.
Play a Chinese game (Mahjong) @ http://primarygames.com/holidays/chinese/games/mahjongg/start.htm   

Homework
Read The Ballad of Mulan in your HM anthology (if that is what you are using), and be ready to discuss the traditions mentioned in the story.

Evaluation
The lesson is successful if the students have notes and are able to share why those things were of interest to him/her.

Illustrative Materials
Hotlist

Student Work Samples

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Lesson Three-Obon (Japan)

Instructional Objectives

• review experiences and traditions in his/her family related to "Honoring Our Ancestors"
• gain information from the internet about celebrating "Obon" in Japan
• take notes about the subject and discuss the notes
• Compare and contrast the three different traditions seen so far
  

Time Required
This lesson takes approximately an hour whether done as a whole class with a projection device, or in a computer lab. Extra computer time might be needed to complete individual work.  

Advance Preparation/Materials needed
Computer with projection device or computer lab time set aside.
Internet connection and the following list of sites (click here for a hotlist):

Vocabulary

Procedures

• Finish reading  the book Honoring Our Ancestors Stories and Pictures By Fourteen Artists, edited by Harriet Rohmer. Children's Book Press, San Francisco, California.
  
• Introduce the theme and ask the students to tell if they have participated in  any "Obon" activities, and/or if their families celebrate it. Often times their immediate family might not, but the older family members (grandparents, aunts and uncles) do. Give the students a chance to share their traditions. Emphasize the value of continuing the traditions. Here in Santa Maria we have an Obon Festival during the summer, usually at the fairpark. You can encourage your students to go to an Obon festival if there is one in your town.
• Go to the sites on the hotlist to learn more about The Obon Festival. Discuss as a class.
• Have the students take notes on what interest them the most and discuss.
• Compare and contrast Day of the Dead, Qing Ming and Obon.
• Have the students send each other Japanese e-mail postcards ( I use my own address as the address for all students.) Japanese Postcards http://gojapan.about.com/cs/photogallery/a/japanpostcard.htm     Or you can have the students e-mail a card to you telling what they know about OBON, you can use it as an assessment.
  

Activities

• Listen to the teacher read from a book.
• Do a search on the Internet.
• Take notes.
• Discuss the notes.
• Send an e-mail postcard
  

Extensions
Learn a traditional  Japanese dance for the Obon Festival.
Search for information on taiko drums.
Create a taiko drum or a taiko drum dance.
Learn about the Japanese Tea Ceremony tradition @ http://teamuse.com/article_001001.html    
Hold your own Tea Ceremony.
Listen to a preview of music inspired by the Obon @   http://music.msn.com/album/?album=41430118    
Learn about the art of Japan  @   http://library.thinkquest.org/27458/    and make some art inspired on Japanese art.
Follow online directions for making origami @  http://library.thinkquest.org/27458/swf/origami/diagrams.html    

Homework
Tell your parents about what you have learned. Report back on what they thought.

Evaluation
The lesson is successful if the students have notes and are able to share why those things were of interest to him/her. If you have the students do the last item of the procedures section, you can use the e-card as an assessment.

Illustrative Materials
Hotlist

Student Work Samples

Back
 

Lesson Four-Global View

Instructional Objectives

• review experiences and traditions in his/her family related to "Honoring Our Ancestors"
• gain information from the Internet about other cultures' traditions in celebrating their dead ancestors
• take notes about the subject and discuss the notes
• compare and contrast all the different traditions they have learned about in this unit
  

Time Required

Advance Preparation/Materials Needed
Computer with projection device or computer lab time set aside.
Internet connection and the following list of sites (click here for a hotlist):

Vocabulary
Honoring: showing respect and admiration
Ancestor: a person from whom one is descended in direct line
Tradition: the handing down of stories, traditions or customs
Celebration: the act of honoring, an observance in honor of anything
Día de los muertos: Day of the Dead (November 2)
Qing Ming: Chinese Tomb Sweeping Day (Celebrated two weeks after the vernal equinox). Tomb Sweeping Day is one of the few traditional  holidays that follows the solar calendar-- typically falling on April 4, 5, or 6. Its Chinese name "Qing Ming" literally means "Clear Brightness," hinting at its importance as a celebration of Spring. Similar to the spring festivals of other cultures, Tomb Sweeping Day celebrates the rebirth of nature, while marking the beginning of the planting season and other outdoor activities.
Obon:

Procedures

• Review  the book Honoring Our Ancestors Stories and Pictures By Fourteen Artists, edited by Harriet Rohmer. Children's Book Press, San Francisco, California.
  
• Ask the students to tell if they have participated in  any other activities that celebrate ancestors that we have not learned about yet, and/or if their families celebrate it.. Give the students a chance to share their experiences. 
• Go to the sites on the hotlist to learn more about how other cultures honor their ancestors. Discuss as a class.
• Have the students take notes on what interest them the most and discuss.
• Compare and contrast all the different traditions studied.

Activities

• Listen to the teacher read from a book.
• Do a search on the Internet.
• Take notes.
• Discuss the notes.
  

Extensions
Do any of the activities found on the Internet on the subject.

Homework
Tell your parents about what you have learned. Report back on what they thought.
Write a paragraph on what tradition you have found more interesting and why.

Evaluation
The lesson is successful if the students have notes and are able to share why those things were of interest to him/her.

Illustrative Materials
Hotlist

Student Work Samples

Instructional Objectives

The students will:

• Do research on a topic using the Internet
• Report on a topic using visuals for enhancement
• Evaluate their peers and their own presentations
  

Time Required
Half an hour is required for instructions and the assigning of the reports. Two weeks are needed for the research and preparation of the report. Five to ten minutes are needed per student for the presentations including set up time.

Advanced preparation/Materials Needed
Computer with projection device, VCR, DVD player, etc. depending on the format the students are using for their reports. Video camera if you want to record the students for them to see their presentation, analyze and self critique their performance. Comment forms for the other students to give positive feedback on. Assignment (to get you started) sheets with suggested web pages (Day of the Dead, Qing Ming, Obon).

Procedures

• Explain to the students what is a report and explain different ways of creating/presenting a report (traditional report with a poster or other prop, PowerPoint presentation, video, dance/song, newspaper article, newscast, pamphlet/brochure, etc.)  
• Tell the students that they will be creating/presenting a report. Explain the expectations.
• Assign the topic to the students. I had two or three students doing the same topic. I chose the topic for them, but you can have them choose or have a lottery. Not all of my students had one of the topics in this unit for their reports. For the report section of this unit I had some students do reports on topics related to their ancestry, i.e. one of my students has Tlingit ancestors, so I had him do a report on the Tlingit. A couple of my students' parents come from Oaxaca, Mexico, so I had them do a report on Oaxaca and Oaxacan traditions. Assignment sheet                  Day of the Dead Links and starter questions                                                                         Qing Ming Links and starter questions               Obon Links  and starter questions 
• Give the students some time in class several days to work on the reports and/or get help from the teacher.
  
• When the students have completed their report research and preparation schedule a couple of "Report Days"
• Have the students present their reports. Videotape them for self review/critique. Have the class fill out  a positive comments form that will be used to make a  booklet for the presenters.
  

Activities

• Research and present a report on a tradition
• Give positive feedback to their peers
  

Extensions
Make a little book for each student with the positive feedback forms filled out by the class.

Homework
The research and preparation of the report is done mostly as homework.

Evaluation

Illustrative Materials

Assignment/resource sheets:

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