Bibliotherapy by Shannon Draper

Overview

Chin Chiang has long dreamed of dancing the dragon's dance, but when the first day of the Year of the Dragon arrives and he is to dance with his grandfather, he is sure he will shame his family and bring bad luck to everyone.

This is a wonderful story about overcoming one's fears and trying one's best. It is also a contemporary story about Chinese New Year as it is celebrated in a large Canadian city.

Objectives

Students show empathy for the character and his fears and can share relevant examples from their own lives

Students demonstrate an understanding of what makes the character and themselves special and unique

Students will learn that families express their cultures through traditions, rituals and celebrations

Students will recognize that different groups of people celebrate holidays unique to them

Students will appreciate and value their own heritage and that of others

Students will learn about important traditions, rituals and celebrations in other countries

Grade Level and Classroom Setting

Grade 2

7 – 8 year olds

This bibliotherapy will be used as part of a Grade 2 thematic unit done at the beginning of the year called “All about Me”. During this unit students explore the things that make them unique and special. Students will investigate their own cultural heritage and traditions. The end of the unit focuses on cultural traditions and celebrations of people in different parts of the world.

Synopsis

From the time Chin Chiang was small he dreamed of dancing the dragon’s dance. Now the first day of the Year of the Dragon has arrived and his dream is going to come true. But instead of being excited, Chin Chiang is so scared he wants to melt into his shoes. He knows he could never dance well enough to make his grandfather proud of him. Though Chin Chiang has practiced and practiced with Grandfather, he still feels too clumsy.

While everyone is busy preparing for the evening’s festivities, Chin Chiang runs away down the street to the public library. He races up to the roof where no one will find him. But someone does come – someone who helps Chin Chiang solve his problems. He meets the janitor who cleans the library. She used to dance the dragon’s dance many years ago and Chin Chiang thinks he has found a replacement to dance for him as long as he can convince her. Together they practice and when they hear the start of the parade they go to see. The dragon is coming out to dance and Chin Chiang, encouraged by his grandfather, decides to dance. Chin Chiang does a great job and the family and Chin Chiang’s new friend celebrate with traditional food and presents.

Themes Explored in the Book

Facing your fears

Chinese culture and traditions

Perseverance

The kindness of strangers

Making friends when you least expect it

Introductory Activities Before we share the book students will have talked about the meaning of the words tradition (A long-continued practice or custom ) and celebration (a joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event) .

Interview: Have the children interview their parents about traditions that they have in their families. Have the children ask their parents how this tradition was started and what special meanings it has. Encourage children to ask about traditions connected to holidays or celebrations. Have children draw a picture about their tradition and write a short sentence about it. These pictures will be shared with the class, then bound together as a "Traditions" book that can be enjoyed by the class.

Tell the students that they will be listening to a story that tells of a special tradition and celebration in one boy’s family. Have them look at the front cover of the book and share ideas about what they think the book is about.

Ask the students where they think the boy is from and why they think that (while they read the book the students will reflect on their answers).

Discussion Questions

What are some of the things people do to celebrate Chinese New Year?

Where do you think the story takes place and why?

Where is Chin Chiang from? Was your guess at the beginning right? Can you assume that someone is from somewhere in particular just because of how they look or what their name is?

Does your family celebrate any cultural traditions or holidays from another country other than Colombia?

Why does Chin Chiang run away? What did you think when he did that? Have you ever experienced a time when you were scared like Chin Chiang? What did you do?

What Does Chin Chiang learn from Pu Yee?

What does Pu Yee learn from Chin Chiang?

What do you think is special about Chin Chiang? Pu Yee?

Can you think of something you have done that involves lots of practice and persistence? How did you feel when you finished and were successful?

Do you think that Chin Chiang will remember this celebration for a long time after? Why or why not?

What else would you like to learn about Chinese New Year?

Follow-up Activities

Guest Speaker: If possible find someone of Chinese descent, or someone who has visited China or been involved in a Chinese New Year celebration somewhere. Have them talk with the class about the things they heard, saw and did during the celebration. Encourage the speaker to bring any artifacts and pictures they may have. Have them individually write the speaker thank you notes. Have them include specific things that they learned from the speaker.

Dragon Dance: Let children work in groups of 3-4 to make their own dragon costume. Paint a large dragon's head on a grocery bag. Attach a long piece of butcher paper for the body. Decorate it with glitter, sequins and feathers to make it more fancy. Have the children make up dances and take turns being the head and the body.  

Integrated Thematic Enrichment

Making Red Envelopes: Have the children make money out of foil and paper to put in the envelopes. Give them squares of red paper. Have them fold in the corners to meet in the middle and seal it with a gold sticker. If they wish, they can decorate the envelope to make it more special. The envelopes could be given to friends or family members.  

Painting Fireworks: Give the children pieces of black paper. Have them put small drops of paint on their picture and then blow these drops with a straw. Before the paint is dry, have them sprinkle glitter on the pictures. Have the children see if they can think of other ways to paint fireworks.  

Making good luck symbols: In China, the word for good luck is fu (FOO). (Explain to the children that Chinese characters are like our alphabet.) People paint signs with this character to hang in their homes and in the streets. These signs are painted in the traditional red and gold colors and are hung upside-down. The Chinese word for upside-down rhymes with the Chinese word for arrive. So it is kind of a play on words that by hanging the sign upside-down, good luck will arrive. Have the children use red squares to make their own fu sign. They can either draw the character themselves or decorate a pre-made sign using gold and red paint and glitter.

Compare and Contrast: This activity is to help children compare Chinese New Year celebration with the New Year celebrated on January first. Have children take a piece of paper and construct a Venn Diagram (two overlapping circles). Have them title one circle "Chinese New Year" and the other circle "January 1st New Year" label the overlapping piece "same". Have them fill out the diagram with information that is unique about each celebration, and have them fill out the overlapping section with things that each celebration has in common. After they work on it alone, let them get into small groups and share their ideas with each other

Further Reading: Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year by Waters, Kate and Madeline Slovenz-Low. (1990)

Group Project: After learning about Chinese New Year as a whole group students will break into 4 or 5 small groups to investigate traditional celebrations in other countries. Each group will research a different country and one of it’s traditional celebrations. They will then share what they learned with the class. After all the groups have shared students will each write about what celebration they liked best and why.

Bibliography

Wallace, Ian. (1984). Chin Chiang and the Dragon's Dance. Toronto: Groundwood.