December 18, 2024admin

The Dongzhi Festival

Today, we are going to learn about a special winter celebration from China called the Dongzhi Festival. This festival happens on the shortest day of the year and is all about family, warmth, and hope for the coming spring. Families gather to eat a special food called tangyuan, which are sweet rice balls served in warm soup. They also decorate their homes with red lanterns because red is a lucky color. By reading about this tradition and creating our own craft, we’ll learn how people celebrate winter in a way that brings them closer together.

ELA Block

  1. First we’ll learn about the history of the holiday before visiting modern a Dongzhi festival.
  2. Next we’ll read about the festival and work on some vocabulary.
  3. We’ll wrap up our ELA block by creating lantern decorations for our own Dongzhi festival the classroom.

Math Block – Fraction Actions

  1. We’re going to start by using what we know about cooking and equivalent fractions to simplify our amounts — make them easier to manage. As you have experience, sometimes it’s easier to measure an ingredient with a smaller scoop. A 1/2 cup measure may fit in a jar more easily than a large 1 cup measure. But if a recipe calls for 6 half cups of flour (6/2 cups) or sugar, we may want to simplify the fraction.

A fraction is simplified when you can only divide both parts by the number 1. We’re going to use our measures, some rice and a worksheet to work on simplifying the fraction.

2. Next we’ll make a simple wonton soup, making sure we’re using the simplest versions of each measurement.

ELA and Math Objectives and Standards

ELA Standard: RI.7.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a topic

ELA Learning Objective:

  • Students will read and identify key vocabulary related to Dongzhi traditions.
  • Students will answer comprehension and vocabulary questions about the passage.
  • Students will reinforce their understanding of Dongzhi through a hands-on craft activity.

Math Standard: 7.NS.A.3 – Solve real-world problems involving simplifying fractions.

Math Learning Objective:

  • Students will practice simplifying fractions using cooking measures as a real-world connection.
  • Students will complete a hands-on craft activity to reinforce their understanding of fractions.