Ideas for Teaching Chinese New Year Activities
Doing Chinese New Year activities can be a fun and exciting way to explore a different culture and get students engaged in the classroom. One of my favorite ways to learn about a new holiday with elementary students is by doing a Webquest.
What is a Webquest?
During a Webquest, students practice researching a holiday (or any topic) using preselected student friendly websites to gather information. They then complete a range of reading comprehension activities and writing crafts that can be used to help students learn more about the Chinese New Year celebration.
Individual Chinese New Year Activities and Lessons:
- KWL Chart: Whenever we start learning about a new topic, I LOVE using a KWL chart. A KWL chart evaluates: what students ALREADY know, what students WANT to learn, then at the end it shows what students HAVE learned about ANY topic.
- Reading Comprehension Questions: After students are familiar with the article about Chinese New Year, I give them time to work with a partner to answer questions about Chinese New Year.
- Main Idea and Key Details: Another important skill for students is summarizing their learning by talking about the main idea and key details about a topic. Specifically, students will read about the Chinese New Year and pick out the most important information. They take notes on the main idea and key details using a graphic organizer.
- Key Vocabulary: In order for students to fully understand a topic, it is important they understand the important vocabulary that goes with it. Typically, I review the important vocabulary words EVERY day. After students have practiced reading and using the words aloud for a few days, I have them write their own definition of the vocabulary along with a sentence using the vocabulary word. For Chinese New Year, the most important vocabulary words are lunar, zodiac and legend.
- Informative Summary: The best way for students to remember something is to write it down. After students have done all of their research, I have students practice writing a summary about what they learned. It is very helpful for students to use their notes from the main idea and key detail graphic organizer to complete this activity.
Chinese New Year Bulletin Board and Craft
I love to let students create a quick and easy craft about the Chinese New Year when they are done with their Webquest.
These make a great bulletin board for your classroom or a really good quick check for you to see if they have fully grasped the lessons on Chinese New Year.
How Long Does it Take to Teach Chinese New Year Activities?
Elementary students can spend as long as a week or as short as one period using the Chinese New Year activities.
Closing Thoughts
These Chinese New Year activities are a great way to help elementary students become more engaged in the classroom and to learn more about a different culture.
With activities that are both fun and educational, this resource is sure to be a hit in any classroom.
Let us know how you celebrate and learn about the Chinese New Year with your students!
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