Xin Nian Kuai Le!
Happy Chinese New Year!

I don’t think I have ever been as excited to teach a lesson as I was to teach today.

I taught a lesson on Chinese New Year to my class today and I thought that it went really well!
I read a book called, The Great Race: The story of the Chinese Zodiac. I gave each the student an “animal on a stick” and when their animal is called out they have to raise their animal up! I thought it was a little bit risky giving my kindergarten/grade 1 kids sticks with animals on it, but it paid off! The kids were actively engaged in the story and were so excited when their animal name was read out. We practiced saying and writing the Chinese numbers in the air as well.

We also made Chinese Drums! The students pre-painted plates red and I came in early to prep the drums, taping and stapling the drums together as well as tying ribbon and beads to the side (to make the drums). The students coloured and traced the Chinese character “Fu” which means luck as well as a picture of a monkey! They then cut the characters out and glued it on to the drum.
I showed a video of the Chinese New Year song “Gong Xi Gong Xi” and the students were able to play their newly made drums during the chorus. It was a lot of fun.

After recess, my SA prepared some Chinese food for the students to eat. It was a really cool, she set up red table cloths, chopsticks, plates, Chinese zodiac place mats, etc. We had a parent come in to help make rice and pick up chow mein and beef and brocolli! I brought some Tikoy or Nian Gao or Chinese New Year Cake as well. The students enjoyed it very much. Most of them tried everything — which was so great. I was a little hesitant at first bringing in the Nian Gao, because it would be something totally unusual to them. It’s brown, pan fried with egg, sticky and a little sweet — I wasn’t sure how they’d take it. But I’m glad that a lot of them did like it! My favourite quote from one student was “At first I thought it was weird looking, but I LOVE IT! This is my favourite food that we had today!”. He ate FIVE pieces of that Nian Gao! My students also ate with chopsticks (most of the time) and it was so amusing to see them try to use it.

I thought that this entire day was so great! Before my lesson began, the students knew very little about Chinese New Year — some knowing nothing at all. But I believe that when I left, a lot of them knew a whole lot more 🙂 It’s such a great feeling! I really do hope that I instilled with them not only the awareness of Chinese New Year as a tradition but the appreciation of it.