Activities to do During Your Tour of Asia
The Activities on this
Web site are designed for kids to do in their regular classroom or music
class as part of a lesson on Asia or about music of the orchestra. You
may also do them at home.
(Teachers, click here for
more information on using these pages.)
How the Activities Are Organized:
All of the activities on this site go along with the National Symphony Orchestra tour of China and Japan which took place from January 25-February 10, 1999. Each day of the tour offers a chance for you to do an activity and save it as a souvenir in your Asian Scrapbook.
We suggest that the activities be used along with the Cultural Connections on this site. This way, you and your teacher will have the background you need to be able to create your souvenirs.
Cultural Connections and Related Activities:
|
CHINA'S
CULTURE
|
ACTIVITIES
FOR CHINA
|
| Welcome to China! | Make your Asian scrapbook! |
| Visit the Great Wall of China | Learn about maps |
| Explore the Forbidden City | Make Chinese lanterns |
| Take a look at the Beijing Opera | Learn to speak Mandarin |
| Learn about Chinese Horoscopes | Write about your Chinese horoscope |
| Discover Asian instruments | Learn to sing Song of the Dragon |
| Learn about the art of Chinese calligraphy | Make a Chinese screen |
| Get ready for the Chinese New Year | Decorate for the Chinese New Year |
|
JAPAN'S
CULTURE
|
ACTIVITIES
FOR JAPAN
|
| Welcome to Japan! | Make origami |
| Read about Japanese literature | Write a haiku poem |
| Walk through a Japanese garden | Create your own Japanese Garden |
| Take a look at blossoming cherry trees | Sing Sakura |
| Learn the history of the kimono | Make a kimono collage |
| Discover different types of sushi | Eat with chopsticks |
| Find out about Sumo wrestling | Learn about Sports day |
| Learn about Earthquakes | Complete the map of the tour |
| Celebrate holidays in Japan | Learn to speak Japanese |
Teachers: Each of the activities on this site are written to the 2nd-5th grade student. Of course, younger children can do these activities with their teachers, and older children are invited to try them out, and even find ways to make them more challenging. (Older students and teachers who find ways to do these activities differently, or who try other related activities: please post your ideas on the teacher's bulletin board!) These activities are also connected to the national education standards and in some cases, to extended lessons. See the for teachers area for more information and for additional lessons.
Why These Activities Were Chosen:- They can be done using things found at home or in most classrooms-- there's no need to go out and buy materials!
- They are relatively short, so that they can be done during a class period -- you will probably be able to easily integrate them into your curriculum.
- They make connections to many things kids study at school -- we've included curriculum connections to Social Studies, Language Arts, Math, Science, Art, Music and Foreign Language!
