Happy Birthday Mr. Kang
Below-Level Reader
The Sights and Sounds of...
Unit 6 Week 2
CAUSE AND EFFECT GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS
LESSON VOCABULARY bows, chilly,
foolish, foreign, narrow, perches, recipe
SUMMARY This book describes New York City's Chinatown, the people who
live there, as well as the sights and sounds and traditions of this lively neighborhood.
INTRODUCE THE BOOK
BUILD BACKGROUND Discuss with students what they know about
Chinatown. Ask them whether they have ever visited Chinatown in New York
or another city. What do they remember about their visit? What surprised
them the most?
PREVIEW/USE PHOTOS AND CAPTIONS Invite students to review the
photographs, charts, and captions. Ask students what they think the text will
be about.
Have students tell what is unique about their neighborhood. Tell
them that a city's Chinatown is also a unique area of the city.
TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY Encourage student pairs to find the
vocabulary words in the text. Have them define the words and then work
together to write a sentence for each word.
TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY
CAUSE AND EFFECT Remind students that an
effect is what happened,
and a
cause is why something happened. Have students read page 8. Ask:
What is one reason the older generation feels that their traditions are slipping away?
(Younger Chinese do not bow to their elders.)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS Remind students that
graphic organizers are
a visual way to arrange information. Have students look at the table on
page 8. Help them explore the reasons (right-hand column) for four Chinese traditions (left-hand column).
READ THE BOOK
Use the following questions to support comprehension.
PAGE 7 What languages will you hear in Chinatown? (Chinese and English)
PAGE 8 Why do many Chinese people practice Tai Chi? (to exercise their
minds and bodies)
PAGE 12 Does the Chinese New Year happen on the same day as our
New Year? (No, it happens sometime in January or February.)
TALK ABOUT THE BOOK
READER RESPONSE
- Streets are crowded and busy; important Chinese traditions are falling
away; there are many choices of food and other products.
- Sights: narrow winding streets; crowds of Chinese people and tourists;
food markets; seasonal festivals; Sounds: spoken Chinese; traffic noises; music from seasonal festivals
- Response will vary but may include: chilly, narrow, crowded, loud,
colorful, traditional
- Answers will vary but may include speaking politely, saying please and
thank you, and listening to what you are told.
RESPONSE OPTIONS
WRITING Have students imagine that they are attending the New Year's parade
in Chinatown. Have them describe the sights, sounds, and smells.
CONTENT CONNECTIONS
SOCIAL STUDIES Have students research Chinese immigration on the Internet or in the library. What were the years when the highest numbers of Chinese people came to this country?
L.R. TOC
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