Poetry Friday - Poems of Du Fu

Since I will be leaving for China in just 4 short days, I have been reading Chinese poetry in my spare time. This week I am reading the poems of Du Fu, a man generally regarded as the finest of the classical Chinese poets. Here are three poems I particularly like.

Welcome Rain on a Spring Night
The good rain knows its season,
When spring arrives, then it comes.
It follows the wind secretly into the night,
And moistens all things softly, without sound.
On the country road, the clouds are all black,
On the river, the single fire on a boat is bright.
At dawn one sees this place now red and wet,
The flowers are heavy in the brocade city.

In Late Sun, the River and Hills are Beautiful
In late sun, the river and hills are beautiful,
The spring breeze bears the fragrance of flowers and grass.
The mud has thawed, and swallows fly around,
On the warm sand, mandarin ducks are sleeping.

Enjoying Flowers Walking Alone on a Riverbank (2)
At Huang Si's house, flowers fill the path,
Myriad blossoms press the branches low.
Constantly dancing butterflies stay to play,
Unrestrained, the lovely orioles cry.

To read more poems by Du Fu, visit the Chinese Poems web site. Happy poetry Friday, all!

Awash in Paper

Good Morning Friends!

My apologies for not writing recently, but I am drowning in final projects, portfolios, exams and papers. As soon as my grading is done (please pray it will be soon), I'll be back. I promise.

While you're here, let me remind you that I leave in 8 short days for Taiwan, China and Tibet. It will take nearly 24 hours to get to Taipei, given that we are flying a route that takes us from Richmond to Chicago to Tokyo to Taipei. We leave at 9:30 am on May 15 and arrive in Taipei at 9:58 pm on May 16. So, my first post from Taipei will probably the evening of May 17th. (Don't forget I'll be 12 hours ahead of EST). Our first day will be spent at NCCU, where we will begin with a lesson on Chinese calligraphy. While at the University we will meet with faculty members in our respective specialties, attend a lecture on Taiwan politics and visit the Election Center. Later in the afternoon we will tour the Mao Kong district and be treated to a tea tasting. Our first day will end with a visit to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall for an evening performance by a percussionist troupe at the National Theatre. WOW!

I hope you'll join me here as I share my experiences. I will return on June 3rd, just in time to join in MotherReader's Second Annual 48-Hour Book Challenge, if I can manage to stay awake! I promised MR that I would contribute a prize for this little shindig, so I will be bringing something back from my whirlwind tour. I don't know what it will be yet, but I can assure you that even though it will be small enough to fit in my suitcase, it will definitely be something fabulous!

That's all for now. I'll be back when grades are posted. I'm sure you'll hear me singing when that time arrives.

Kites and Poetry

Yesterday I wrote about the recent studies I have undertaken in preparation for my trip to China. In addition to researching fireworks, I have also been reading up on kites. While the exact date and origin of the kite is not known, it is believed that they were flown in China more than two thousand years ago. Some sources say this history may date back as early as 1000 BC, but I have not been able to confirm that in my search of the literature. China is considered by many to be the birthplace of the kite because the earliest written records of kite flying come from China in accounts from around 200 BC. Kites in China were originally used for military purposes, but during the Tang Dynasty they were also used for entertainment. These early kites were made of bamboo frames, with silk sails and streamers.

I am looking forward to learning more about the art of kite making and kite flying while in China, and hope to see some in flight.

While kites have also been on my mind lately, I have written two Fibs about them. Enjoy!

reel
sail
streamers
gentle breeze
silks take wing and sing
somersaulting joy in the sky

hold
run!
release
string unwinds
steadily climbing
wings flutter, stretch to kiss the clouds

Fireworks and Poetry

As part of the preparation for my upcoming trip, I have been studying in great depth the content of the elementary curriculum standards related to teaching about China. My goal is to learn more about these specific topics while in China so that I can develop some useful instructional resources for teachers. One of these curriculum standards requires students to look at inventions that came from ancient China, including kites, silk cloth, the compass, bronze, and fireworks.

Lately I have been reviewing sources on the history of fireworks. It is largely believed that the creation of gunpowder occurred by chance nearly 2,000 years ago in China. Some sources state that gunpowder was discovered when a cook accidentally mixed three common kitchen ingredients-charcoal, sulfur and sodium nitrate. Other sources claim that gunpowder was invented by scientists. Although the earliest written records of gunpowder in China occurs around 300 AD, it wasn't until the rule of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) that gunpowder saw regular use. During this time, Emperors used gunpowder to put on great fireworks displays.

Will this be the same information I get while in China? I don't know, but I am anxious to find out. We will be visiting several museums and I will be interested to see how far back the use of fireworks and/or gunpowder appears in works of art.

While fireworks have been much on my mind lately, I have written a cinquain about them. Enjoy!

Starburst
colors galore
dancing before the sky
launched heavenward to fall again
KABOOM!

China, Here I Come!

I learned this week that I will be spending nearly 3 and a half weeks this spring in China, Tibet and Taiwan. I wrote about applying for this trip in my entry entitled Dreaming of China. Part of my goal on this trip is to develop a series of resources for elementary teachers who teach about China as part of the social studies curriculum. In Virginia, these are the essential questions that students consider:

• What contributions did the people of ancient China make to the development of written language?
• What inventions came from ancient China?
• What examples of architecture from ancient China are still present today?

In answering these questions, students must define the terms ancient and architecture while recognizing Chinese contributions that include:

• characters and symbols of written language
• inventions that include kites, silk cloth, the compass, bronze, and fireworks
• the Great Wall

For a while now I have been reviewing a variety of children's books in an effort to find worthwhile pieces to include in a unit study of China. I have been committed for some time to integrating reading and writing into all areas of the curriculum, so in addition to the traditional informational books for this topic, you will many selections have been chosen expressly for the purpose of helping students develop skills in reading and comprehending fiction and poetry. So, without further ado, here is my list of books for the study of China in the elementary grades (grade 2 in Virginia).

Chinese Culture and History

• D is for Doufu: An Alphabet Book of Chinese Culture by Maywan Shen Krach - This is a beautiful book that uses paintings, calligraphy and graphics to introduce readers to some of the many artifacts and traditions of the Chinese culture.

• C is for China by Sungwan So - This is an informative alphabet book that depicts the Chinese people and their customs, history, religion, and beliefs.

• D is for Dancing Dragon by Carol Crane - This is another alphabet book that explores China's history and culture by describing its unique customs, art works, music, foods, geography and wildlife.

• Colors of China by Shannon Zemlicka - What color is China? It's tan like the Great Wall, red like the Chinese flag, and green like fields of rice plants. This book makes a lovely introduction to China.

• The Great Wall of China by Leonard Everett Fisher - This terrific informational book uses black and gray illustrations to tell the story of the construction of the Great Wall of China.
  

• Count Your Way Through China by James Haskins - While counting from 1 to 10 in Chinese, this book uses each number to introduce concepts about China and Chinese culture.
  

• Look What Came From China by Miles Harvey - An interesting guide that describes many things that originally came from China, including inventions, food, toys, games, musical instruments and much more.

• Mrs. Frizzle's Adventures: Imperial China by Joanna Cole - Ms. Frizzle and friends depart for 11th century aboard a paper dragon. In typical Magic School Bus style, this book is filled with information about Chinese contributions to society.

Ideas and Inventions

• The Firework-Maker's Daughter by Phillip Pullman - Lila, the Firework-Maker's daughter, wants to follow in her father's footsteps, but she soon finds out that she must face down the Fire-Fiend of Mount Merapi.

• Made in China: Ideas and Inventions from Ancient China by Suzanne Williams - This beautifully illustrated book focuses on specific topics related to ancient Chinese culture, history, tradition, and invention.
  

• Liu and the Bird: A Journey in Chinese Calligraphy by Catherine Louis - A Chinese girl journeys to visit her grandfather, who asks her to draw what she has seen along the way. On each double-page spread readers will find a few lines of text, a large picture of the child on her journey, and a series of images that take a word from the story and show the Chinese character representing it.
  

• Silk by Claire Llewellyn - This is a simply written and easy to read informational book on silk.
  

• The Story of Kites by Ying Chang Compestine - The Kang brothers fly a variety of items in the sky in an effort to keep birds out of the rice fields. When the villagers become taken with the objects, the brothers open China's first kite factory. The book ends with directions for making and flying a kite safely, and describes what is known about the development of kites in China.

• Catch the Wind: All About Kites by Gail Gibbons - Two children enter a kite shop to buy two kites and learn about the parts of kites and how different models work. After they make their purchase, the children take their kites to a nearby kite festival.

• Kites: Magic Wishes That Fly Up to the Sky by Demi - Long ago in China, a woman commissioned an artist to paint a special dragon kite for her son so that he might grow to be strong and wise. When the son appeared "bigger and stronger, richer and nobler" to everyone who saw him, the villagers too went to the artist for their own kites. In addition to this story you will find brief explanations of the different emblematic figures, creatures, and symbols, mention of a Chinese festival devoted to kites, and detailed instructions for making a kite.

• The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen - When an emperor is imprisoned in a high tower, his smallest daughter uses her kite to save him.

• The Legend of the Kite: A Story of China by Jiang Hong Chen - Every spring the Festival of the Kite is celebrated in China. When a boy's kite flies away from him, his grandfather tells him the legend behind the celebration, encouraging the boy to build a new, more beautiful one.
  

• Kite Flying by Grace Lin - A Chinese-American family works together to make a dragon kite to fly on a windy day. Front endpapers contain supplies needed to build a kite while the back pages depict different kite creatures and the attributes they symbolize. An author's note offers a brief history of kite flying.

Fictional Tales (There are many titles that could be included here, enough for a list of their own. To keep this section manageable, I have included some of my very favorite stories to read aloud.)

• Lon Po Po by Ed Young - This Caldecott Medal winner is a Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood.

• The Paper Dragon by Marguerite Davol - Mi Fei is a Chinese scroll painter. When the villagers in his community hear that a dragon has awakened to threaten the countryside, they nominate him to face the foe. After a long journey, Mi Fei finds the dragon, who offers him a series of riddles/challenges to perform.
  

• Beautiful Warrior by Emily Arnold McCully - This is the story of two legendary women in seventeenth-century China. One is a Buddhist nun named Wu Mei, a beautiful warrior of kung fu. The other is a young girl Wu Mei saves from a forced marriage. In their time together, the warrior nun teaches the girl to save herself with kung fu.

• The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty and the Beast Tale by Lawrence Yep - When a poor farmer falls into the clutches of a dragon, he begs each of his seven daughters to save him from death by marrying the horrifying creature. Yep's version of the story is skillfully retold.

• The Ballad of Mulan by Song Nan Zhang - Told in both Chinese and English, this is the translation of a poem about a girl who dresses as a man and becomes a soldier to save her ailing father from conscription.
  

• The Beggar's Magic: A Chinese Tale by Margaret and Raymond Chang - A beggar-priest comes to a village where the children and villagers care for him. Only one man, Farmer Wu refuses to share with the holy man.

• Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story From China by Ai-Ling Louie - This Chinese version of the Cinderella fairytale is believed to be even older than the earliest European story, actually dating back to 9 BC.
  

• The Magic Horse of Han Gan by Chen Jiang Hong - This stunning picture book retells a legend involving the painter Han Gan, who lived in China 1200 years ago.

• The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Dawn Casey - This book is a beautiful retelling of the ancient legend of the race of the animals across a great river to determine the order of the years on the calendar. Back matter includes information about the Chinese calendar in general, as well as the more specific information about both the Dragon Boat and Moon Festivals.
  

A Few More (I wasn't sure where to put these, but they are books that will nicely round this unit study.)

• Beyond the Great Mountains by Ed Young - Created by the Caldecott Medal winner for Lon Po Po, this visual poem about China contains a series of double-page illustrations in cut- and torn-paper collage. The final end papers offer a chart of ancient and modern Chinese characters. This is a beautiful book to look at.

• Maples in the Mist: Poems for Children From the Tang Dynasty by Minfong Ho - Translated from Chinese, this book contains 16 short poems written 1000 years ago in China. (This book is no longer in print, so check with your librarian for a copy.)
  

• One Year in Beijing by Xiaohong Wong - In the format of a month-by-month journal format, Ling Ling describes Chinese culture and destinations, holidays and festivals, school and family life, and more.

• Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes by Nina Simonds - This book contains stories, recipes and activities for Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming and the Cold Foods Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.
  

If this list still isn't enough, check out this brief bibliography (not annotated, however) for kids of books about China. You may also want to visit the books section of the ChinaSprout web site.

I'll be spending a lot of time in the next two months reading and thinking about China. Please let me know if this list is missing any real gems for kids.

And finally, thanks to Elaine at Blue Rose Girls for recommending many of these titles in the comments of my earlier post.

Dreaming of China

I recently submitted my application to participate in the 2007 Faculty Seminar to China, Tibet and Taiwan. The Faculty Seminar Abroad has been in existence since 1989 and has taken place 13 times. Seminar groups have gone to the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the Peoples’ Republic of China, Ghana, Senegal, Jordan, Yemen, Syria, Israel, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico, Ecuador, India, Vietnam and Thailand, Turkey and Cyprus. In these countries, the groups met with academic counterparts, political and business figures, journalists and people ‘on the street’. They visited universities and important cultural sites.

I have been dreaming of China ever since the announcement. In fact, during a fall semester road trip, I told a colleague I would give my two front teeth to travel to China and India in the next few years. I am so excited about this opportunity that I could bust! My interest at this point is largely related to the following second grade Standards of Learning in history and social science:

• The student will explain how the contributions of ancient China and Egypt have influenced the present world in terms of architecture, inventions, the calendar, and written language.
  
  
• The student will develop map skills by
  
  • locating China and Egypt on world maps;
    
  • comparing the climate, land, and plant life of these regions;
    
  • describing how people in these regions adapt to their environment.

I address the study of China and Egypt as well as ancient Greece, Rome and Mali in my Integrated Curriculum Methods course, though it really is just a cursory glance. I am hoping to develop a more thorough approach for the study of China if my application for the trip is accepted.

To this end, I have been thinking about ways to engage young children in the study of China, and think that folk tales are a good place to start. I read Tikki Tikki Tembo many times as a child, and read it often now with my son. We even listen to it on my iPod some evenings before bed! I have also been reading the stories in The Rainbow People by Lawrence Yep.

My own fascination with China was kindled when I began teaching and read Homesick: My Own Story by Jean Fritz to my students. I found it fairly romantic that she spent her childhood in China, even if you knew otherwise from the very first page of the book. Here is an excerpt:

In my father's study there was a large globe with all the countries of the world running around it. I could put my finger on the exact spot where I was and had been ever since I was born. And I was on the wrong side of the globe. I was in China in a city named Hankow, a dot on a crooked line that seemd to break the country right in two. The line was really the Yangtse River, but who would know by looking at a map what the Yangtse River really was?

While the SOLs limit study to written language, inventions and architecture in China, I think that the economics standards on barter and trade would lend themselves to an integrated study of the Silk Road. I am quite taken with the newest Russell Freedman book, The Adventures of Marco Polo. I also love the travel books written by Laurie Krebs and think We're Riding on a Caravan: An Adventure on the Silk Road is a wonderful choice.

Finally, I have found and become enamored of the books written and/or illustrated by Grace Lin. I love using the book Kite Flying to introduce kites, and absolutely adore her illustrations in One Year in Beijing, and use it to look at daily life in China while examining its rich cultural history.

I'm sure there are many more good books about China. I have several nonfiction pieces in my teaching library, but would like to find more stories for kids, folktales and perhaps some young adult works. If you have any suggestions, please send them my way!