This document outlines a thematic unit plan for a 7th grade class on the Chinese Lunar New Year. The unit utilizes readings, writing prompts, speaking/listening activities, math problems, and lessons in social studies, science, and social-emotional learning to teach students about the origins and traditions of the Chinese zodiac and Lunar New Year celebrations. It incorporates Common Core standards and aims to help students develop cultural awareness and understanding through exploring their own and others' social identities.

1. L U N A R N E W
Y E A R
Course number: ITL512
Instructor: Linda Balona
Date: February 6, 2016
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2. E S S E N T I A L Q U E S T I O N ?
H O W D I D C H I N E S E ( Z O D I A C )
C H A R A C T E R S O R I G I N AT E ?
A Thematic Unit for 7th Grade

3. R E A D I N G
• Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively)
as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
• Social Emotional Learning Basic Skill(s):
3.A.3. Students reflect on how social identities (e.g., cultural, racial, class, gender,
linguistic, ability) impact the way people view and interact with others, including those from
diverse groups.
• Supporting Text:
The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac, by Dawn Casey
• Supporting Links:
https://youtu.be/P4WlzNrpUCs
• Comprehension Focus Strategy:
Summarizing.
Effective summarizing of expository text may involve such things as condensing the steps
in a scientific process, the stages of development of an art movement, or the episodes that
led to some major historical event.

4. W R ITIN G PR OMPT #1:
If you could pick any of the animals
in the Chinese zodiac, which would
you choose to be and why?
W R ITIN G PR OMPT #2:
What is your Chinese zodiac? After
gathering information on your zodiac, do
you feel you relate to your animal? Why
or why not?
W R I T I N G
C O M M O N C O R E S T A T E S T A N D A R D S :
C C S S . E L A - L I T E R A C Y . W . 7 . 8
G A T H E R R E L E V A N T I N F O R M A T I O N F R O M M U L T I P L E P R I N T A N D D I G I T A L
S O U R C E S , U S I N G S E A R C H T E R M S E F F E C T I V E L Y ; A S S E S S T H E C R E D I B I L I T Y
A N D A C C U R A C Y O F E A C H S O U R C E ; A N D Q U O T E O R P A R A P H R A S E T H E D A T A
A N D C O N C L U S I O N S O F O T H E R S W H I L E A V O I D I N G P L A G I A R I S M A N D
F O L L O W I N G A S T A N D A R D F O R M A T F O R C I T A T I O N .
S O C I A L E M O T I O N A L L E A R N I N G B A S I C S K I L L ( S ) :
1 . A . 3 . S T U D E N T S I D E N T I F Y A N D E X P L O R E T H E I R D I F F E R E N T S O C I A L
I D E N T I T I E S , I N C L U D I N G R A C E , E T H N I C I T Y , L A N G U A G E , G E N D E R , A N D
A B I L I T Y . S T U D E N T S B E G I N T O E X P L O R E T H E C O N C E P T O F
I N T E R S E C T I O N A L I T Y . S T U D E N T S C U L T I V A T E A H E A L T H Y , W E L L - G R O U N D E D
S E N S E O F S E L F - C O N F I D E N C E B A S E D O N T H E I R S T R E N G T H S .
This

5. S P E A K I N G A N D
L I S T E N I N G
• Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.5
Include multimedia components
and visual displays in
presentations to clarify claims and
findings and emphasize salient
points.
• Social Emotional Learning Basic
Skill(s):
2.H.3. Students take an active role
in managing their time, activities,
and responsibilities.
• Activities and Opportunities to
Collaborate:
With your group you will research
one of the 12 zodiacs. Your group
will create an infographic and
teach the class about your zodiac.
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6. MATH PR OB LEM #1
If there are 12 Chinese zodiacs and
2022 is the year of the tiger, when
will it be the year of the tiger again?
When was the last year of the
tiger? Explain how you found your
answer.
MATH PR OB LEM #2
Knowing that I was born in 1984 and
that my Chinese zodiac is a rat, what
other years are also years of the rat?
What year was the last year of the rat?
M A T H
C O M M O N C O R E S T A T E S T A N D A R D S :
C C S S . M A T H . C O N T E N T . 7 . N S . A . 1
A P P L Y A N D E X T E N D P R E V I O U S U N D E R S T A N D I N G S O F A D D I T I O N A N D
S U B T R A C T I O N T O A D D A N D S U B T R A C T R A T I O N A L N U M B E R S
S O C I A L E M O T I O N A L L E A R N I N G B A S I C S K I L L ( S ) :
5 . C . 2 . S T U D E N T S G E N E R A T E M U L T I P L E F E A S I B L E S O L U T I O N S
F O R P E R S O N A L A N D S O C I A L P R O B L E M S A N D I D E N T I F Y W H E N
H E L P I S N E E D E D T O S O L V E A P R O B L E M .

7. S O C I A L S T U D I E S
• Common Core State Standards:
RH.6-8.7. Students can integrate visual
information (e.g., in charts, graphs,
photographs, videos, or maps) with other
information in print and digital texts.
• Social Emotional Learning Basic Skill(s):
2.H.2. Students practice managing their own time,
organizing their materials, and gathering what is
needed for a task or activity.
• Planned Activity:
After reading a variety of informational text on
Lunar new year, your group will create a visual
showing where it is celebrated around the
world.
• Relevant Literature:
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/chinese
-new-year
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8. S C I E N C E
• Common Core State Standards:
MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine
similarities and differences among several design
solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that
can be combined into a new solution to better meet the
criteria for success.
• Social Emotional Learning Basic Skill(s):
5.C.3. Students apply an improvement-
orientation and perspective to personal and social
problems and can facilitate problem-solving
conversations among peers
• Activity/Lesson:
Using the materials given you will create a dragon. Your
challenge is to create the longest dragon possible. Your
group will plan and build with your limited supplies. We
will measure them to see which group created the longest
dragon. We will have a whole class discussion. Be
prepared to answer the following questions:
Was your design successful?
What if anything could you have done differently?

9. S O C I A L E M O T I O N A L
L E A R N I N G
• Common Core State Standards:
3.E.2. Students demonstrate acceptance
and inclusion of those who are different
from themselves and value the contributions
of the members of a diverse group.
• Social Emotional Learning Basic
Skill(s):
Cultural awareness and understanding.
• Student Activity or Lesson:
Students will fill in the graphic on the right.
They will identify differences and similarities
in traditional lunar new year and their own
new year celebrations.

10. K E Y V O C A B U L A R Y
LUNAR NEW
YEAR
ZODIAC RED ENVELOPES

11. * * B O N U S * *
At the end of the unit student participate in a
class celebration. Since our school is K-8 the
7th graders have little buddies (students from
a 1st grade class). We will invite our little
buddies to our classroom where the 7th
graders will teach them about lunar new year.
We will make paper lanterns and give them
red envelopes with golden tickets (it is
traditional to give children red envelopes with
money, golden tickets can be used in teacher
and school stores). All students will receive a
Chinese food takeout container with fortune
and almond cookies to take home with them.
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