Celebrating Lunar New Year

The photo above is from a blog entry about Lunar New Year by Samphors that Tharum pointed out to me during an IM chat when I asked about how Cambodian's celebrate it.

I'm asking because I'm getting ready for my annual Lunar New Year's Lesson in Harry's and Sara's school.   Thanks to some blogging friends in Cambodia and other parts of Asia, I will be able to share some information about how it is celebrated in Cambodia as well as Hong Kong.

So, if you are reading this and are from Cambodia - if you could leave a comment and tell me about how you celebrate the New Year I would so grateful.  I will share it with Harry and Sara.

In the meantime, here are some thoughts about what I might cover ...

Here's the lesson plan, approximately 1 hour:

1.  Introduction to Chinese New Year 

I've created a book with lots of photos and will do circle style on the rug - the interactive lecture.   In Harry's class, there is a large computer and I can put the images in powerpoint:

Inquiry questions:

• How do we celebrate New Year's in America?
• How it different in Asia?  In Cambodia?
• Gung Hay Fat Choy - What does it mean?  How do you say it in Khmer?
• The Animal Zodiac - Year of the Dog
• What's your year?
• How families celebrate?
• Show red envelopes, good luck scrolls, fireworks, and buddhist prayer money
• The Celebration - Lion Dance Dance

Stand up and sing song:  Gung Hay Fat Choy

2.    Activity Centers (divide into small groups, set up activity at each table and have them rotate)

Make a lion mask (color and deocrate cardboard cutouts or print these on cardstock)
Make a New Year's Card (bring red cards for them to use rubber stamps and print/cut out these to color and collage)
Practice Writing Good Luck in Chinese (Harry's class)
Make  Good Luck Scrolls (Sara's Class) (Print on red paper, bring gold markers and gold string to hang)
Put the chinese new year digital jigsaw puzzles on CD to load onto classroom computer

(Other options: I've collected some great links to many other resources and activities and will need this in the future. Depending on the number of kids/teachers and parents, may need to do fewer centers.)

3.   Lion Dance with Masks

Show Lion Dance Video Clip on computer - 1-2 minutes (others can be found here)
Adapt movements for 4-6 year olds

History of Lion Dance (in case the kids ask questions ...)

4.   Read Story about Lion Dance

Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year's

5.    Snack and Goodie Bags

Fortune Cookies, oranges, and the really cool goody bags I have to put together ....

P.S.  Due to scheduling, we're doing all this towards the end of the two-week new year holiday ..

Comments

[jinja]

Hey, Global Voices Wiki 'Cambodia' page has been vandalized! Bummer.
Apparently by advertiser.

Will check Google Cache / Internet Archive for backup.

- J

[vutha]

I observed that during Chinese new year in Cambodia, there were some incident happening such as drunken person killed his wife in Oudong district, Kampong Speur province, and other accidents.

[vutha]

I observed that during Chinese new year in Cambodia, there were some incident happening such as drunken person killed his wife in Oudong district, Kampong Speur province, and other accidents.