The Beauty of Vietnam

by Gail Kono

September 2007

 

Student Samples

 

Content Area:  Soc. St./Reading/Writing                                                                     

Grade Level:    Adaptable to any grade

Geographic Themes: Places & Region

Overview:

Students will examine a fictional story of Vietnam. They will pay close attention to the cultural and physical characteristics of Vietnam and make generalization about the cultural and/or physical characteristics of the Vietnam. Student will write a poem focusing on VietnamÕs culture and/or physical characteristics.

Connections to Hawaii Content Standards:

Social Studies Standard 6: Cultural Anthropology: Systems, Dynamics, and Inquiry-Understand culture as a system of beliefs, knowledge, and practices shared by a group and understand how cultural systems change over time. (for Grades 1,3,4,6)

Language Arts: Standard 2: Reading: Reading Comprehension- Use reading strategies to construct meaning from a variety of texts (for Grades K-12)

Language Arts: Standard: Writing: Conventions and Skills- Use the writing process and conventions of language and research to construct meaning and communicate effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences using a range of forms. (for Grades K-12)

 

Connections to the National Geography Standards:

Standard 10:

The characteristics, distribution and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics.

 

Connections to Geographic Skills

á          Ask geographic questions

á          Acquire geographic information

á          Organize geographic information

á          Analyze geographic information

 

Objectives:

Students will:

                 

  1. locate Vietnam, city of Hue, and River of Perfumes on a map
  2. draw conclusions and make generalizations about Vietnam
  3. understand human and physical characteristics of Vietnam
  4. write a poem depicting the human or physical characteristics of Vietnam


Vocabulary:

lotus                                         alter                                          unfurling                               abdicated                           refugees

lotus pond                          emperor                                dormant                                turmoil

 

Materials:

The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland

The Important Book  by Margaret Wise Brown

Important Poem worksheet

Rubric

chart paper

markers

 

Student Samples

Procedure: (two-45 minute session)

First session:

  1. Discuss vocabulary words (discussion of words is dependent on grade level)
  2. Read book: ÒThe Lotus SeedÓ 
  3. Have groups of four or five students discuss and jot down cultural and/or physical characteristics of Vietnam
  4. Have groups share, with the class, what they learned about Vietnam
  5. Compile a list of cultural and/or physical characteristics from ÒThe Lotus SeedÓ
  6. Keep class list of characteristics of Vietnam for later.
  7. Discuss what can be learned about Vietnam
  8. Discuss what generalization can be made about Vietnam and itÕs culture and/or physical characteristics

 

Second Session:

  1. Read the book: ÒThe Important BookÓ
  2. Discuss the genre they are going to write: poetry
  3. Point out the format of the poem
  4. Distribute Important Poem worksheet....(PDF)
  5. Tell students that they will use this poetry form to write about their generalizations of VietnamÕs cultural and/or physical characteristics
  6. Tell students that the first and last line is exactly the same. Have them think of what they felt was important about Vietnam (generalization) and write that as their first and last line.
  7. Then tell them that the lines in-between the first and last line should be statements that support their thought
  8. StudentsÕ share their poetry
  9. Optional: students can draw a picture to illustrate the main focus of their poem

 

Assessment:

 

1. StudentsÕ Poetry about Vietnam based on ÒThe Important BookÓ

    a. elements of the poem should expresses itÕs cultural and physical characteristics, such as:

        landforms, beliefs, customs, etc.

2. Use Rubric to evaluation student work .... (PDF file)