The Mid-autumn Festival Project

The Mid-autumn Festival Project
By Zhang Hong
Muskogee High School, Oklahoma
Introduction:
This is a 2-week project about
the Mid-autumn Festival (5 classes
in total) for 2 levels of Senior High
students.
Objectives:
To introduce Chinese culture, help
students identify customs, traditions, images and
symbols of Chinese Mid-autumn Festival, enable
students compare this festival with Thanksgiving in
their own culture and learn Chinese words around
this topic.
Procedures:
Project 1: Make presentations of a specific topic of
the Mid-autumn Festival according to a handout and
with the help of Ms. Zhang’s powerpoint courseware.
Step 1: APK (Assess and Activate Prior Knowledge)
Students introduce Thanksgiving to the teacher :
How it came about? When and how people celebrate
it? What is its symbol?
Step 2: TIP (Teacher Input Presentation of material)
Teacher gives each student a handout about the
Mid-autumn Festival. Divide the class into four
groups and assign each group a specific topic
according to the handout: general introduction of the
festival ( including the time, the origin of its name and
its importance); the history and the way of
celebration; the introduction of mooncakes (the origin
of the name “mooncakes”, the traditional shape and
its symbol, plus, its flavor); the legends and poems
about the moon.
Step 3: SAP(Student Active Participation)
Students work in pairs on their topic, discuss it and
prepare for a presentation of it in 15 minutes. Their
presentations are supposed to include the following
information:
The culture of Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节
The Mid-Autumn Festival was second only in
importance to the Spring Festival (Chinese New
Year.
It is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth
lunar
month,
which
is
why
it
is
called
Mid-Autumn Festival.
Purpose of the festival: to celebrate the harvest;
a time for family reunion.
The way to celebrate: to get together with families,
eating mooncakes and admiring the bright round
moon.
Mooncakes: the previous name is “Hu Cakes”, the
shape is round, signifying “tuan yuan”—reunion.
Legends and poems:
Hou-Yi Shoots
Suns Down
Chane’e Flies
to the Moon
Step 4: SIS (Students
Students Identifying Success)
Success
Students discuss similarities and differences between
Chinese
Mid-Autumn
Autumn
Festival
and
American
Thanksgiving, choose a legend they like to creat a
theatrical presentation.
presentation
Step 5: Assignment for the whole project
Advanced Chinese:
Create a theatrical presentation
presentation for a folk tale
related to the festival : Hou-Yi
Hou Yi Shoots Suns Down or
Chang’e flies to the moon.
Each group member should have a role to play
in the production. Make scripts and at least 4 lines of
dialogue should be in Chinese.
Beginning Chinese:
1. Create Chinese lanterns or dragons for
decoration.
2. Present two famous Chinese poems. (by the
5th hour Chinese I class)
3. Sing two Chinese songs. (one by the 6th hour
Chinese I class, one together)
Attachments:
1．
Mid-Autumn Festival(zhōngqiūj 中秋节) Project packet:
( Chinese II )
Each group will complete and turn in the following
project plans.
1. Copy of the manuscript.
2. Cast Characters in the show.
3. Assign jobs for each member of the group.
a. Research how to design puppets
b. Research how to build the stage
c. Research artistic design for the set
d. Create supply list for the production of the
project; research technical requirements for the
production
Schedule:
Sep 24th:
Creat manuscripts
Sep 25th: 1) Read through lines
2) Assign jobs
3) Research
Sep 28th:
Build stages & puppets
Sep 30th： Rehearsal
Oct 2nd
：Mid--Austumn Festival Party
zhōngqiūjié s h ì qìngzhù shōuhuò d e
jìjié
中秋节 是 庆祝 收 获 的 季节;
zhōngqiūjié s h ì tuányuán
yuán d e
r ì z ǐ
中秋节 是 团 圆 的 日子;
zhōngqiūjié s h ì s ī n i àn qīnrén
qī
d e shíkè
中秋节是思念 亲人 的 时刻.
2．
．Project 2:
Mid-Autumn
Autumn Festival Party
Time: 10:52 --12:00am
12:00am, Oct 2, 2009
Place: E208
Hosts: Joshua; Jericha
Photographers: Mrs. McGill; Jessica
Performance list:
1. Welcoming: Jericha
2. Statement of purpose: Joshua
3. Song: 两只老虎 (Two Tigers)
By Sebastian; Samuel; Colton; Skyla
4. Chinese ancient poem: 咏鹅 (Singing Geese )
By Emily; Case; Artesia; Timothy; Sabrina;
5. Theatrical show for a folk tale:
Hou-Yi Shoots Suns Down
By Joshua; Jennifer; Autumn; Sofia
6. Songs: Whatever it is; Give me your eyes
By Samuel; Skyla; Colton
7. Poem: Jing Ye Si
(In the Still of the Night)
By Sabrina; Artesia; Emily; Case; Timothy
8. Theatrical show: Chang’e flies to the moon.
By Jericha; Keather; Maxwell; Jessica
9. Song：
：我的朋友在哪里
(Where are my friends)
By all Chinese students
10. Remarks by Ms. Zhang
11. Repast:
1) Watch the Chinese video show:
Nihao—Kailan;
2）
）Enjoy mooncakes, dumplings, and other food.
3. Scripts for Chang’e Flies to the Moon By a student
Chang’e Flies to the Moon
One day as Houyi was in the woods practicing his
marksmanship a group of fairy maidens were in the
woods admiring and praising Houyi’s work. The most
beautiful fairy maiden named Chang’E was very
impressed by Houyi and he was attracted to her
beauty. Suddenly, a fierce wolf came from the heavens
and began to attack the maidens, who were unable to
protect themselves. The wolf rushed towards Chang’e,
but Houyi was able to draw his bow and shot the wolf
dead.
Chang’e: 谢谢 Houyi. You saved my life.
The Lord of Heaven greatly appreciated Houyi’s actions
and allowed him to marry Chang’e. They lived a happy
life in the heavens until Houyi shot down the nine sons
and greatly upset the Lord of Heaven which caused them
both to be banished to earth and to live their lives as
mortals, and when they died their ghosts would be forced
to walk the earth for all eternity.
Chang’E : Can’t you see my banishment is unjust. Why
must I be punished for your insensible actions?
Houyi: I didn’t banish us, I would never do that. The
emperor did after I did what he was unwilling to do. And
what was I to do let all the mortals die. I’m sorry it
turned out this way. Chang’e I love you so much. I want
to live with you forever. I promise I will find a way for
us to be immortal again.
Change was too depressed to listen to what her husband
was saying. Houyi began thinking of ways to make things
better for them. Then he remembered stories of an 长生
不老药, so he set off to the Kunlun Mountains where the
Western Queen Mother lived. His journey was long and
dangerous, he had to climb over 九座山 mountains,
cross leo rivers and san deserts. And during his journey
he encountered a large and dangerous long, which he
was finally able to defeat after a long and fierce battle.
When he finally reached the top Wesern Queen Mother’s
palace he told her all that had happened to him and
Chang’e. Out of respect for his good deeds and sympathy
for the young couple she gave him the elixir of life which
was made from the fruit that grew on the tree of eternity.
But the elixir came with a warning.
Western Queen Mother: If you and your wife share the
elixir, both of you will enjoy eternal life, but if only one
take it, then that person would be a god and the other
would remain a mortal.
Houyi thanked the queen and quickly returned home to
his wife.
Houyi: Chang’e I have great news, the western queen
mother gave me the elixir of life!
Chang’E: The elixir of life! We should celebrate and
prepare a feast to celebrate the end of our mortal lives.
Hurry, go out and catch us something to eat.
As soon as Houyi disappeared Chang’e looked at the bag
with the elixir and she began to think of her old life
among the gods in heaven.
Chang’E: That is my rightful home. I used to recline in
the mystical daylights and listen to the soothing sounds
of immortal music drifting gently on the breeze.
Change reached into the pouch and held the elixir tightly
in her hands.
Chang’E: Why should I live on the planet forever
because of Houyi’s selfish actions? How could he put
others before his own family?
With resentment towards Houyi, she pulled out the elixir
swallowed the entire contents at once.
Houyi: Chang’e 你干什么了!
Houyi appeared at the door. Chang’e began to realize
that because of her actions, her husband would remain a
mortal and eventually die.
Chang’E: Houyi I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.
Chang’e felt her body become lighter and lighter and her
feet began to rise off the ground as she did in the past.
Chang’E: I’m sorry, I was upset. 对不起，我爱你！
Houyi: Chang’e!
Houyi reached for his wife but she flew too fast and she
began to drift farther and farther away. Feeling bad
about what she did, she grabbed onto the moon so she
could remain close to her husband. Houyi, was sad that
he would never be able to see his wife again. He looked
up to the sky and noticed that the moon was especially
bright that day so he worshiped his wife every year on
the fifteenth day of the eighth month. To this day Chang’e
rests on the moon looking over the earth and at the
people her husband had once protected. And every year
on the fifteenth day of the eight month the moon is bright
and gentle, just like Chang’e’s affectionate eyes.