Name
Name That Food!
Dragonwings
Name
1999
Dragonwings
Comparing Calendars
“Dragonwings”
2000
name of the food item in
I. Read each description below and write the
The Chinese calendar and the calendar used
of each item. Hint: The first
Answer Keys
in the United States are based on observatio
the space provided. Then draw a picture
Dragonwings
ns Page 5
and calculations of astronomers. The two use
ngs.
Dragonwi
in
mentioned
different
were
items
methods to mark time in a way that fits theAug
three food
ust 19, 1858—
cycles of nature. Both consider day and night
E. Nesbit, the auth
and the change of seasons. The Chinese calendar
and
or of The Phoenix
withcycles of the moon.
the Carpet, was
alsosandwiche
considerssthe
3. thick
Each calendar uses a pattern with occasiona
2. thick white liquid with
born.
1. brown-colored, shaped
l changes toAugust 1876—Ale
bird
coordinate
from a fat
meat
time
with nature. Study the charts below and then
xander Graham
an awful, greasy taste
answer the questions that follow.
like men
Bel
one
l received the first
-wa
__
y
long distance tele
__________________
Name
____________________
__ry.
phone call.
_________
1879—Thomas
_________
in the sto
Alva Edison inve
y mentioned
Chinese Calendar
nted the incande
Calendar Used by U.S. lamp.
gical
ents in histor
ev
olo
nt
ron
rta
ch
scent
po
in
the im
date,
September 6, 190
a timeline of
e. Glue each
te on the
1—President Will
Origin
low to create
draw a timelin ding event next to its da
Legend states 2637 b.c.
iam McKinley was
by an assassin.
and dates be
ction paper,
on
ts
45
tru
sp
b.c.
en
ns
rre
ev
co
shot
co
of
the
t
Use
September 7, 190
Then glue the
. On a shee
1—The Boxer
it occurred.
dates below
Based on
Rebellion was
d out when
events and
ending the yea
Lunar and Solar
settled,
event to fin
rlong fighting in
: Cut out the
Solar
ch
ns
ea
h
tio
ec
arc
China.
Dir
September 14,
Rese
1901—Theodo
round
the timeline.
5. small,
Number
17, 1903
of fruits
Days in a Month
re Roosevelt bec
order, onto
youngest preside
December
4. thin, yellow, tart, and
ame the
291/2
nt of the United
clustered
(Regulartogether
Year) on
28, 30, or 31
December 17,
ilt. liquid
States.
timeline.
tangy
1903—The Wri
ented and bu
branches
skinny
inv
y
the
ght brothers mad
Number of Days in a Month
world’s first fligh
airplane
79
__
18
an
_________
e
in
_________
the
__
ht
t
_________
in an airplane they
_________
—
’s first flig
(Leap Year)
August 3, 1904—
29, 30, or 31
invented and buil
de the world
Captain Thomas
t.
brothers ma
lloon.
Scott Baldwin flew
California Arro
The Wright
tor-driven ba
mo
w,
06
a
the
,
a
19
mot
,
ow
Number
or-d
18
of Days in a Regular Year
riven balloon.
April
rnia Arr
April 18, 1906—
353, 354, or 355
w the Califo
San Francisco
365
Baldwin fle
exp
ott
erie
Sc
wor
nce
st
as
d
earthquakes in
one of the
om
the history of the
Captain Th
Number of Days in a Leap Year
04
September 22,
United States.
t, was born.
383, 384, or 385
1909—Fung Joe
August 3, 19
d the Carpe
366
Guey, a young
flier, built and flew
e Phoenix an
Chinese
ate ininthe
his own flying mac
Number
his father
author of Th
and
of Months
Shadow
the
Moon
a
.
that
it,
items
are
sb
tes
below
Ne
listed
Sta
hine
items
E.
.
ited
II. The first three food
12
, 1858
Regular
items. For
food
Year
st 19you
ent of the Un
12
guhelp
write descriptions for these
Auto
gest presid
descriptions above
the
un
Pag
Use
story.
yo
e
6
the
for
me
you like or dislike and write descriptions
osevelt beca
numbers 9 and 10, name two food items that
1. gingerbrea
Number of Months in a Leap Year
Theodore Ro
d men cookies
1901 of each item.
13
picture
mbera 7,
—
2. milk
them in the spaces provided. Then
Septedraw
an assassin.
was shot by
ley
Kin
3. turkey sandwi
Mc
lliam
duck Years Are Recorded
8. How
ches
.
ina
Name
soup
(Rabbit,
President Wi
Ch
shark’s-fin
Dragon)
7.
in
Numerically (1999, 2000) 4. lemonade
6. Chinese tea
g fighting
gust 1876
Au
___________________
g the yearlon
___________________
5. grapes
___________
________
ttled, endin
___
________
How
________
the New
llion was se
ited States.
Year
___
be
Is
Determine
Un
________
Re
d
r
New
________
the
6–1
Moon
xe
___
of
of
0.
the
y
First
Month
Students’ answer
________________
The Bo
histor
January 1
, 1909 ___
___________________
s will vary. Acc
quakes in the
mber 22________
________
ept all
Septe
reasonable resp
___________________
worst earth
onses.
ed one of the
1. How many days are in a month in the Chinese
___________________
o experienc
calendar? ________________________________
chine.
ma
San Francisc
ng
flyi
01
n
Page 7
mber 6, 19
flew his ow
d
pte
an
Se
ilt
2.
How
bu
many
days are in a month in a leap year in the calendar
r,
Chinese flie
used by the United States? ______
1. 291/2
ey, a young
ll.
Fung Joe Gu
telephone ca
3. How many months are in a Chinese leap
14, 1901
g distance
year? ________________________________ 2. 29, 30, or 31
September
t one-way lon
_______
firs
the
ed
___
eiv
3. 13
________________
10.
4. How
many months are in a
aham Bell rec
9. ___________________
Alexander Gr
___________________ regular year in a calendar used by the United States? ________
4.____
12
p.
___________________
___
descent lam
5. What
________
is the________
least number
5. 383
of days in a leap year on the Chinese calendar?
ted the incan
en
___
inv
________
n
________
iso
__________________
a Ed
Thomas Alv
6.
365
6. What is the greatest number of days in a
ox
©The Mailb
regular year on a calendar used by the United 7.
States?
4,637 years old
Independent
Contract
________________
________________________________________
8. 2,045 years
old
_____________________
Independent Contrac
7. In the year 2000, about how old was the
t
Chinese calendar? ________________________
by Laurence Yep
_____
Name:___________________________ Number of activities to be completed: _______
8. In the year 2000, about how old was the
Nam
e:___
____
____________________
calendar used by the United States? ________
6
_____
Num
ber
of
Mailbox
©The
activities to be completed
: _______
Art ©The Mailbox
Writing
7
About the Book
1.
2.
Language Arts
his mother,
7.
Shadow has lived with
©The Mailbox
Letters
are
a
vital
part
of
Moon
Shadow’s
life.
In
chapter
11,
Moon
Shadow
describes
the
the
For eight years, Moon
of
Land
the
Art
in
8.
he has never met lives
Learn
a Timeline
Once Upon
5
Dragonwings
Dragonwings
®
Dragonwings
®
®
®
while the father
Shadow
now it is time for Moon
Golden Mountain. But
ider.
live with his father, Windr
s
to cross the ocean and
soon Moon Shadow share
and
,
flying
of
s
Windrider dream
ng side by
their spare time worki
his dream. They spend
s until they
plane
model
ng
buildi
takes
side studying books and
ider
Windr
s.
, Dragonwing
finally build their plane
in 1909. Having
its first and only flight
Dragonwings out for
a new
ider begins pursuing
fulfilled one dream, Windr
.
family
his
e
reunit
dream—to
Before he goes to America, the only contact
he has with his father is through letters.
After joining his father, he and his mother
communicate through letters. Imagine being
separated from someone important to you and
having to rely on letters to communicate. Write
a letter to someone special, telling about your
school year. Pretend that this special person
has never met the people or seen the things
you will be writing about.
ing a new language is
a challenge,
and Moon Shadow finds
the
language particularly challe English
nging. He thinks
a language with only 26
symbols is hard
to understand. The Chine
se language
does not use letters to
spell
instead uses pictographs out words, but
and ideographs
to represent objects and
ideas. Research
written Chinese. Then
design a poster with
several Chinese pictog
raphs or ideographs,
their English translations
, and illustrations of
their meanings.
finished Dragonwings with such detail that
it is easy to picture. Reread this description
and sketch the airplane according to Moon
Shadow’s words. Next, tell your classmates to
imagine Dragonwings as you read that section
of the book to them. Then show them your
sketch. Ask your classmates how close your
sketch is to what they imagined.
About the Author
erican, was
generation Chinese-Am
Laurence Yep, a third1948. He lived
California, on June 14,
isco’s
born in San Francisco,
ed school in San Franc
attend
but
End,
in the West
se he did
felt like an outsider becau
Chinatown, where he
Japanese who
with friends, he was the
war
played
he
culture
not speak Chinese. When
Having no particular
Korean Communist.
got killed or the North
These feelings were to
ll feeling of alienation.
contributed to Yep’s overa
gs were based. He began
on which his later writin
ted at the
accep
story
become a central theme
first
his
in high school and had
his characters in a dual
writing science fiction
ed that he always placed
g on this theme.
age of 18. He later realiz
he began concentratin
so
ica,
Amer
and
at Santa Cruz and by
setting, like China
University of California
of New
Yep graduated from the
the State University
Ph.D. in English from
1975, had earned his
York at Buffalo.
3.
5.
als List
Student Contract Materi
pencil
• Activity #1: paper,
drawing paper
• Activity #2: white
x 18" lightof page 5, 1 sheet of 12"
• Activity #3: copy
paper, scissors, glue
colored construction
e New
ce materials on the Chines
• Activity #4: referen
Year
of page 6
g
• Activity #5: copy
buildin
kites;
on
ce materials
• Activity #6: referen
, string, dowel
materials, such as straws
uction paper
rods, and tissue and constr
e
Chines
ce materials on the
• Activity #7: referen
x 18" light-colored
language, 1 sheet of 12"
s or markers
construction paper, crayon
•
•
markers or
white drawing paper,
colored pencils
page 7
Activity #9: copy of
als on
materi
ce
referen
Activity #10:
drawing
constellations, white
rs
paper, crayons or marke
ce materials on the 1906
Activity #11: referen
er
record
voice
uake,
earthq
games,
on
als
materi
ce
Activity #12: referen
markers or
white drawing paper,
crayons
2
®
©The Mailbox
4.
Research
9.
At the beginning of chapter 9, Moon Shadow
and Windrider celebrate the Chinese New Year
very simply. Research the Chinese New Year.
Find out some of the ways Chinese people
celebrate this holiday. Then use the following
headings to create a chart comparing the
typical Chinese New Year and Moon Shadow’s
New Year: “Foods,” “Decorations,” “Music,”
and “Special Customs.”
Language Arts
6.
Moon Shadow is introduced to many new
things that are foreign to him. The way he
explains them is very descriptive and amusing.
Think about a time when you tried a new food.
How would you describe it? Obtain a copy of
page 6 from your teacher and complete it as
directed to discover what foods Moon Shadow
describes.
• Activity #8:
•
•
Social Studies
Laurence Yep makes many references to real
people and actual events in history throughout
the book. Obtain a copy of page 5 from your
teacher to learn when those events took place.
Social Studies
10.
There are many new things
for Moon Shadow
to adjust to in the “demo
ns’ land,” such as
the calendar. He wonde
rs why it isn’t like the
Chinese calendar. Rerea
d Moon Shadow’s
comparison of the two
calendars in chapter
4. Then obtain a copy
of page 7 from your
teacher to learn about
the Chinese calendar.
Art
11.
Moon Shadow knows that his father can
make the most marvelous kites. When Moon
Shadow finally turns eight, he is considered
old enough to fly some of his father’s special
kites. Research kites, their beautiful designs,
and their various shapes and sizes. Use the
information you find to design your own kite.
Then construct a kite of your own, using
materials such as straws, dowel rods, tissue
paper, string, and construction paper.
©The Mailbox®
The Dragon King appea
rs to Windrider in
a dream and tells him
that in
he was a great flying drago a former life,
n and that this
is where his name came
from. Windrider is
so impressed by his dream
that many years
later he repeats it to Moon
Shadow. His
description of the dream
is very detailed.
Reread Windrider’s descr
iption in chapter 3.
Based on this description,
draw a comic strip
of Windrider’s dream.
Science
In chapter 8, Windrider
and Moon Shadow
talk with Robin and Miss
Whitlaw about the
constellations. These
are the
they saw back in the Middle same stars that
Kingdom, but
here in San Francisco
they are called differe
nt
names and have differe
nt stories. Research
the three constellation
s mentioned in the
book. Then create an
eight-page constellation
booklet, containing a front
cover, back cover,
three pages of drawin
gs of constellations,
and three pages of brief
descriptions of each
constellation.
Science
Moon Shadow describes
the San Francisco
earthquake of 1906 as
a nightmare. The
earthquake occurs aroun
d 5 a.m., so many
people are awakened
by it. Research the
facts about this event.
Using what you learne
d
through your research,
write an imaginary
interview with one of the
eyewitnesses. Then
record the interview as
a friend reads one role
and you read the other.
8
12.
Social Studies
Playing games is one
way the Tang men
spend their free time.
In the story, Moon
Shadow mentions Mah-J
ongg (similar to the
card game gin rummy),
the Tang people’s
chess (similar to chess
), and jackstraws
(similar to pick-up-stick
s). Research two of
these games. Then make
a pamphlet with
illustrations explaining
the two games you
chose.
3
©The Mailbox®
4