Lesson Title: MARVELOUS MONGOLIA

Class and Grade level(s): ELL, grades 3, 4, 5

Mongolia Folk Tale [Download ]

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Goals and Objectives:

The student will be able to: tell basic information about Mongolia: locate it on a world map, locate its capital, name the countries surrounding Mongolia, read a Mongolian folk talk, learn about the balalaika.

Time required/class periods needed: 4 class periods of 45 minutes each

Other resources used:

www.kids-online.net/world/mongolia.html
www.crayola.com/activitybook/print.cfm?id=1201
www.discovermongolia.mn/country/Traditional Clothes.html
www.barynya.com/balalaika.htm

Required materials/supplies:

world map, Mongolia map, copies of 3 folktales, picture of the Mongolian flag, information on balalaika, drawing of a balalaika for coloring, pictures of balalaika, music CD where a balalaika is played, copies of Venn Diagram, unlined paper, markers, crayons, color pencils

Vocabulary:
harmony, independence, communism, performance, concert

Procedure:

Day 1: Have a map and flag of Mongolia hanging in the room when the students walk in. Tell the students that this week we will be studying a little bit about Mongolia. Point to the map so the students can see where Mongolia is located. Just by looking at the map, ask the students what they think Mongolia's climate? What might they wear? What might Mongolians do for jobs? What might they do for fun? Write the students' responses on the easel or the smartboard.

Bring out the K-W-L chart. Remind students that it's OK if they don't know anything about the topic, to begin with. The important thing is that they are able to fill the other areas of the chart. Ask students what they know about Mongolia (remind them that they may use the map to say what countries surround Mongolia). Write these on the chart. Ask students what they would like to know about Mongolia. Write these on the chart. Throughout the days that we're covering Mongolia, I have this chart hanging so that students may add to it.

Pass out a detailed map of Mongolia. Ask students: What country is north, is south, is east, is west of Mongolia? What is the capital of Mongolia? Which direction is Ulaanbaatar from Darhan? Ulaanbaatar from Bayanhongor, Ulaanbaatar from Dalandzadgad? What part of Mongolia is the Gobi Desert located?

Pass out information on Mongolia. We will take turns reading. As we read I will ask: From what country did Mongolia gain its independence? When do they celebrate their independence? Who was Genghis Khan? Who was responsible for communism in Mongolia? What kind of climate does Mongolia have? What are some languages spoken in Mongolia?

Day 2: Review yesterday's information. Remember when we read What was it about? We said that it was a Peruvian folktale. What is a folktale? What other folktales do you know or have we read?

Tell the students, "You will partner read a Mongolian folktale. After you read the folktale, you will draw 4 or 5 pictures to go with your folktale. You will also write 5 questions that can be answered from having read the folktale. The end product will be a book with the questions at the end. I will make copies of these books and donate them to the library. Ten minutes before the class ends we will share what you have so far: what our folktales were about and show the class the pictures or the questions."

While the students are working, tell the students that you will be playing the CD and that one of the instruments is a balalaika.

I will show students pictures of balalaikas. What instrument do you know that is similar? We will talk about how these instruments and the balalaika are different.

Day 3: Review the past two days' lessons. Today we will color in a picture of the Mongolian flag. Discuss the symbols: why would they be important, what does "balance and harmony" mean, why would that be important for a country? We will also color a picture of a balalaika.

Tell the students that they have 20 minutes to finish up the folktale booklets. Play the CD again as they work.

After the 20 minutes, bring back the K-W-L chart and ask the students what they have learned. I will write these on the chart.

Day 4: Review the K-W-L chart. Ask if all that we put in the "W" section was
answered. Review the information written in the "L" section.

Have the students share their booklets. The students will read the folktale to the entire class, showing their pictures as they read.

I will remove the K-W-L chart and pass out paper. I will ask the students, "Write on the paper what you learned about Mongolia this week." On the other side they will answer, "If you could go to Mongolia, what would you do there? What would you want to see?"

Midway through the class, or as soon as the students are finished, I will collect these papers and give them a Venn Diagram that has compare/contrast the Mongolian flag and your birth country's flag. When the students finish that, I will give them the other Venn Diagram that asks them to compare/contrast the balalaika with another stringed instrument.

Assessment/evaluation: Students will be able to tell basic information about Mongolia. Students will be able to use the Venn Diagram to tell similarities/differences between U.S. flag and Mongolian flag and any stringed Instrument and the balalaika.