Chinese Projects for Fifth Grade
China, whose provinces and regions make up an area about the size of the United States, is a land of rich history and culture. Over a few thousand years, China has evolved from a land of warring city-states to an expansive empire and, in the previous century, to a communist country. Students can complete projects to help them better understand the culture and history of China.
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Chinese Characters
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Chinese characters date back more than 3,000 years as symbols that were drawn to represent a word, phrase or item. A standard set of characters was introduced in 221 B.C. by Emperor Qin, when China was unified for the first time. A China Family Adventure offers free online instructions on how to draw simple words, numbers and good luck messages.
Great Wall Replica
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Have fifth graders create a replica of the Great Wall of China to help them better understand its significance. The largest man-made structure ever created, China's Great Wall was built to defend the country against invading Mongols from the north. It runs east to west for 4,163 miles, took 1,700 years to complete and can be seen from space. Crayola offers free plans for the construction of a mini Great Wall replica and, since the Great Wall was built in sections, students can combine their projects to create a single, unified Great Wall to display. (See Resources.)
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Mini Dragon Puppet
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Dragon dances are an important feature of Chinese New Year celebrations. A team of dancers carries a colorful dragon frame suspended above them on poles. They can manipulate the dragon to make it "dance." Dragon dancing has been a major part of Chinese celebrations since the Han Dynasty (180-230 AD), and today the tradition of making dragons anew for each occasion remains throughout the country. Fifth graders can make miniature versions of these classic Chinese creations. Activity Village offers free instructions to make a colorful Chinese dragon puppet on a miniature scale and fifth graders can use these puppets to celebrate Chinese holidays by staging parades of their own. (See Resources.)
Abacus
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Have fifth graders make a simple version of an abacus to help them better understand Chinese innovations in science and math. The Chinese abacus, also known as the "suanpan" or "counting tray," is an ancient type of calculator that has been used for thousands of years. Recycled Kids Crafts offers free instructions and a video on how to make an abacus. (See Resources.) Have fifth graders solve math equations with their new calculation devices.
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