LESSON 1: CULTURAL TIES TO FOOD
SECTION 1
This lesson was written for classes in grades K–5.
Pre-Reading Discussion
Ask students the following questions to help them think about the significance of their own celebrations. Then read Chapter 1
of the NIE Asian New Year article series, printed on Jan. 30, 2015 on Korean New Year celebrations.
1. What is your favorite celebration?
2. Why do you and/or your family celebrate this occasion?
3. What types of activities happen for this celebration?
4. Are there any special foods that are a part of this celebration?
5. People whose families, parents, grandparents, or ancestors have come to the United States from Korea are called
Korean Americans. Can you find Korea on a map of the world?
Read chapter 1 on Korean New Year from Jan. 30, 2015
Post-Reading Discussion and Activities
We learned about Korean New Year and how it is celebrated in the United States by Korean Americans.
1. When do most Korean Americans celebrate New Year’s Day?
2. What types of activities happen on New Year’s Day for Korean Americans?
3. What is one of the most important aspects of New Year’s for Korean Americans?
4. What do children often get after they do the “sebae” (or formal bow) to their elders?
5. What does your family do to celebrate the New Year?
To learn more about Korean Americans, here is a book list compiled by Benling Wong, a librarian for the Seattle Public Library system.
Korean American children’s books
“Clara Lee and the Apple Pie” Dream by Jenny Han
“Cooper’s Lesson” by Sun Yung Shin
“Dear Juno” by Soyung Pak
“Good-bye, 382 Shin Dang Dong” by Frances Park
“The Name Jar” by Yangsook Choi
“Project Mulberry” by Linda Sue Park
“Tall Boy’s Journey” by Joanna Halpert Kraus
Korean American teen books
“The Fold” by Na An
“Good Enough” by Paula Yoo
“Necessary Roughness” by Marie G. Lee
“Slant” by Laura E. Williams
“Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before” by David Yoo
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