D is for Dancing Dragon

D is for Dancing Dragon: A China Alphabet 

by Carol Crane , Zong Wang (Illustrator) 

Sleeping Bear Press, 2006

Summary:  By assigning a different aspect of Chinese Culture to each letter of the English Alphabet, the author is able to both entertain and inform the reader.  From legends of evil spirits to foods to Great Walls, there is much to learn about Chinese culture. 

Lesson: I read this book the week of Chinese New Year.  For the younger students, I focused mostly on the alphabet and the words that began with it.  I lingered on some of the more well-known cultural aspects, such as fireworks and kites.  For the older students, I ignored the alphabet and focused on the different aspects of culture, asking how it compared to some of our traditions.  Please note that Gale has a free teacher's guide for this book:  http://www.gale.cengage.com/pdf/TeachersGuides/DancingDragon.pdf

Level:  Kinder-5th