5 Chinese Lunar New Year Activities for Upper Elementary

Celebrating the Chinese {Lunar} New Year is always on my lesson to-do list! I truly believe that it is a great way to explore other nations, traditions, and holidays. While many of our students do celebrate the Chinese New Year, many do not. By bringing this holiday into your classroom, you are helping students learn about how people worldwide celebrate the New Year!

Not sure how to get started? I can help! These five meaningful activities are the perfect blend for any upper elementary classroom looking to celebrate the Chinese New Year!

From captivating picture book read-alouds to hands-on projects, this list includes fun and educational experiences. Discover the significance of Chinese Lunar New Year traditions, compare celebrations worldwide, and join in community-building activities to help your students feel connected. 

Let's make learning about the Lunar New Year a colorful and memorable experience for your students, fostering understanding and a strong sense of community in the classroom. 

Get ready to celebrate and engage your students in meaningful holiday activities through these enjoyable lesson ideas!

💡Teaching tip: While the Lunar New Year is celebrated in China, which is why it is often referred to as the Chinese New Year, it is also celebrated in many different countries worldwide. When engaging students in activities, be sure to include both terms!

Let's dive into Chinese New Year learning activities for upper elementary students!

1. Chinese New Year Read Alouds

Nothing says let's celebrate a holiday than reading amazing picture books with your students! There are so many picture books to read with your kids to kick off lessons about the Chinese New Year.

Here are some of my favorites for upper elementary:

✔ This Next New Year written by Janet S. Wong - 

I love this one! It is filled with all of the traditions and customs of the Lunar New Year...like traditional foods, how to get rid of bad luck, and how to have a fresh new start each New Year!

✔ Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon written by Kat Zhang - 

This one is part of the Amy Wu series of books. Amy is faced with having to make her own dragon for the upcoming celebrations, and she doesn't know how to create a holiday-worthy dragon until her grandmother helps!

✔ Ruby's Chinese New Year written by Vickie Lee - This is a fun story that follows the main character, Ruby, as she heads through the forest to her grandmother's house. Along the way she encounters all the animals in the Chinese Zodiac. This book includes fun Chinese New Year craft activities and directions on how to make them!

✔ A Sweet New Year for Ren written by Michelle Sterling - I love the note from the author and the pure excitement that the main character Ren has for the upcoming holiday celebration with her family!

2. Learn About the Traditions

Learning about the different traditions of holidays and celebrations around the world is a great way to engage students and open up their worlds!

One activity that I love to do with students is to create shape poetry about both the Lunar New Year and New Year's Day. For this activity, students must understand a tradition for each holiday and be able to draw a symbol related to it. Once they have drawn the symbol, they create a free verse shape poem to tell or explain about that symbol and tradition for the Chinese New Year! This is a fun Chinese New Year craft and makes a great bulletin board, too!

You will be wowed by the work that your students do with this shape poetry task!

3. Dive into the Zodiac

The kids are always fascinated by the Lunar New Year Zodiac! They love seeing which Chinese Zodiac Animal it was for the year they were born and for the upcoming New Lunar Year.

Why not harness all that excitement and energy into reading all about it! This will help them understand the Chinese Zodiac, the traditions accompanying each animal, and why this is an important part of the New Lunar Year. 

These passages are just perfect for our upper elementary students' interests and to help strengthen their nonfiction informational reading comprehension, too! #teacherwin

💡Teaching tip: Check out this page for even more information about Lunar New Year Animals and Zodiac!

4. Compare and Contrast to New Year's Day

At the beginning of the school year, we spent much time focusing on comparing and contrasting in October. We compared and contrasted Halloween to the Day of the Dead for that study. The kids loved it! They loved reading about different holidays, traditions, and cultures and truly got the ins and outs of comparing and contrasting different paired passages.

That is why when the new year came around, I  knew we had to compare New Year's Day to the Lunar New Year! And it was a hit!

After reading a nonfiction passage about New Year's Day we read a passage about Lunar New Year. The kids actively read, taking notes in the margins and compiling the information that they collected into a Venn diagram. We spent much time comparing the reasons and traditions behind each holiday. The students went one step further and wrote essays that compared and contrasted the two holidays. It was a great way to learn about the holidays AND still meet all the standards!

As you have students learn about the Lunar New Year and New Year's Day, have them collect important information on graphic organizers. Once collected, students can use the information that they gathered to write short paragraphs or essays about the different holidays that they learned about!

Grab the FREE graphic organizers right here!

5. Send Good Fortune and Building Classroom Community

I love using community-building activities throughout the year! Teaching a lesson that focuses on strengthening our classroom culture and atmosphere is a great change of pace. Community building activities are especially fun when tied into holiday activities like Lunar New Year which falls right in the middle of winter, making it the perfect time to focus on strengthening our classroom family!

This activity is simple yet powerful and you will want to do an activity like this each month!

Here is how we send good fortune to others to celebrate Lunar New Year:

1. Have students write their names with a pencil on a small piece of paper and fold it into fourths. Now, place all the pieces of paper in a basket.
2. Have students randomly draw a name from the basket one at a time, ensuring they did not pick themselves. If they pick themselves, have them show you before selecting a new name.
3. Students then create a fortune cookie with good fortune inside to the student whose name they picked. Their good fortune messages should be positive and upbeat and be focused on having a great new year!
4. When all students are done creating the fortune cookies for their classmates, they deliver them. They really love both giving letters and receiving them!

💡BONUS IDEA: Get Your Art on!

If you have been following me for a while, you know we have been all about hands-on, coloring, and tech-free activities lately! The kids love creative, art-inspired activities over tech-focused tasks...and I am most definitely here for it! 

To get creative during our Lunar New Year celebrations, we create the shape poems and do a Lunar New Year Doodle Thinkers! Both are a great way to have students focus on traditions, symbols, and tie together creativity, art, and learning!

Incorporating the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year into your classroom is more than just an item on your to-do list; it's an opportunity to explore new traditions and diverse holidays. 

While some students may already be familiar with the holiday of Chinese New Year, many are not, making it a wonderful opportunity for cultural discovery.  As we compare celebrations from around the globe and engage in community-building activities, we create an inclusive environment where students can learn, celebrate, and build connections. 

Happy Lunar New Year!

You will also love to read:

5 Leap Year Activities for Upper Elementary

4 Ideas to Celebrate Groundhog Day with Upper Elementary

6 Valentine's Day Party Ideas with a Twist

Celebrating National Poetry Month in the Upper Elementary Classroom

7 Thanksgiving Picture Book Read Alouds for Upper Elementary Classrooms 3rd, 4th, 5th Grade

November always seems like such a short month in the classroom! With both Thanksgiving and Parent Teacher Conferences falling in November, it always feels like it ends as quickly as it begins. I never have enough time to read ALL the books I want to read with my upper elementary students. 

While there are so many topics to explore during November and so many different books to read aloud, I have narrowed my favorite read-aloud books for this month to this list of seven must-reads! These books make the cut each year and are always so well-loved by the kids.

Read on to learn more about each of my favorite books for November and Thanksgiving time, and scoop up some fun and free activities to go along with these picture books. Since I love to use one book in many ways, I have included some suggested reading focuses to help you make the most of these Thanksgiving read-alouds in your upper elementary classroom!

1. Keepunumk written by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunten*

Do not let November go by without sharing this Native American story. I love that this book begins with a page filled with important background information and meaningful words for the reader. It truly sets the stage for this read-aloud. This story tells about the first day of thanks or harvest from the perspective of The First People. It is filled with rich information and culture and is truly perfect for November. The back pages are filled with information, recipes, and an author's note that you will want to share, too!

A fun follow-up to this read-aloud would be to connect reading and writing with informational research about Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples who once lived in your area. More info HERE.

Reading focus: Focus on vocabulary and context clues. 

2. Balloons Over Broadway written by Melissa Sweet*

This book is so much fun to read! It is a welcome break from the typical Thanksgiving stories as it focuses on the life and adventures of Tony Sarg, the man behind the puppets of the iconic Macy's Day Parade. The pages are filled with eye-catching illustrations, diagrams, and a photograph of Tony, quickly holding your students' attention with each page flip. Your students will love to follow along with Tony as he changes and improves his designs, making this the perfect book to discuss STEM and engineering concepts. Remember to read the author's note and bio!

Reading focus: Paired text critical thinking with THIS nonfiction reading passage about Thanksgiving Day parades.

3. Thank You, Omu written by Oge Mora*

This one read-aloud has it all! Friends, family, gratitude, appreciation, community, giving, traditions, and so much more! It has become my favorite to read each Thanksgiving. The cut-paper collage illustrations are as beautiful as the story, and the children are always surprised by what happens when Omu sits down to enjoy her stew. When the community members join together to help out Omu, she definitely feels the love! This is a must-read! 

Reading focus: Text structure analysis: sequencing and problem and solution 

4. Fry Bread written by Kevin Nobel Maillard*

Fry Bread is jam-packed with so much goodness! It is not only perfect for kicking off discussions of traditions, families, and holiday gatherings but also a must-read to celebrate and honor Native American Heritage Month this November. Written with a metaphor on each page, the reader is reminded of how important fry bread is to Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples. While each page is short and brief, with vivid words and illustrations, the author's note at the end provides more information about Fry Bread and the culture of Native Americans.

Reading focus: Reading nonfiction and understanding metaphors

5. Gracias the Thanksgiving Turkey written by Joy Cowley*

This is an oldie but a goodie and always a class favorite! Visit your school library or local library to grab a copy, as this one is hard to find! This book follows the main character, Miguel as he is faced with a huge dilemma...he is gifted with a live turkey meant to be his Thanksgiving dinner. There is one problem, this turkey ends up becoming Miguel's pet and he does not have the heart to turn it into dinner. Your students will be cheering Miguel on, hoping he finds a way to avoid having to give up Gracias. I  love the mix of Spanish words and the glossary at the back of this book, making it easy to celebrate different cultures. 

A fun follow-up would be to have your students write a persuasive essay persuading people to not eat turkey for Thanksgiving dinner!

Reading focus: Text structure analysis: problem and solution and cause and effect

6. Grow Grateful written by Sage Foster-Lasser and Jon Lasser*

Gratitude is a concept that we talk about in the classroom year-round, but I always kick it off during the month of November! This book makes it easy to help students understand the concept of gratitude and appreciating all that you have! This book follows the main character, Kiko, as she grows grateful throughout the story. She learned to focus on the small things on life instead of focusing on what she does not have. The students always related to Kiko and what she is experiencing! 

Find even more of my favorite gratitude books HERE.

Reading focus: Character analysis and changing characters

7. Apple VS Pumpkin written by Jefferey Burton*

Don't let that fact this is a board book stop you from sharing and reading it aloud to your big kids! This book is perfect for the fall and Thanksgiving seasons and a super fun way to introduce debates, persuasion, and opinion writing! This story follows the debate between apple and pumpkin as they spew out supporting details about why each of them is the best treat for the fall. Your kids will love the humor, cute illustrations, and getting in on the fun of debating it out as they cast their vote for apple or pumpkin! 

A fun follow-up to this read-aloud would be to have your own debate!

Reading focus: Text structure analysis: compare and contrast

Grab all the free activities to use with these books right here!

Grab one or all of these picture books to share and read aloud with your upper elementary students this fall, November, and Thanksgiving season! They are not just perfect to get into the spirit of giving and gratitude, but they are also great for revisiting with a reader's and writer's lens, too! Which one will you share this November?

Happy Thanksgiving! 

*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

You will also love reading:

Using Those Darn Squirrels in the Classroom

5 Must Try Fall Activities with Upper Elementary Students

8 Must-Read Gratitude Picture Books

4 Ways to Bring Gratitude into Your Classroom

4 Thanksgiving Activities You Never Thought to Do

Check out my favorite Thanksgiving activities HERE. 

Like these Thanksgiving read-aloud no-prep activities!

Love these ideas? Pin to save!

*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

7 Interactive Read Aloud Tips for Success with Upper Elementary

Thinking about getting started with interactive read alouds in your classroom? They are a must! Interactive read-alouds are a valuable way for teachers to engage students in meaningful discussions and promote comprehension skills.

So what is an interactive read-aloud?

An interactive read-aloud is a dynamic and purposeful reading activity that engages students in high-quality literature. During an interactive read-aloud, the students are actively involved in the reading process. This approach goes beyond a simple read-aloud; it encourages students to think critically, ask questions, make connections, and discuss the content. Pausing at strategic points to pose discussion questions, explore vocabulary, and model reading comprehension strategies is an important part of the interactive read-aloud experience. 

I love using interactive read-alouds because they promote a deeper understanding of the text, provide models for students to engage with their own texts as they independently read, and foster a love of reading. 

Want to get started using interactive read-alouds in YOUR upper elementary classroom? These seven must-try tips will help you get started!

1. Choose Age-Appropriate and Engaging Text

This first step is so important! Be sure to select books or texts that are appropriate for your students' age and reading level and captivating and relevant to their interests. Engaging texts are more likely to hold their attention and spark meaningful discussions.

Picture Books and chapter books both make amazing interactive read-alouds for students. You can select fiction, nonfiction, and even poetry picture books. Since picture books are much shorter than chapter books, they are my go-to. 

Not sure where to find appropriate picture books for upper elementary? I have some lists of favorites that you and your students will love!

• Mentor Texts to Use for Both Reading and Writing
• Favorite Picture Books for Upper Elementary
• 8 Biography Picture Books 
• 7 Must-Read Picture Books for Teaching Inferring

 ➡️Rather start interactive read alouds with a chapter book? These chapter books are always class favorites!

2. Use the Voices and Make the Sound Effects

The best part about the read alouds are different voices and sound effects that you can use to not only hook students, but to show them what fluent reading sounds like! I love to have a box of props next to my read aloud chair that I can use to help me as I read. Items I include are bells, clapping hands, and a rain shaker or shaker filled with rice. But, you do not need anything fancy! Just your voice, hands, and feet do the trick to bringing the read aloud to life. And yes, if there are silly voices and singing going on in the story, do them! You will make your students smile and love reading.

3. Revisit the Book Again and Again

Yes, I am going to say it again! Picture books should be read again and again and again!

We read picture books in my classroom multiple times, each time with a different purpose. It does NOT get boring. The kids know we are rereading it with a different lens each time, so their thoughts and discussions change. Plus, since they already know the story, their reflections are more meaningful and are often filled with connections.

When you reread previously read picture books, you help students:

• focus on the skill or objective of your read aloud lesson instead of trying to comprehend a new story AND master a new skill
• understand that good readers reread books and texts over and over to learn something new, better understand what was read, or just for enjoyment
• build confidence in their reading comprehension and retell/summarizing skills

➡️See how I use one read-aloud picture book in many different ways right HERE.

👉 Grab this FREE guide with my favorite picture books for interactive read- alouds! 

It includes several different topics that you can use for each book, allowing you to read and re-read each book over and over again.

4. Plan Ahead and Annotate the Text

Before the read-aloud, read the text in advance and annotate it with key points, questions, and discussion prompts. This will help you guide the conversation and highlight important themes, vocabulary, or literary devices that you want to focus on.

Prior to reading aloud, I also create an interactive anchor chart that will be used during the reading. I do not always do this for all read-alouds. However, I have the chart ready to go for more challenging concepts that I will bring up and teach during and after the read-aloud. This works perfectly for topics like making predictions, making inferences, and understanding character traits.

When annotating or prepping questions ahead of time, I make sure to have questions for each level of Bloom's taxonomy. Using sticky notes is a great way to do this! Especially because you can use those sticky notes again by leaving them on the pages, ready to go for next year!

5. Encourage Active Participation

Using interactive read-alouds helps you to foster an interactive atmosphere by encouraging students to participate actively. As you read, frequently stop and ask the predetermined open-ended questions, ask for predictions, and invite students to share their thoughts, feelings, and connections to the text. Use prompts like, What do you think will happen next? or How would you have reacted in this situation?

Giving students a specific read-aloud buddy or partner sets up the expectation of who they will be speaking to during the read-aloud. As time goes on, students build trust and relationships with their read-aloud buddies, making their conversations deeper and more meaningful.

Keep the conversation going between your students and their partners by creating an accountability bulletin board that provides appropriate discussion stems that can be used for any read-aloud! These work wonders in my classroom and truly help my students discuss literature in meaningful ways. 

6. Model Comprehension Strategies

While reading, model effective comprehension strategies such as making predictions, visualizing, making inferences, and asking questions. Show students how skilled readers think critically about the text and how these strategies enhance understanding. The more you show them, the more they will carry out those strategies as they read independently. 

7. Build Classroom Community

The best part of using interactive read alouds in your classroom is that it builds classroom community! 

Kids, even our big kids, love to gather as a class and get cozy listening to the soothing sounds of their teacher reading aloud. Use your read-aloud time as a way to remind, practice, and instill the idea that your classroom is a safe and respectful space where students should feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions. Emphasize that there are no wrong answers and that listening to and respecting others' viewpoints is essential during the discussion.  Reading aloud to the whole class provides a sense of togetherness and allows true community bonding to take place!

Incorporating interactive read-alouds in upper elementary classrooms can transform reading sessions into thought provoking and enjoyable learning experiences, enhancing both literacy skills and a love for reading. While these tips will get you started, remember to tailor your approach to your students' specific needs and interests while keeping the conversation lively and engaging.

Looking for more read-aloud companions?
Look HERE!

You will love reading these related articles:

The Benefits of Using One Book Many Ways

3 Ways to Use the Book Those Darn Squirrels

Picture Books for Teaching Inferring

Mentor Text for Opinion Writing

Love these ideas? Pin to save them!

affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

12 Picture Books to Teach Character Understanding Analysis and Traits

When it comes to diving deep into analyzing characters, I found the best way to get started is with picture books! 

Reading a variety of picture books gives students a chance to meet a wide range of characters with a variety of different character traits and emotions. Picture books also serve as a visual support of character traits, emotions, showing us how characters often change throughout stories. Character illustrations also help students analyze characters and differentiate between inside and outside character traits.

I love using previously read picture books to help us dive into character understanding. When you use previously read books, students can focus on the character since the story was already discussed and digested. As the character unit continues, we begin to read new stories and chapter books analyzing the new characters that we meet.

Over the years I have found that the following picture books work best when it comes to analyzing characters. The characters in these books give students a lot to think about as they read. Here are my favorites for character understanding with upper elementary students.

Read about my best tips for helping students analyze characters HERE.

1. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon 

This book is the best picture book to introduce students to the terms inside and outside character traits. (or internal or external traits) This story follows the main character Camilla Cream. On the inside she loves lima beans, but on the outside she does not act like she likes them. Because she keeps her true self a secret, her outside traits change each day. This is a fun read with a strong author's message to be yourself. It works perfectly for introducing character traits to your students.

Grab the free character analysis starter kit at the bottom of this post.

2. Brave Irene by William Steig 

I love this story! This story is a great read-aloud to discuss character traits and emotions. The main character, Irene, is brave, and the author gives many supporting details to help students agree that she is brave. But Irene also has many feelings and emotions throughout the story. From feeling helpful to feeling frustrated, she has felt them all. Your students will cheer Irene on as they listen to this story. With all the supporting details in the story, this one is a great read aloud to also practice written responses about character traits and supporting text evidence.

3. The Raft by Jim LaMarche 

This is one of my favorite picture books! I love using this one for understanding theme, end of the year read alouds and of course character understanding. This one is perfect for your lesson on changing characters. The main character in the story is mad when he finds out that he has to spend the entire summer with his grandmother at her cabin without technology. But by the time the summer ends, he has definitely changed. Create a class three column T-chart to use during a read aloud of this book to keep track of the character's traits and feelings at the beginning, during the middle, and then at the end. This will help students identify how the character has changed.

4. Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin, Jr

I love this book, and so do the kids. The ending always surprises them when they find out the main character is blind. Rereading it a second time, knowing that he is blind, helps us to dive deep into character analysis. This one is also perfect for building vocabulary, using context clues, and inferring as readers.

Grab the free character analysis starter kit at the bottom of this post.

5. A Chair for My Mother by Vera Williams

This is a popular book with a simple yet powerful story! This book follows a family of women who lose everything they own and their home in a fire. Throughout the book, we learn about the characters' determination, caring and loving attitude toward each other, and helpful neighbors who all pitch in to help. There are so many great character traits and emotions to address with this one book!

6. The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco

So many of Patricia Polacco's books are just perfect for character analysis, especially this one! This is a longer story that you should read over a few days. Doing so will give you the opportunity to revisit the text to discuss the main character and her character traits and emotions. This story follows Trisha who attends a new school and becomes called "the junkyard" a name designed to tease and mock her. Once she meets her teacher, things begin to change. Keep track of the Trish and her teacher's character traits, discussing each one and discovering how they both change. This is also a great book to lead to discussions about main characters and secondary characters.

7. Thank You, Omu by Oge Mora

This one is a new favorite for me! While this one has a gratitude theme and is often read around Thanksgiving, it is also perfect to revisit for character analysis. This book follows the day of Omu who spends the afternoon cooking. She can not help but share all of her soup with her community, leaving none for herself. Her selfless act inspires the community to help her in return. So much goodness and positivity in this book that you will want to read it again and again!

8. Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich 

While this story can be read any time of the year, it is a great pair with Valentine's Day because of the nature of a loving cactus who wants a hug. Hank, the main character, is a cactus that no one wants to hug. As the story goes on, Hank begins to change from being a loner to wanting a friend and companion. This story is great for learning about how and why characters change. The illustrations support Hank's feelings and emotions throughout the book, making it great for visual and auditory learners.

9. Enemy Pie by Derek Munson 

This classic teacher favorite is perfect for teaching your students to predict and analyze how a character responds to a problem. This book follows the main character (not named) who begins to feel jealous when a new boy moves into town. the main character experiences different feelings and emotions, chats about them with his dad, and ends up changing by the last page. The kids LOVE this one and it is so easy to relate to. You can read and reread this book for different lessons including plot, climax, story structure, and making predictions.

10. CHAPTER BOOK Suggestion: Ramona Quimby, Age 8

If you are looking for a chapter book, perfect to discuss character traits and emotions, try Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary. Each chapter is filled with antics and fun to help the reader get to truly get to know the main character, Ramona. A fun activity to go along with a read aloud of this book, is to have the kids keep a journal as Ramona. It is a great way for the kids to have to figure out how the character is feeling and then write from her perspective. 

Grab the FREE Character Analysis Starter Kit!

Need even more picture book suggestions? Try one of these:

• 11. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
• 12. Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
• 13. Boundless Grace by Mary Hoffman
• 14. The Man Who Didn't Like Animals by Deborah Underwood

Before you begin your next character study grab a stack of picture books with interesting characters to help you dive deep into character analysis. Use a mix of previously read books and some new books, too! The groundwork you lay for character analysis with picture books will help your students carefully reflect and think about the characters that they meet in the books that they read.

 You will also love reading:

9 Picture Books to Help Teach Grammar

A Simple Way to Teach Inferring

7 Picture Books to Teach Inferring

7 Picture Books to Celebrate Reading

          Check out my favorite character activities HERE.

                               LOVE these ideas? Pin to save!

*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)