May is Asian American Pacific Islander Month, a time to remember the contributions and celebrate Asian history. What better way to end the school year than taking a trip to China?
As we wind down this last month of school, 2nd grade EL students started reading a nonfiction book about a Chinese American boy named Alvin Ho. In the book titled, “Alvin Ho: Allergic to the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and Other Tourist Attractions” by Lenore Look, Alvin, a second grader who’s afraid of everything, and his family travel to China to introduce his brand-new baby sister to relatives in China, Alvin’s anxiety is at an all time high.
Before delving into the story, I wanted to build some background knowledge about China so that the students would have a better connection to the story. Background knowledge is essential for reading comprehension. The more students know about a topic, the easier it is to read a text, understand it, and retain the information. Students watched a brief video about the Great Wall of China. They were so impressed with the video that they asked to watch it again. As you can see from the picture, one student asked to stand up for a better view. We discussed the history of the Great Wall and what it means to the Chinese people.
We read a chapter each day. After reading the chapter, we make predictions about what we think will happen, and write “ I Wonder” questions on an anchor chart. These set a purpose for reading and keeps students engaged. Then we check to see if our predictions are correct and notate answers to our questions.
The book is hilarious. The kids laugh so much as they see the world through Alvin’s eyes. And I must admit, I laugh a lot during this book too.
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