In conjunction with their study on the ancient culture of China, students in the fifth grade humanities classes were treated to a hands-on workshop about the Forbidden City and the Emperors of China by teachers from the China Institute.

In this workshop, students learned some Chinese vocabulary by playing a fun version of "Simon Says," and then introducing themselves to each other in Chinese. Students then broke into groups where they brainstormed and presented what they would do for their country as an Emperor of China or what they would want from their Emperor if they were living during the time of Emperors.

The China Institute teachers were very impressed with our fifth graders' enthusiasm, questions, and participation.

In addition to learning about the history and geography of China, students are reading Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Chinese author, Grace Lin. Students are also delving further into the folktales as they practice a readers theater skit on how the four rivers of China were formed according to folktale lore.