- 7th Grade
- Lexile: 1120
Source: Celebrating the Lunar New Year by Jessica McBirney
Assessment Answers
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the central idea of the article? | The celebration of the Lunar New Year varies by culture and tradition. |
| Which statement best describes the relationship between the lunar new year and the moon? | The phases and cycles of the moon determine the lunar new year. |
| What is the meaning of “refrain” as it is used in paragraph 9? | to stop |
| What is the author’s main purpose in the article? | To inform readers about different new years celebrations. |
How does the author’s organization of the different sections within the text help to highlight and distinguish the Lunar New Year and its celebrations throughout Asia?
The author’s organization of the different sections within the text effectively highlights and distinguishes the Lunar New Year and its celebrations throughout Asia by:
- Introduction of the Concept: The article begins by introducing the general idea of the Lunar New Year and the concept of different calendars (solar, lunar, lunisolar). This sets the stage for understanding why and how the Lunar New Year is celebrated differently than the Gregorian New Year.
- Specific Examples of Celebrations in Various Cultures: The text then details how different Asian cultures celebrate the Lunar New Year. For example, it discusses the Chinese New Year, mentioning specific traditions like red decorations, fireworks, and the legend of the Nian. This provides readers with concrete, vivid examples of Lunar New Year celebrations, illustrating these traditions’ cultural richness and diversity.
- Comparison and Contrast: By organizing the text into sections that focus on different cultures (like China, India, and Indonesia), the author allows readers to compare and contrast these celebrations. This approach highlights the unique aspects of each culture’s Lunar New Year festivities while also showing the common thread of celebrating a new lunar cycle.
- Broader Global Context: The article also places these Asian celebrations in a global context by mentioning other cultures outside of Asia that celebrate new years at different times. This broadens the reader’s understanding of the Lunar New Year as a part of a global tapestry of cultural celebrations.
- Conclusion with a Universal Theme: Finally, the text concludes by emphasizing the universal aspects of celebrating a new year—be it based on the lunar or solar calendar. This ties together the various sections by reinforcing the idea that while the Lunar New Year is celebrated in diverse ways across Asia, it shares common themes of renewal, family, and tradition with new year celebrations worldwide.
Through this structured approach, the author not only informs readers about specific Asian Lunar New Year celebrations but also contextualizes these celebrations within a broader cultural and global framework.
Discussion Answers
This article discusses the new year’s celebration of several Asian cultures. Why is it important to learn about other cultures and traditions? How does learning about other cultures help us to better understand our community and the world around us?
Learning about other cultures and traditions, like those discussed in the article about new year’s celebrations in several Asian cultures, is important for several reasons:
- Promotes Cultural Sensitivity and Awareness: Understanding other cultures fosters respect and appreciation for differences in traditions and practices. This knowledge helps in reducing stereotypes and prejudices, leading to a more inclusive and harmonious society.
- Enhances Global Understanding: In an increasingly interconnected world, having knowledge about various cultures helps in understanding global dynamics. This is especially important in areas like international relations, business, and social policy.
- Encourages Empathy and Open-mindedness: Learning about other cultures allows individuals to put themselves in others’ shoes and understand their perspectives. It broadens one’s outlook and challenges preconceived notions, leading to a more open-minded approach to new ideas and experiences.
- Improves Communication: Understanding cultural nuances can greatly enhance communication in multicultural communities and workplaces. It helps in avoiding misunderstandings and enables more effective and respectful interactions.
- Educational Value: Learning about other cultures is intellectually enriching. It expands history, geography, language, and sociology knowledge, contributing to a well-rounded education.
- Personal Growth and Enrichment: Exploring other cultures can lead to personal growth. It can inspire new interests, culinary tastes, artistic pursuits, and ways of thinking. It makes life more interesting and enriching.
- Strengthens Community Ties: Understanding the cultural backgrounds of people in one’s community fosters a sense of belonging and unity. It helps in building bridges across different cultural groups, strengthening community ties.
- Prepares for a Global Workforce: In the global economy, being culturally literate is a valuable skill. It prepares individuals to work effectively in diverse environments and with people from various backgrounds.
Learning about other cultures enriches personal experiences and contributes to a more informed, empathetic, and cohesive society. It is a key component of being an active and aware global citizen.
Families celebrate the new year in many different ways. What are some traditions that you and your family do to celebrate the new year? Do your traditions reflect your culture? If so, how? Do you have traditions that don’t reflect your culture? How did these nontraditional traditions begin?
Oh, celebrating the new year is super cool in my family! We have a bunch of traditions that are really fun. First, we always have a big family dinner on New Year’s Eve. My mom cooks a lot of our favorite foods, and sometimes they’re dishes from our culture.
We’re [mention a specific culture, if applicable], so we might have special dishes like [insert specific cultural dishes], which are really yummy.
Then, when it gets close to midnight, we all gather around the TV to watch the countdown and the big ball drop in Times Square. It’s not really a tradition from our culture, but it’s something we’ve always done since I can remember. It’s like a mix of our own thing and something a lot of people do in [country, e.g., the United States].
Also, we have this tradition where we write down our wishes for the new year on little pieces of paper, and then we put them in a special box. We only open it next New Year’s Eve to see if any of our wishes came true. It’s not something from our cultural background, but my parents started it when they were first married, and we’ve kept doing it ever since.
Oh, and we always call our family members who live far away to wish them a Happy New Year. It’s a way to stay connected with everyone even if we can’t be together.
So yeah, some of our traditions are from our culture, which is cool because it helps me learn more about where we come from. And some are just things we do because they’re fun or meaningful to us. It’s like a mix of both, and I think that’s what makes our New Year’s celebrations special!
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