A Chinese folk story
This lesson plan is based on the folk story 'Fifteen honest coins', collected in Brewer, W 1995, Many Flowers: Folk Stories from Asia, Curriculum Corporation, p 25.
Learning areas
In relation to English - a Curriculum Profile for Australian Schools, this lesson can contribute to all strands.
Level
Years 4-6
Outline
Students read the folk story 'Fifteen honest coins' and complete related activities.
Studies of Asia emphases
Major emphasis: Developing concepts of Asia
Curriculum context
This folk story would complement stories from other cultures which deal with honesty and truthfulness being rewarded.
Duration
One or two class sessions, plus extension activities.
Materials required
Students will require access to copies of 'Fifteen honest coins'. They could read it in the screen or from printed copies.
Procedure
- Have students read the story individually, or read it with the class as a whole.
- Clarify any unfamiliar vocabulary.
- Discussion
- What options did the boy have? (You could list them and discuss each separately.)
- What do students believe was the 'best' option?
- What options did the mother have?
- What motivated the merchant's statements?
- What does the story teach us? (What is the moral?)
- What aspects of the story seem to belong particularly to China rather than other cultures? (One aspect is that the judgement of a 'wise man' has been valued in Chinese history rather than reference to a body of law.)
- Does this story remind students of other stories they have heard?
- Writing tasks
- Students could write their own stories which illustrate the rewards of honesty and truthfulness. Alternatively, some might want to write stories which illustrate that honesty and truthfulness are not always rewarded.
- Students could write an account of what might happen if they (or other children in their neighbourhood) found a wallet containing $500 in their local shopping centre. They could also be asked to write a justification for the actions they suggest.
- Extension
Compare 'Fifteen honest coins' with the story of Solomon in the Bible.
Related resources
Many Flowers: Folk Stories from Asia contains a range of other folk stories which could also be compared with 'Fifteen honest coins', particularly in relation to the moral messages conveyed.
Among its collection of world folk stories, Tales of Wonder has six from
China:
http://www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/china.html
Lesson plans which use the Tales of Wonder stories are at:
http://www.newton.mec.edu/Angier/DimSum/Write%20Own%20Tale%20Lesson.html
DL Ashliman of the University of Pittsburg maintains an extensive folklore and mythology site, with an academic bent. Although most of the folk stories are collected from Europe, there is also a selection of Chinese stories:
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/china.html
Teachers should be sure to pre-read these, as some have subjects which may be considered unsuitable for some students.
