Literature Connection: The Great Race

The Great Race is the story of how the ancient Chinese zodiac came to be. Teachers can read the book (available on Amazon in English or Traditional Chinese, English, Pinyin) and students can recreate the story using a storyboard!

Giving students a graphic organizer to fill in as they read is helpful to pick out the most important facts and details.

After students listen to the story and (optional) fill out a note-taking sheet or graphic organizer, students can create a Storyboard with images and text that highlight the animals and the key events from the story! Students can have fun choosing a dog they like best as there are many dog options in the Storyboard Creator to choose from!

There are many other engaging books that introduce students to the traditional folktales and stories from ancient China. Here are some suggestions:

• Lon Po Po by Ed Young
• The Cat from Hunger Mountain by Ed Young
• The Empty Pot by Demi
• The Cricket Warrior: A Chinese Tale by Margaret Change and Raymond Chang
• Night Sky Dragons by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham
• The Shady Tree by Demi
• Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
• A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman
• Liang and the Magic Paintbrush by Demi

Due Date:

Objective: After reading or listening to The Great Race, create a narrative storyboard that includes important details from the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

Student Instructions:

1. In about 3-5 cells, write the major details of the story in order of occurrence.
2. Add appropriate scenes, characters, and items to illustrate each cell. The Creator has each animal from the story.

Requirements: Beginning, Middle and End of the story The Great Race