Overview - Objectives
Find out how the Moon
has been an important symbol or object in the lives of
people in other parts of the world or cultures.
Use the Internet to
gather, evaluate, and research information.
Activity 1
The ancient Chinese,
being an agricultural people, planted and harvested by
watching the moon. They even created a mid autumn festival
called the Moon
Festival. This festival was held the 15th day of the
eighth lunar month. There are also many legends and stories
connected with the moon that are part of Chinese mythology.
Some of these had morals similar to folk tales from other
countries.
Have students learn
more about the Moon Festival so that they can discover
the answer to these questions.
• During which
month is the Moon Festival usually held?
• What are moon
cakes?
• What event
do Moon cakes commemorate ?
Activity 2
• Read to students or have them read Wu
Kang And The Cassia Tree about a young man or about
Chang-O,
a young woman. According to Chinese legends both went
to the Moon. Then have them write about the story using
one of these ideas.
Write a brief description
which tells why these two Chinese figures ended up on
the Moon.
What was the moral of the story?
Can you tell what problems the characters had which caused
them to end up on the moon?
Read about Coyote
as the Moon, Fox and the Moon, Coyote and Eagle Steal
the Sun and Moon and other tales as you visit this site
about Native
Americans.
Read about more Moon
Myths from other cultures and countries around the
world including Africa, Japan, China, Greece, Rome. There
are several reading levels to select from. How did these
cultures honor or think about the the Moon? How is this
the same or different from the ways people think about
the Moon today?
Activity 4
•
Have students try writing their own Moon tale or myth.
