Writing the narrative of their own challenge gives students a chance to reflect on the themes (courage, persistence, imagination, resourcefulness) of the Lin novel from the first two lessons as they see them enacted in their own experience. It was even better than I remembered! The main character, Minli, is a young Chinese girl scraping by with her poor parents in the village at the base of Fruitless Mountain. She looks up to her father, the optimist, and clashes with her mother, the cynic. While her mother worries and complains about their lot, her father brightens their evenings with storytelling. 2. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. She invites them to come with her to see the Old Man, but they laugh and say, Why would we want to change our fortune? Minli is left to ponder these words as she flies a kitemade of both the paper and the thread from the City of Bright Moonlightinto the sky. Through their cunning, they trick Green Tiger into falling down a well. If not by then, the film will probably not be made at all. Go over the worksheet to be sure that students understand it. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. In the morning, her parents are overjoyed that she is home. Where The Mountain Meets The Moon Character Analysis Minli Minli is the protagonist and hero in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. The principal told me that was not a good idea. She realizes that her family cannot afford to feed a pet. Reunited with her son, Jade Dragon transforms Fruitless Mountain into Fruitful Mountain, allowing it to grow again. the end with a mysterious gift. Still following the goldfishs instructions, Minli sets out for the City of Bright Moonlight. A variety of online maps of China can be found in. After each assignment, review the journal questions in a class discussion or individual reading group discussions. But the stories that the dad told I did like and it added more fun to the book and made me want to finish it. Minli's brave, clever, kind, and earnest character is utterly endearing. Grace went on a blog tour for her book. Where the Mountain Meets The Moon - colton nathan wayne BOB - Google Chapter 1 Summary. I loved the way it was told through a lot of fairy tales. However, at the last moment, the Old Man of the Moon transported the family magically to a new home, where they continue to livepoor but contenttoday. Andrew Medlar, School Library Journal*Starred Review* Gr 3-6 Living in the shadow of the Fruitless Mountain, Minli and her parents spend their days working in the rice fields, barely growing enough to feed themselves. It must have at least one character, a setting, and a plot or series of events that occur. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon, who knows the answers to all of lifes questions. While waiting in the Market of Green Abundance, Minli spends her coin buying a peach for a beggar. With each photo, ask students to identify what is happening in the picture, what kind of challenge is presented, and what kinds of skills or abilities the subjects need to be successful. Together they encounter a talking goldfish, a boy with a buffalo, a king, a fierce green tiger and laughing twins before scaling Never-Ending Mountain. How important is magic in the story? Powerful Stories About Martin Luther King Jr. The Old Man explains that, once every ninety-nine years, someone comes to ask him a question. Finding Identity through Childrens Books, Dont Judge a Book by Its Character (Even If It Is Chinese), The Extra Adjective: How I Came to Terms with Being a Multicultural Book Author, Folktales and Ecology: Animals and Humans in Cooperation and Conflict, Helpful Animals and Compassionate Humans in Folklore, "Cinderella" Folk Tales: Variations in Character. If you read Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, you wouldn't be disappointed because it is an incredible book. detailed information regarding how the characters interact with the main characters, as JOIN GRACES MAILING LISTYoull receive her Author Newsletter in your email inbox! Put the following sentence on the board: There was a mountain near the village. Then have students turn to the first sentence of. Most of the sections of the character map were at least attempted and work is presentable. Think About Your Own Answers (with a reading guide) Why or why not? (Teacher Resource: Plot Outline can serve as suggested answers. Perhapsyou need to trust her, the goldfish man says. Together they fly home to Minli's village. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon begins with a description of a small girl, Minli, and her parents, who live in a poor village at the base of Fruitless Mountain. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown. The Question and Answer section for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a great "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Summary". Ask students to choose a page at random and read aloud the most vivid sentence they can find to the class. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. well as challenges the characters face. Depending on the ability level of the class and the time available, teachers may assign the book for independent reading at home; have students read independently or in reading groups in class as you work with individuals; have students read it aloud in class; or use a combination of these methods. It turns out he is not a beggar at all, but the king in disguise. Before each set of chapters, distribute the questions that students should answer and make sure that they understand what they are looking for. Since then, she has traveled to China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, learning more about her own heritage. GradeSaver, 25 April 2017 Web. After learning about the concept of the frame story, pairs of students take one of the folktales to analyze and then illustrate a key scene from it. Characters included in the character map are: (These instructions are completely customizable. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin is a middle grade fantasy fiction novel that takes inspiration from Chinese folklore and details the journey of a young girl, Minli, as she embarks on a hero's quest to improve her family's circumstances. *(This Will Start a 2-Week Free Trial - No Credit Card Needed), This Activity is Part of Many Teacher Guides. Think about how important the telling of stories was to Minli and Ba. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Grace Lin 4.30 45,753 ratings5,600 reviews In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. [8][9]. Da-Fu and A-Fu lead Minli to Never-Ending Mountain, where the Old Man of the Moon is said to live. At the end of the story, Ba says that he thinks nobody is meant to find Minli, just as the magistrate was not meant to find the paper that explained the secret of happiness. In moments, he disappeared from view into the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, and if it wasn't for the goldfish Minli had in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon study guide contains a biography of Grace Lin, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Use evidence from the text to argue who is the most generous character in the book. Ma and Ba say that Minli is too little to do such a thing. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Is your story really a narrative? 2023 . The goldfish man asks a child in the street to direct him to Minlis house. Where The Mountain Meets The Moon Chapters 1-4 Summary & Analysis. Jennifer Rothschild from School Library Journal stated in her review: "The author's writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning. It was written and illustrated by Grace Lin and published in 2009. She said there will be a movie released on 11/21/2020, however the movie was never made. It is about Jade Dragon, who used to be beloved by the people of the earth because she controlled the rain that made crops grow. She can either ask him to fix her familys fortune, or she can ask him to help Dragon fly. The second part of the lesson has students return to the book to explore how the folktales enhance Minlis story. Minli's restlessness is her central conflicted character trait. They rush to make her breakfast, and then Ba sees the bump from Dragons head, which Minli has brought home with her. Part 2. Man of the Moon The angry magistrate tore a page from the Old Man of the Moon's book, which was the paper with the secret of happiness. I brought my pet into school. Now the woman can see that she had fortune all along, but that she lost it when she lost her daughter. Before students begin their draft remind them in the real world it is not a good idea for children to leave home to confront evil and danger. Have you explained how you felt when you had met the challenge? A stage adaptation based on Lin's book was performed at Wheelock Family Theater in Boston, in April 2014. 2020 GRACE LIn, all rights reserved. Trying to come to terms with her own identity, she searched for and treasured books that featured Asian American characters, even when their portrayal was oversimplified or stereotyped. Along the way, Minli meets a special friend. Far away from here introduces the suggestion of an exotic location and/or time; The Jade River suggest China, which is known for jade. eNotes.com, Inc. This character came to life from the magic ink by which it was painted and flew away. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon begins with a description of a small girl, Minli, and her parents, who live in a poor village at the base of Fruitless Mountain. Minli realizes what is truly important in life and is thankful for her family. Consider the traits of that particular character. It turns out the goldfish can talk when people want to hear it. Not affiliated with Harvard College. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2:Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. Show students a collage picture frame with multiple photos or draw one on the board. size). Optional Activity Grade Level Standard. Many of the notes have correct information, but some are incorrect or missing. (p19) In the book Where the Mountain meets the Moon, What is contained in the old man in the moon's book of Fortune? Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Summary - eNotes.com Place on parchment lined baking sheet. What is the setting of "Games at Twilight" by Anita Desai? Use vivid language to construct their own personal narrative. Along the way, they encounter selfish monkeys, whom Minli manages to trick into letting them pass, and together they enter the City of Bright Moonlight, where Minli leaves Dragon in a cave and takes refuge in a boy's home. Together, the two fly back to Minlis village, so she can return to her parents. She realizes that she cannot ask Dragons questionunless she chooses not to ask her own. WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON is a fantasy-fiction story where Chinese Folklore is engraved throughout the story. "Bringing fortune to our house! In addition, any storyboard can be made sharable, where a private link to the storyboard can be shared externally. The second date is today's Distribute Worksheet 3 and go over the directions with the students. Stop believing stories and stop wasting your time. https://www.storyboardthat.com/lesson-plans/where-the-mountain-meets-the-moon-by-grace-lin/characters, This Storyboard That activity is part of the lesson plans for. A-Fu and Da-Fu, twins who are a bit younger than Minli, explain that a vicious magistrate once planned to kill the whole family out of jealousy over their happiness. Then the twins, and their grandfather A-Gong, nurse Dragon and lead the travelers to Never-Ending Mountain. The boy finds out that the king is supposed to appear in the Market of Green Abundance. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. date the date you are citing the material. Already a member? One year later, the goldfish man returns to the town at the base of Fruitless Mountain, and he cannot believe how much it has changed. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.5:Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem. Curious, she follows it and finds a red dragon crying a river of tears. In thanks, the fish tells Minli how to travel to Never-Ending Mountain to find the Old Man of the Moon, who may know how Minli can change her familys fortune. Think back on some of your favorite characters from past novels you have Activity 2, Key Scenes: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, follow the directions at the beginning of Day 2. They keep journals to record the challenges Minli faced, and how she met the challenges. As they work, hold writing conferences with individual students in need of assistance. In the story that the girl told the Great Green Tiger she stated that another tiger had taken her brother to be his slave for life. Still, real life faces everyone with difficult challenges that require courage and ingenuity. How important are stories in your life? All of the villagers, along with Minli's family, are also very poor, as farming is difficult in the hard and dry land due to Fruitless Mountain being the broken and lonely heart of the immortal Jade Dragon, a dragon that once brought rain to the Earth. Even though you can determine the scene in your head, Grace Lin adds sharp details making the scene more vivid. Students reading the book will not only share the adventure, but will learn much about traditional values in Chinese culture. Tell students that they are going to read the book and keep a reading journal; explain how you would like them to proceed, i.e., how many pages or chapters to read and which journal questions to answer. Click here for a PDF outlining an optional second activity. You may value money, friends, family or ideals like honesty, generosity, and faith. When her parents find out, Ma is angry. Minli's mother is very dissatisfied with the family's situation. Order our Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Lesson Plans, teaching or studying Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. In the final activity and summative assessment, students plan and then write a personal narrative about a challenge they have overcome, using vivid descriptions of persons and places. This first activity introduces the book and requires students to read it and keep a journal. The next day she finds a stream, but it is salty. In a poignant essay entitled Why Couldnt Snow White Be Chinese? Lin discusses her sense of otherness and states that as a child, she found her dual identity to be a burden.