Making Multicultural Connections
Through Trade Books

Dumpling Soup
Written by Jama Lee Rattigan
Illustrated by Lillian Hsu-Flanders

Cultural Group: Asian American

Content Connection: Math K,1,2

Topic : Problem Solving

Suggested Exemplars

• Word of the Day: "dumplings"

Learning Sequence

1. Arrange for students to see, talk about, or experience a variety of dumplings from many cultures, such as: Chinese won-ton, Spanish empanadas, Polish perogies, Italian ravioli, Russian knishes, Jewish kneidlach, or other regional dumplings you or the children discover.

2. Read Dumpling Soup aloud. Discuss the following questions:

   "How many people came to the family celebration of the new year?"
   "How many mandoo (dumplings) did Grandma, Marisa and the other cooks need to prepare for the new Year Celebration?"
   "What assumptions must we make to determine how many dumplings were needed?"

3. To determine the number of people and the number of dumplings needed, children may work cooperatively in small groups using a variety of counters to represent family members and dumplings. Encourage students to use drawings to symbolize their solutions to the problems.

4. How many different countries were named as the origin of different family members? What countries were they? Discuss the origins of their families. Locate countries on the map.

Extension

• Marisa described the dumplings of the other cooks as perfect. If you were going to help Marisa make all of her dumplings the same size, what would you suggest she do? What tools might she need ?
• If possible, allow students to make dumplings.

Technology Link

• Use Hop To It! (Sunburst) to review basic numeration skills.

Return to Dumpling Soup .

Click here to return to Making Multicultural Connections Home

© 1996 MCPS Department of Academic Programs, Division of Enriched and Innovative Instruction,Program of Assessment, Diagnosis, and Instruction