Lunar New Year and US New Year share the circles of this 2nd grade Venn diagram. Students read nine lettered facts, A to I, and write each letter in Lunar New Year, US New Year, or Both. The facts include a countdown at midnight, red envelopes, dragon and lion dances, and lasting for 15 days. Three belong in each section. The three pages fit C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.6.K-2, and the answer key places fireworks, special foods, and family time in the middle.
D2.Geo.6.K-2
“Identify some cultural and environmental characteristics of specific places.”
The Lunar New Year circle, with red envelopes, dragon and lion dances, and a 15-day celebration, set against the December 31st countdown students already know.
A box of nine facts, such as "Happens on December 31st" and "Blowing party noisemakers," comes first. On the next page, a Lunar New Year circle and a US New Year circle sit on either side of a third oval labeled Both. Students write each letter in the right section.
B, F, and I go under Lunar New Year, A, D, and H under US New Year, and C, E, and G in Both.
After the reading
Use this right after a Lunar New Year read-aloud. Fact I, lasting 15 days, surprises most students, so leave time to talk about it.
Floor Venn
Lay two hula hoops on the rug so they overlap and hand out the nine facts on cards. Students place them first, then copy the letters onto their sheet. The printed Both section is its own oval, so point to it before they start.
Writing follow-up
Each student writes one sentence that starts "Both new years have..." using a fact from the middle section.
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