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The Lotus Seed

Language: English

When forced to leave her country, a young Vietnamese girl takes a lotus seed with her as a reminder of her past. This book inspires LeVar to explore traditions and heritage passed down through generations when he meets young people from Vietnam, Yemen, Russia and South Africa who have recently come to the United States. Each retains unique attributes of their own heritage, yet each also contributes to a multicultural, harmonious society.

Here are activities to do after watching this episode:

Family Cutouts

You will need:

  • large cookie cutter shaped like a person
  • drawing paper
  • scissors
  • crayons
  • decorations
  • glue
  1. Using a cookie cutter, your child can trace the outline shape of a person on drawing paper. Make one tracing for each member of the family.
  2. Cut out the shapes and decorate by coloring. Your children might enjoy adding clothing using fabric scraps and buttons, yarn hair, and wiggle eyes.

Stick Puppets

You may want to glue each family cutout to a craft stick to make stick puppets. Then you can have a family play using the puppets. Each member of the family can make his or her own stick puppet move and talk!

  

Family Tree

The next time you plan to have a large family gathering, prepare a family tree for everyone to contribute to.

  1. On a long sheet of paper, draw a large tree. Tape the tree to a door where everyone will notice it as they arrive.
  2. Have each family member write his or her name on a branch of the tree, with older members near the roots and youngest members at the top branches.
  3. If you have a Polaroid camera, a great addition to your tree would be to take each person’s photograph and have it taped next to the name on the tree.

Family Mobile

Use a hanger, yarn, and family photographs to make a family mobile to hang in your family room.

  1. Choose favorite photos and tape two photos back-to-back to a length of yarn.
  2. Tie each piece of yarn to a clothes hanger and suspend in a place where everyone can enjoy. Regardless of how the mobile turns, you’ll see a favorite snapshot!

Check out some of these books on your
next trip to the library:

  • I’m New Here by Bud Howlett
  • Halmoni And The Picnic by Sook Nyul Choi
  • Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say

READING RAINBOW has a resource library that includes teacher guide materials as well as reading programs for use in the public libraries. You can download these resources from GPN at:
www.gpnresources.com

If you would like more information about READING RAINBOW or if you would like to learn more about other educational products please visit the GPN web site.

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