Lesson+8+-+The+Chinese+Mirror

**Objective**: To introduce students to a folktale from the Korean culture.
To let students explore a game originally from another culture and share with their families. To understand that the theme of a book can be universal (apply to any culture of people).


 * Materials:** //The Chinese Mirror// by Mirra Ginsburg (A Korean tale about a mirror that comes from China), Balloon Ride copies (Math logic game similar to the Chinese game of Nim) from Family Math

1. What is the problem in the story? (People have never seen a mirror before and think that others are kept inside it.) 2. When do you think this occured? (Long, long ago, before mirrors were common.) 3. Could this happen today? (No, mirrors are too common. People know what they are.) 4. Which character did you like the best? Why? 5. If you were to add a character, who might it be? 6. If you lived then and looked into the mirror, what type of person would you see?
 * Procedure:**Read //The Chinese Mirror.// Ask the following questions:

Share the math strategy game Balloon Ride from Family Math book. Explain that this is a form of an ancient Chinese game called Nim. Turned upside down, NIM spells "WIN". It is also similar to the circle game we play called "15". In Balloon Ride, students use toothpicks to connect a drawing of a hot air balloon to 10 stakes, holding it down. Players can take 1 or 2 toothpicks at a time. The winner is the person who releases the balloon.
 * Tell students that they do not need the worksheet, they can count backward from 10 saying 1 or 2 numbers. The person who says "1" wins.


 * Family Connection:** Have students take game sheet home and share with their families.