Message from shillson

[Anonymous]

Don't overlook the story "Yunmi and Halmoni's Trip" found in the 3rd grade Houghton Mifflin Literature Series. This is the story of an American Girl who travels with her grandmother back to Korea to meet her relatives and honor the grave of her deceased grandfather. One of the author's goals as a writer is to help young Americans learn about the history and culture of Korea. Yunmi experiences both the thrill and lonliness of traveling to an unknown country for the first time. My students made immediate connections to Yunmi and how she felt during the trip. It was also an excellent opportunity to introduce cultural understanding and identifying unique traditions in Korea. The story has some on-line activities that can be accessed through Eduplace.com/kids.

Another activity as a result of this story is suggested by the text illustrator:

Think of a country you would like to visit. Then make a list of the reasons you want to go there. Are you interested in learning about the people of that country? Do you want to see their buildings, art and clothing styles? Do you want to find out what they believe, and how they celebrate special events? Do you want to learn how they do things. compared to the way you do them? After making your list, share it with your classmates.