Episode #4: “Walls of Wisdom”
Facts
China is often considered the longest continuous civilization, with some historians marking 6000 B.C. as the dawn of Chinese civilization. It also has the world’s longest continuously used written language.c
- China is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada, and the U.S.). It has an area of 3,719,275 square miles (slightly smaller than the U.S.) and its borders with other countries total more than 117,445 miles. Approximately 5,000 islands lie off the Chinese coast.aOne in every five people in the world is Chinese. China’s population is estimated to reach a whopping 1,338,612,968 by July 2009. China’s population is four times that of the United States.aChildren in the Asian countries love to play as much as anyone -however, their culture puts more emphasis on teamwork, fun and camaraderie and less emphasis on competition. Check out these fun games from across the Globe.
Games
“Pull the Doggone Dragon's Tail”
Players: 5-10 players needed
What you will need: 10 eager children
How to play:
Place the children in a line, one behind the other, and have them place their hands on the shoulders of the child in front of them. Do not let go!
The first person is the "Head" of the Dragon and the last person is the "Tail." The goal of the game is for the Head to catch the Tail without breaking the chain. Once the Head catches the Tail, the Head moves to the back of the line, becomes the Tail, and the game starts over again!
Physical Benefits:
Requires large muscle movement in hands, arms and legs to stay connected: requires balance & coordination (core strength) for children to hang on and not fall down!
“Pick Up Sticks”
Players: 2-4 players
What you will need: One canister of Pick-Up-Sticks
How to play: One player gathers the bundle of sticks in their hand, taps the bundle on the table to level the batch, then opens their hand to release the stick and let them fall randomly. Player to the left of the dropper begins to pick up single sticks, making sure not to move any other sticks. If another stick moves, then that players turn is over and the next player begins to pick up individual sticks. The game is over once all the sticks have been picked up. The player who captured the most sticks wins!
Physical benefits: Improves hand-eye coordination, children have to use critical thinking ( cause & effect) skills as they assess the impact of removing each stick.
“One Legged Rabbit”
Players: 6-10 players
What you will need: Rope or draw a circle on the ground
How to play: One player is the one-rabbit. Rabbit must hop around in the ring and tag the other children. If a child exists the designated area, then they are out or if rabbit tags them, they must exit the game area. If Rabbit put's his or her other foot down, the game is over and a new rabbit is picked. Everyone enters back into the circle and the game repeats with a new One-Legged Rabbit!
Physical Benefits: Jumping around on one leg is hard, builds great coordination!
Amazing Chow from China
Fruits Indigenous to China
Kumquats and Kiwis
Kumquats are a symbol of luck in China. They are a very small fruit to be eaten whole. Sweet & tart...all at the same time! Full of Vitamin C - which helps the body heal and fight off infections!
Kiwis
Originally known as Gooseberry, Kiwis are the National Fruit of China!
When global shippers began importing the Gooseberry into the United States, it was renamed "Kiwi Fruit" in honor of the native Kiwi Bird of New Zealand. Notice the resemblance between the fuzzy brown coat of the bird and the outer skin of the fruit! Neat, huh?
Fun with Fruits
This is a Edible "Palm Trees" made with Kiwi, Banana, Cherry, Pineapple and Mandarin Oranges. You can replace the mandarin oranges with Kumquats to get some zing on the plate:-)
Dragon Fruit
Ancient stories reveal a mysterious tale of the origin of Dragon Fruit. Chinese warriors used to fight dragons in battle. The Dragon would breath out flames of fire, and in the end, he would shoot out the Dragon Fruit. This fruit was offered to the Emperor as a gift to signify that the Dragon had been slain.