Fun fact: Over 2,000 years ago the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, spent most of his reign creating one of the world’s most extravagant tombs. It’s more than 38 square miles wide! The emperor filled the tomb with as many as 8,000 life-sized clay men, built with actual weapons and armor, and clay horses. Why would he do this? To protect himself in the afterlife. (Show this cool picture.)
LISA K. WEBER
Play,
The Empty Pot
This engaging Chinese folktale takes on the form of a read-aloud play that will help students identify the play’s theme, or big idea.
By ADAPTED BY SARI BODI AND KAREN TROTT
From the September 2017 Issue
Learning Objective: This engaging Chinese folktale takes on the form of a read-aloud play that will help students identify the play’s theme, or big idea.
Can’t-Miss Teaching Extras
A Funereal Extravaganza
An Honest Look
This play—and our fiction story, “Clean Start”—both deal with themes of honesty. Ask your students: Did you ever take credit for something you didn’t do? What happened? And if you have an example from your own childhood, maybe you’ll want to share it...
Science Extention
For a fun science learning extension, plant several seeds with your class. Make sure one or two are boiled and see what happens when you care for them exactly the same way you care for the non-boiled seeds.
Meaningful Blooms
Quick cultural lesson: Flowers were important to the Emperor because flowers are a big part of Chinese culture. Certain flowers have important meanings. For example, the lotus represents perfection; chrysanthemums, elegance; peonies, richness and honor; and orchids, intelligence.
Roses in Motion
Watch this fascinating time-lapse video of roses growing from its seed. Your students will be so inspired they’ll want to grown their own flowers.
More About the Article
Content-Area Connections
ELA: folktales
Character education
Social studies: world cultures
Key Skills
the big idea, character, inference, plot, key details, vocabulary
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
1. PREPARING TO READ
Set a Purpose for Reading (10 minutes)
As students look at the play’s opening pages, point out the labels in the top left corner of page 20. (“Play” and “Read-aloud folktale”) Ask: What is a folktale? (a short story from a specific country that has been told over and over) Ask students whether they are familiar with this folktale.
Every major story has a Think and Read box at the beginning. It gives students a question or an idea to focus on as they read. Call on a volunteer to read the Think and Read box on page 21 for the class.
Introduce Vocabulary (15 minutes)
Although the story does not include vocabulary words in the text itself, there is a vocabulary activity that previews challenging words and allows students to list the words that are unfamiliar to them. Project or distribute the activity to go over the words.
Challenging words: precious, commands, gorgeous, honor
2. FOCUS ON FLUENCY
Bridging Decoding and Comprehension
Storyworks Jr. plays provide a perfect opportunity for students to build fluency.
Point out the directions in italics (sighing, whispering, frowning, excitedly, etc.) and explain that they are included to tell the reader how to say the line. Demonstrate some of them for the class.
Pick a passage from Scene 1 and have two volunteers read the lines aloud. Encourage them to pay attention to the directions and say the lines with the appropriate emotion.
3. CLOSE READING
Reading and Unpacking the Text
Before reading: Model reading the first column of Scene 1 for the class, demonstrating how to include the directions in your voice.
First read: Continue reading the play as a class.
Second read: Project or distribute the close-reading questions. Discuss them as a class, rereading lines or scenes as necessary.
Separate students into groups to discuss the critical thinking question. Then have groups share their answers with the class.
Close-Reading Questions (30 minutes)
- In Scene 1, what two things does the Emperor learn about his relatives? (key details) The Emperor learns that his relatives do not care about his gardens and would rather put up statues of themselves. He also learns that they are lying to him when they tell him that they love his gardens.
- Read the end of Scene 1. What is important to the Emperor about the person who will rule after him? (inference) The Emperor is upset that his relatives lied to him, so he wants an Emperor who will tell the truth.
- In Scene 2, Lan says that he knows “just what to do with” the clay pots the children are given. What does this tell you about Lan? (inference) This tells you that Lan is a good gardener.
- In Scene 3, how does Lan take care of his seed? What happens to it? (plot) Lan takes very good care of his seed and tries his hardest to grow it. He puts it in rich soil, waters it, and turns it to face the sun, but nothing happens.
- In Scene 4, why does Lan become the next Emperor? (big idea) Lan becomes the next Emperor because he is truthful. He brings his pot even though it is empty. The Emperor gave all the children boiled seeds that wouldn’t grow. The other children all come with beautiful flowers, which proves they used other seeds.
Critical-Thinking Question (10 minutes)
- What lesson might the other children have learned after Lan was named the next Emperor? (big idea) The children might have learned that being truthful is very important. Lan brought in an empty pot, which meant that he was telling the truth. Because he was honest, he was rewarded. The other children used different seeds. They learned that when you are dishonest, you probably won’t get what you want.
4. SKILL BUILDING
Exploring the Big Idea (30 minutes)
Have students complete the big idea activity. They should also write a response to the Think and Write question on p. 25.
Differentiate and Customize
For Small Groups
Divide your class into four groups and assign each group one scene from the play. The groups will practice their scene and then perform it for the class. For a fun extension, have each group draw a backdrop for their scene on roll paper. Record each scene and create a video version of the play!
For Struggling Readers
First, read the play aloud to students. Then break them into groups and have each group record themselves reading a scene from the play. Have students listen to the recording and try reading it again to practice fluency skills.
For Advanced Readers
Have students imagine that they are one of the other children asked to grow a flower for the Emperor. Have them write a short paragraph explaining what they learned from the experience.
For On Level Readers
How was Lan different from the other children? What lesson does this folktale teach you? Explain your answers, using details from the play.
Text-to-Speech