where the mountain meets the moon character traits

While folktales often include recognizable character types, and certainly we can identify some stock traits here (clever, wise, whiny, kind and poor, greedy, etc.) He speaks to a stone statue of a lion, who explains that he is the Guardian of the city. Read more 2009 Grace Lin (P)2020 Hachette Audio Listening Length 4 hours and 58 minutes Author With the help of a buffalo boy, Minli tracks down the King. They continue the journey together. She spent all her time wondering why she did not have more money and better food and prettier clothes. What an engaging book! Minli's father is a storyteller. With nothing else to occupy them in the evenings, Minlis father spins tales of the Old Man in the Moon and the Jade Dragon. Emphasize that Minlis story is a fantasy; in the real world, it is dangerous for children to run away from home, and naturally it is impossible for them to scale a ladder to the moon. When they first meet, he has been bound with ropes and she cuts them off of him. She obeys and almost immediately, Dragon can fly. eNotes Editorial. Give students time to reread and analyze their stories and fill in the results on Worksheet 2 as you circulate to answer questions and give assistance. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin is a middle grade fantasy fiction novel that takes inspiration from Chinese folklore and details the journey of a young girl, Minli, as she embarks on a hero's quest to improve her family's circumstances. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.2.d:Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. She is supposed to find the citys Guardian and ask for something called the borrowed line. She assumes that the Guardian is the king, so she leaves Dragon in the forest outside the city and goes in alone. Is your story really a narrative? You may use Worksheet 4: Narrative Rubric provided for both student self-assessment and your own final assessment. I think this story was okay but it was lacking adventure and it was hard to follow along. Minli is a strong-willed, young Chinese girl who lives in the Village of Fruitless Mountain. This beautiful book is bound to become a classic. The grandfather, A-Gong, gives Dragon medicine that doubles as tea. Part 2. Read more than you ever thought you wanted to know about the backstory of the book! What benefits did they get from the stories? Ma blames Ba, saying that his stories put foolish ideas in Minlis head. As they search, they come upon the goldfish man, who listens to their troubles and tells them his story. Fruitless Mountain Village. We walked down the hall and into the classroom. Using the borrowed line of text and the line of destiny, the adventurers stitch a kite that stretches into a bridge, and Minli goes on alone to meet the Old Man of the Moon. Tell students that they are going to read the book and keep a reading journal; explain how you would like them to proceed, i.e., how many pages or chapters to read and which journal questions to answer. Try to elicit the feelings about the life of Minlis village that these words convey. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. Word Count: 2124. The goldfish man asks a child in the street to direct him to Minlis house. These characters are the parents of the heroine. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a fantasy - adventure children's novel inspired by Chinese folklore. StoryboardThat is a trademark of Clever Prototypes, LLC, and Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Dragon realizes that this must be the borrowed line, so he tells them about Minli. The second date is today's Write the word challenge on the board and ask students to define it. This strikes Minli because The Old Man is what she thought, only a character from her father's stories. Frame Stories in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. They travel all through the night, searching. Have you explained how you felt when you had met the challenge? The questions focus exclusively on the frame story of Minlis travels, giving students first-hand experience with frame story analysis. Log in here. their work. Have students complete the worksheet. Determined to change her familys fortune, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, urged on by a talking goldfish who gives her clues to complete her journey. When the magistrate heard about this, he decided that the family must have been trying to trick him. I enjoyed every moment if this book and could not put it down!! In August 2015, Lin revealed that the film rights for the book had been bought. Characters included in the character map are: Minli Ma Ba Goldfish Man Dragon Buffalo Boy King Da-A-Fu A-Gong & Amah Green Tiger Rabbit Old Man of the Moon Copy Activity* After each assignment, review the journal questions in a class discussion or individual reading group discussions. One exceptionally effective way of conducting a critical discussion is by the Socratic seminar method which is increasingly popular. As an optional activity, they may make a bulletin board or wall display that shows the embedded stories within the frame of the main narrative. It turns out he is not a beggar at all, but the king in disguise. Give students a few minutes to survey the book and look at the pictures. The elder of the family gave up the secret readily. I went down to the cellar the other day. Lead a class discussion about the differences between the sentence on the board and the sentence in the novel. "Where The Mountain Meets The Moon,", Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature, Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present, Mythopoeic Awards: Acceptance Remarks 2010, "Wheelocks Mountain a vivid adaptation", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Where_the_Mountain_Meets_the_Moon&oldid=1135777303, This page was last edited on 26 January 2023, at 20:10. Back in their hut by Fruitless Mountain, Ma tells Ba a story. When she arrives to find the Old Man of the Moon, he offers her what seems to be a Spartan gift: she can only ask him a single question. Worksheet 2. In returning to Fruitless Mountain, Dragon also meets his mother, Jade Dragon. Minli's brave, clever, kind, and earnest character is utterly endearing. In the morning, she sneaks out of the house and releases the fish into the river. In the book, what were many suggestions about the word that was written on the paper the Magistrate wantedthe secret of happiness. Students reading the book will not only share the adventure, but will learn much about traditional values in Chinese culture. Choose a scene or background that makes sense for the character. Ba tells the first such story. The old man instructs her to remove a rock from Dragon's head, which has been preventing him from flying. The goldfish man says that Minli, too, may be able to change her fortune. It is about Jade Dragon, who used to be beloved by the people of the earth because she controlled the rain that made crops grow. What words bring it to life? He remembers a story he has recently heard about a family from the area giving a dragons pearl to the king of the City of Bright Moonlightwho responded by bestowing the familys whole town with generous gifts of seeds and equipment for farmers. She says they make Minli dream instead of focusing on the reality of the familys poor fortune. It was even better than I remembered! Reunited with her son, Jade Dragon transforms Fruitless Mountain into Fruitful Mountain, allowing it to grow again. Part 1. I definitely recommend this book! CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. Magistrate Tiger/Green Tiger. Remind them that to be a narrative, a story must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Grace went on a blog tour for her book. Click here for a PDF outlining an optional second activity. (Something that takes great physical or mental effort to do successfully) Show students photos of types of challenges (see Preparation and Resources) and discuss the types of challenges shown. For example: Teachers may opt for their own method of discussion. Amazed, Ma observes that the fortunes of the family have changed. If you read Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, you wouldn't be disappointed because it is an incredible book. Each figure tied to the next with the fine red thread of fate. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon begins with a description of a small girl, Minli, and her parents, who live in a poor village at the base of Fruitless Mountain. Tell students that before they write the story, they are going to practice the skill of using vivid language. Already a member? I cannot say enough good things about this book. Explain what you mean by each value and show how it is illustrated in one of the embedded folk tales. After learning about the concept of the frame story, pairs of students take one of the folktales to analyze and then illustrate a key scene from it. Ba explains that the mountain will remain fruitless until Jade Dragon is reunited with one of her children. Create a character map of the characters in the story. Perhapsyou need to trust her, the goldfish man says. I loved Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. 3. WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON is a fantasy-fiction story where Chinese Folklore is engraved throughout the story. Write the definition of a frame story on the board (a main story which has other stories contained within it) and have them copy the definition in their notebooks. Within the portal, all users can view and copy all storyboards. Finally, see if students can come up with a vivid verb to replace was: sat, clung, perched, etc. The performance starred Caroline Workman as Minli, Michael Tow as Storyteller/ Minli's Ba, and was directed by Jane Staab. (For example: ReadWriteThink's, Each student should have a notebook or composition book with a dedicated section for. Have students read the second paragraph. Which characters in the book prove to be true friends? An editor This brings enormous wealth to Minlis village which alters her familys fortune dramatically. Did they show the same qualities that she did in her quest, or did they use different qualities to meet the challenge? Have students explain how they grew or changed because of this experience. If preparing a "Gallery" for the Optional Day 2. Near a mountain region. This book is great, I recommend if you want great light reading. She's dutiful, empathetic, curious, and resourceful. Because of what seemed like a personal sacrifice in favor of helping a friend, Minli and her family receive all they ever hoped for and more. After a brief discussion of types of challengesphysical, emotional, economic, etc.students read the entire book, focusing on the main narrative. That is, does it have a beginning, a middle, and an end? The Question and Answer section for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a great size). Symbols & Motifs. These characters are the parents of the heroine. I really think you should read it! While Minli has this adventure, Dragon waits outside the city. Explain to students that they have been working mostly with the story of Minli and her quest, and that now they are going to look at the other stories that are woven into the main story. However, she is still not sure if the film will be made or if it will not be made. Dragon cannot fly. (If the class has already studied the concept, teachers may want to point out that this is an excellent example of a. She realizes that she cannot ask Dragons questionunless she chooses not to ask her own. Also, she is full of bitterness and resentment due to their poverty. Grace Lin, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Despite her mother's disapproval of stories and dreaming, Minli gathers her courage, her resourcefulness, and her openness to new people and places, to take a remarkable journey to accomplish the impossible. Why did Ma change from being envious of other peoples wealth to being content? Numerous collections of Chinese folktales can also be accessed through the library. Grace Lin introduces Minli, the main character well, as a girl who wants to change their fortune when her mom repeatedly talks about how poor they are. How can students use Where the Mountain Meets the Moon as a mentor text to write a personal narrative with vivid language? Select colors and a pose appropriate to story and character traits. A battle between the Green Tiger and Dragon ensues, and Dragon is mortally wounded. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous Minli Minli (her name means "quick thinking") is the main character. While Lin tells the tale of the courageous Minli, she also imbeds other story vignettes that weave together and connect in complicated ways. The twins explain that their village's name is due to raining seeds that fall from the moon every night, allowing flowering trees to bloom there. Together they fly home to Minli's village. Most of the information of the notes is correct. Illustrate this character3. How important are stories in your life? Most of the sections of the character map were at least attempted and work is presentable. He says they bring good fortune, so Minli buys one using one of only two copper coins she owns. The objective of her quest is to find the Old Man of the Moon who possesses the power to change a persons fortune. At the top of the bridge, Minli finds the Old Man of the Moon sitting in the center of a large room full of small clay figures. The second is the date of I read it when I was around 7, and I thought it is AWESOME! While some may say there are too many pages, I think the amount of pages doesn't matter anyways, although I like the amount, and reading more pages is a great challenge. It must have at least one character, a setting, and a plot or series of events that occur. The author of where the Mountain Meets the moon is Grace Lin. Lin has fleshed out this . No one else can view anything. It is not too scary. Even so, Minli is a happy and vibrant child who eagerly listens as her father, whom she calls Ba, tells stories every night. In a poignant essay entitled Why Couldnt Snow White Be Chinese? Lin discusses her sense of otherness and states that as a child, she found her dual identity to be a burden. As a pre-activity, ask students to list the challenges Minli had to face (for example: living in poverty; being threatened by the monkeys; overcoming her fear to climb the bridge of string). Have students read with the method and at the pace you find best for your class. Distribute copies of Worksheet 2. During her journey, she comes across many challenges. Every day, the family works in the mud growing rice. Dragon also reveals that he was born from a painting and came to life when his eyes were painted. (From a Christian perspective, it also had a surprising theme of providence in it.) Before students begin their draft remind them in the real world it is not a good idea for children to leave home to confront evil and danger. young girlflowing black haircaringadventurousgenerous. Ask them to tell the groups how they felt after dealing with this challenge. He planned on doing whatever he could to marry his son to a member of the Imperial Family. You can find this storyboard in the following articles and resources: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon characters in a Character Map. She accomplishes her tasks, undertaken with the help of a talking dragon, by showing generosity, courage and integrity. He resolved to kill them for this impertinence, but when he and his army arrived at their house, they had mysteriously disappeared. When her parents find out she is gone, they try to look for her, but are stopped by the goldfish seller, who tells them to trust Minli. Work on the first sentence together. Chinese Lesson (write the Chinese characters for mountain and moon) Assess the second copy of Worksheet 2 for completeness, accuracy in recalling details of the story, and mechanics of writing. 2. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. Ma sits down at Bas feet and says that it is not his fault Minli left, but hers. Minli wishes to change her family's fortune but realizes over time that her discontent is the major factor causing her to lament her family's fortune.