Well it's been a snowy week here in Portland--quite a bit more than we're used to, actually, and I've had a lot of extra time to catch up on some reading. I'll be posting collections of articles over the next week or two. But in the mean time, I thought I'd share a couple of snapshots of my snow-covered neighborhood. (Today's article follows.)
Topic:
This article is about two pandas who are experiencing
culture shock after being moved to China from their birthplace in the United
States.
Before reading:
General Knowledge:
- Can you find the country of China on a map? How about the city of Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States?
- What is culture shock? When does it happen, and why?
Speculate:
- In what ways might animals be affected by the "culture" of the humans around them? What are the biggest changes that the two pandas in this article might be experiencing?
Click on the embedded link below to read the article and see
photos on the NPR website. Word count: 642.
After reading:
Review and discuss:
- Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
- The article mentions a "panda diplomacy" program. What could this phrase mean? Why might pandas have been chosen for this role?
- The author contrasts the terms "natural home" with "cultural home". What does each phrase mean in this context?
- Why is it important that the author also mentions pets in this article? Do you think that culture shock for a dog, for example, would be different than culture shock for a panda in a zoo? Explain your answer.
- In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?
Reflect and evaluate:
- The writer compares her own experience with culture shock to the pandas' experience. In your opinion, what are some other experiences or emotions that humans and animals might share? In what ways are humans and animals different? Give examples.
- Consider the author's explanation of the term "Mother Culture": "as we grow up, we're so steeped in the ways that things happen around us, we barely even notice how right they feel until we're confronted with (even shocked by) an alternative way of doing things". Have you ever experienced this? What emotions did you feel? What did you learn from the experience?
- Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
- What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.
Beyond the page:
- Learn more about pandas: National Geographic: Giant Panda
Join the conversation: add your thoughts about this article
in the comments section below. And don't forget to share this post with your
friends!
