Are you planning to take advantage of the interest in Disney's new movie, Mulan, to create a China based curriculum unit? Here are some links to help you get started! Then, I'll tell you what to do with all those links, and give you some ideas for creating a thematic unit.

ABOUT CHINA:

Empires Beyond the Great Wall In the movie, Mulan meets up with Genghis Khan. I've read this was not true. Still, here's a site to help you prepare a lesson on him. It's from the Royal British Columbia Museum, and has lots of great links to help you plan.

Another China Links Page A long list of links to help you learn about China.

Lesson Plans on ChinaThis is very extensive. It refers to a workbook, but all the materials seem to be on-line. There are printable reading pages and extensive planned lessons.

WOMEN WARRIORS:

The Woman's Civil War Mike Swogger, Suite101.com's Civil War editor has an article on women in the Civil War. Mulan wasn't the only woman to disguise herself as a man in order to go to war. Try learning about other women who have done this.

Civil War Women This site is out of Duke University.

Deborah Sampson She disguised herself as a man to fight in the Revolutionary War.

DISNEY INFORMATION:

Forgotten Disney A just-for-fun site on past Disney rides, rides that haven't happened yet and so on.

Walt Disney: A Tribute to the Man With the Mouse. a biography of Walt Disney

Disney's Unholy War on African Americans and Muslims Not everyone loves Disney. Check out this article for ideas on creating a unit to help children look for stereotypes or negative portrayals of minorities.

Disney Environmental Story Disney's stand on environmental issues in their own words. I'm still trying to find an on-line article of the environmental concerns others have about Disney-we must have balance.

My anti-Disney PageThe colors are enough to give you a headache, but there are lists of concerns many people have about Disney. Follow the links and decide if you want to create a research unit around these concerns. I'll show you how in the last portion of this article.

ABOUT MULAN:

Rather than recopy all the links here, I am sending you to the article I wrote about Mulan. It tells the traditional tale, and includes links to a variety of sites, including one that shows you the poem written in Chinese. I wrote the article for adults, so check the links out yourself-as you always should. The Real Mulan

How you approach this unit will probably depend on the ages of your children. The younger they are, the more basic you will need to be. For young children, stories, basic geography and simple concepts are best. Mulan: Start by telling the legend of Mulan. There are excellent books available that were not put out by Mulan, but you may have to look to find them. My article can be used if you don't find the book you want. Then watch the movie. (If this is out on video when you do this, you will be able to turn to the video often to study various aspects.) Find out what Disney changed or added. Remember that this story is believed to be true, but it has become a legend, so stories change as they are told and retold. Use this site to find other folktale links. Folktale Links You will especially enjoy following the link to the Cinderella Project, which exams Cinderella stories from around the world. Notice how stories change over the years and throughout the world. An example would be the story of George Washington and the cherry tree. It never happened. (Sorry!) The article I linked to on the words "cherry tree" will take you to an article on how this story got started. This makes an interesting side unit.

What all this teaches: First, you are covering literature. The Ballad of Mulan is a poem, which you will find linked in my Suite101.com article. Then you are doing a compare and contrast project by comparing the movie to the poem. You are also studying folktales. You are learning to evaluate information for truth. You are getting in some history, social studies and geography. Activities: Compare the versions of Cinderella. What elements are the same? What elements are different? Could the culture of the countries have affected the versions told? You might want to watch the old Disney cartoon of Cinderella, the old musical version they did, and the most recent musical with Brandy. How are they the same? What changed? How did the times in which they were produced force them to make changes? (Notice the newest Cinderella's wish list for a husband, and the way she chooses to leave even before the prince finds her. Also note what the fairy godmother told her about those slippers and fancy clothes.)

Make a Mulan book of your own.

Research folktales of your country, and make up new ones. Learn to tell some, or do them as plays or puppet shows.

China: Follow the links on China. Learn the history, culture and literature. Learn how Mulan is viewed by Chinese women. (I have a link somewhere in my Suite101.com article.) Read books about China. Make Chinese crafts. Toss in a unit on dragons, or fireworks. Eat Chinese food. Visit a China town if you have one nearby. Have older children study how China became a Communist country. When I was in high school, I took a class on the subject of revolutions and why they happened. Our teacher had been a missionary's child in China when the revolution occured, and tried to help us really see what had happened. We didn't understand why the peasants helped the Communists. We were divided into groups, some playing the Communists, some playing those defending China, and some playing peasants. We were given material to study, and then acted out the situation, with each side trying to convert the peasants, using the words and ideas really used then. When we were finished, we understood. Freedom and tradition meant nothing when you were hungry. The Communist argument had been, "Support us and we will give you food and clothing. We will take good care of your children." They were poor and hungry, and therefore, were practical. The link I have above on lesson plans on China covers this very well. Have your children read "Homesick: My Own Country" by Jean Fritz. (You can buy it in my bookstore or get it at the library.) She was in China as a missionary child at the time of the revolution. She also has a sequel telling about her return to China as an adult.

Other women soldiers: This leads you to all sorts of women. Find out who they were and why they fought. Learn about women in today's military, who do not have to disguise themselves.

Disney: If you like a little controversy in your curriculum (I thrive on it to prevent boredom and build thinkers), do a unit on Disney for older children. I have real challenges where Disney is concerned. I love the theme parks. I love the movies even when I know I shouldn't. I collect Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickeys. At the same time, I get frustrated. I find myself having to explain Disney's problems with women and minorities. I know they are bad for the environment and don't always behave admirably. Let the children do some reseach, and make their own decisions. One place to start is with those charming cartoons. Let's take a look at a few:

Beauty and the Beast: My first gripe is the way they messed with the story. When we saw this, we researched a dozen versions of the tale, and found one we really loved. Try finding some of your own. Then, I couldn't help but notice that she marries her kidnapper! That's hardly good role modeling.

Pocohontus: We've all heard the complaints about this one. They changed the history. On the other hand, the story may never have really happened at all, so maybe it doesn't matter.

Aladdin: In the original movie, all the bad guys had accents. The good guys, though of the same nationality, spoke like Americans. Why is this a problem? If you were an Arabian child with an accent, how would this make you feel?

This is a good time to talk about the power of the media. Does it matter if people are portrayed accurately in movies? What about Disney's habit of giving women no goal other than marriage? Mulan was praised for having a woman who wasn't built like a Barbie doll, had brains and courage, and had a more important goal than getting married. (That's not to say that marriage is unimportant. It's just that it is nice if girls have other interests too.)

The movie leaves a lot of room for expansion. Literature, history and thinking skills fit easily into this unit. Chinese culture is responsible for many inventions, so science is easily included. There are many opportunities for writing in this unit as well. Have fun!