Confucius: The Golden Rule by Russell Freedman; Frédéric Clément, ill. New York: Scholastic Press, 2002. ISBN: 0-439-13957-0
This text-heavy biographical account of the life of Confucius puts his life and philosophies into context with regard to the social and political climate of ancient China.
Media: paint, multimedia
Rating: 4Q/2P
Literary device utilized: sophisticated language
Example: “They stood by the philosopher’s bedside like the retainers he would have had if he had realized his ambition to be a high official, and they began to sway and moan.”
Curricular connection: Social/Religious studies, middle school level
submitted July 2009 by Josh Mitchell
Confucius: The golden rule, by Russell Freedman and Frederic Clement, ill. New York: Scholastic, 2002.
TOP TEN
ISBN: 978-0439139571
Annotation: A fascinating look at the great philosopher’s life, examining what the few known facts are about him, as well as discussing the legends and rumors; very informative about China’s history and culture.
Curricular Use: 8th-12th grades; World Culture, History
Illustrations: watercolor; plant materials
4Q/4P
DM 6/20/09
Freedman, R. (2002). Confucius: the golden rule. Illustrated by Frederic Clement. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.
Faux-antique, Asian-inspired paintings in golden tones with overlays of fruit and other items
ISBN-13: 978-0-439-13957-1
This well-researched biography which lead author Freedman to Confucius’ tomb portrays Confucius as a man ahead of his time whose ideas and influence continue to make their mark today. Interspersed with quotations from The Analects of Confucius, the book in which the students of Confucius have chronicled his teachings, Freedman demonstrates the compassion, intelligence, and religious and political activism that shaped Confucius’ life and the life of his followers.
Pair with Ed Young’s I Doko: The Tale of a Basket
Curricular connection: Chinese history/culture and/or figurative language/ Grade 6 and 7 History-Social Science
Subject: Chinese philosophy
Theme: One must have the courage of one’s convictions, even if one is ahead of the times.
Categories: Non-fiction 181
Age Level Recommendation: Middle School
Rating: 5Q/3P
AAS 5-3-08
Lesson Plan: Guiding Principles (AAS 5-4-08)
Objectives: To analyze the meaning of a saying and apply it appropriately to a personal event or action.
Additional objectives can be added based on grade-appropriate standards.
Grade Range: 5th - 8th (but adaptable to higher grades)
Standards: Adaptable to a variety of History-Social Science and Language Arts Content Standards depending on the grade level of the students – see suggestions below.
English-Language Arts Content Standards – California
Grade 5 ELA/Reading 1.5 Understand and explain the figurative and metaphorical use of words in context.
Grade 5 ELA/Writing 2.2 Write responses to literature: a. Demonstrate an understanding of a literary work. b. Support judgments through references to the text and to prior knowledge. c. Develop interpretations that exhibit careful reading and understanding.
Grade 6 ELA/Reading 1.2 Identify and interpret figurative language and words with multiple meanings. 3.7 Explain the effects of common literary devices (e.g., symbolism, imagery, metaphor) in a variety of fictional and nonfictional texts.
Grade 6 ELA/Writing 2.4 Write responses to literature: a. Develop an interpretation exhibiting careful reading, understanding, and insight. b. Organize the interpretation around several clear ideas, premises, or images. c. Develop and justify the interpretation through sustained use of examples and textual evidence.
Grade 7 ELA/Reading 1.1 Identify idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes in prose and poetry.3.4 Identify and analyze recurring themes across works (e.g., the value of bravery, loyalty, and friendship; the effects of loneliness).
Grade 7 ELA/Writing 2.2 Write responses to literature:
Grade 8 ELA/Reading 1.1 Analyze idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes to infer the literal and figurative meanings of phrases. 3.6 Identify significant literary devices (e.g., metaphor, symbolism, dialect, irony) that define a writer's style and use those elements to interpret the work.
Grade 8 ELA/Writing 2.2 Write responses to literature:
History-Social Science Content Standards – California
Grade 5.5.4 Describe the views, lives, and impact of key individuals during this period (e.g., King George III, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams).
Grade 6 6.6.3 Know about the life of Confucius and the fundamental teachings of Confucianism and Taoism.
Grade 7 7.3.3 Analyze the influences of Confucianism and changes in Confucian thought during the Sung and Mongol periods.
Grade 8 8.1.4 Describe the nation's blend of civic republicanism, classical liberal principles, and English parliamentary traditions. 8.4.4 Discuss daily life, including traditions in art, music, and literature, of early national America (e.g., through writings by Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper).
Picture Books:
So Said Ben! Sayings by Benjamin Franklin, drawings by Michael McCurdy (Creative Editions, 2007)
Confucius: The Golden Rule by Russell Freedman, illustrated by Frederic Clement (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2002)
Also see: The Analects (Confucius) and Poor Richard’s Almanack (Benjamin Franklin)
Put the following sayings on 4X6 lined cards.
Benjamin Franklin said . . .
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a. To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals.
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b. He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.
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c. They that won’t be counseled can’t be helped.
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d. Every man thinks his own geese swans.
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e. A lie stands on one leg, the truth on two.
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f. Little strokes fell great oaks.
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g. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
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h. A penny saved is a penny earned.
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i. The doors of wisdom are never shut.
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j. Speak little, do much.
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k. Tart words make no friends: a spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar.
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l. He who falls in love with himself will have no rivals.
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m. If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.
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n. Never leave that till tomorrow that you can do today.
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o. Remember that time is money.
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p. There never was a good war or a bad peace.
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q. We must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately.
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a-m taken from So Said Ben – n- q taken from Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations at http://www.bartleby.com/100/245.html
Confucius said . . .
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1. Don’t worry when people fail to recognize your merits.
Worry when you fail to recognize theirs.
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2. If you study the past and use it to understand the present, then you’re worthy to be a teacher.
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3. When you meet a worthy person, seek to become his equal.
When you meet a fool, look within and examine yourself.
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4. Always keep in mind the age of your parents.
Let this thought be, on one hand, a source of joy, on the other, of anxiety.
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5. An exemplary person should be slow to speak yet quick to act.
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6. Virtuous people are never lonely. They always attract neighbors.
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7. I wish the old man may enjoy peace, friends may enjoy trust, and the young may enjoy affection.
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8. To truly love something is better than simply to understand it, and to rejoice in it is better than simply to love it.
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9. To study quietly, to remain always hungry for knowledge, to teach others without growing weary – all this comes to me naturally.
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10. Even though you have only coarse rice to eat, plain water to drink, and your bent arm for a pillow, you may still rejoice. For me, wealth and renown gained without honor are nothing but drifting clouds.
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11. I am fortunate indeed. Whenever I make a mistake, there is always someone to notice it.
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12. Do you want to know what knowledge is? When you know something, recognize that you know it, and when you don’t know something, recognize that you don’t know it. That’s knowledge.
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13. Above all, be loyal to others and trustworthy in what you say.
Befriend only those who are kindred spirits.
And when you are wrong, don’t be afraid to change.
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14. A powerful army can be robbed of its commander-in-chief, but even the humblest people cannot be robbed of their free will.
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15. Don’t try to rush things, and don’t think about small gains.
If you are impatient, you may never reach your goal.
If you pursue petty gains, you’ll never achieve great things..
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16. A humane person is always courageous, but a courageous person is not necessarily humane.
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17. A promise easily made is hard to keep.
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18. In any matter, if you don’t think far into the future, trouble will be close at hand.
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19. Demand much from yourself, little from others, and you will avoid resentment.
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20. In the pursuit of virtue, don’t be afraid to overtake your teacher.
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21. Human beings are similar by nature. It’s the experience of living that makes us so different.
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22. Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself.
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23. Look closely into his aims, observe the means by which he pursues them, discover what brings him content - and can the man's real worth remain hidden from you?
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All quotations from the endpapers of Confucius: The Golden Rule except 22 and 23 found at http://www.san.beck.org/CONFUCIUS4-What.html
Anticipatory Set:
Do your parents or grandparents use any favorite sayings when they give you advice? (Take answers if offered.) For example, some parents say “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” Does anyone know what that means? (Even the nicest words in the world can be meant as something mean if they are said with a “mean” voice or intent. – Note: This also relates to Ben’s saying k.)
Continue to elicit common sayings and record on a two-column chart – saying on one side, meaning on the opposite side. These could also be recorded on an overhead projector.
Examples: A fool and his money are soon parted.
Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.
Walls have ears.
Experience is the best teacher. (Confucius #21)
As you sow, so shall you reap. (Confucius #22)
The early bird catches the worm. (Ben g)
First think, and then speak.
When the cat is away, the mice will play.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
A house divided against itself cannot stand.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Teaching:
1.“We are going to be learning the meanings of some popular sayings from Benjamin Franklin and/or Confucius. Whether they are called “sayings,” “proverbs,” or “principles,” the intent is the same. These are wise suggestions to help us decide what choices to make in life. They can also be called ‘guiding principles’ to live your life by.”
Over the course of one or more days, read aloud So Said Ben and/or Confucius to give students a good understanding of the purpose and meaning of popular proverbs, as well as insight into their lives. Encourage discussion. As each new saying is explained, add it to a two-column chart (one for Ben and one for Confucius) and have a student write the meaning on the back of the appropriate 4X6 card. Discuss enough sayings so that each student must write at least one card. Once the teacher double-checks the meaning the student has written, the student can add the meaning to the chart in the appropriate row.
Note: Share specific content standards with students and tailor specifics of the lesson to the grade-appropriate standards, especially if incorporating more of the history-social science standards.
2. As the number of sayings on the 3 charts (Franklin, Confucius, and common sayings) begins to grow, offer sample behaviors/events and ask students to “think-pair-share” which saying from the chart best matches the scenario.
Sample scenarios:
►The young student kept reading the assignment the teacher had handed out. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t figure out some of the problems. Her teacher always said, “If you need extra help. I’m always here in my classroom after school. Feel free to drop in any time and ask questions.” Instead of worrying over what was confusing her, the student went and got an excellent explanation from the teacher after school. (Confucius #12)
►There once was a young woman who went off to high school full of confidence and excitement. Classes went well. She joined many clubs and seemed to have a lot of fun. However, she monopolized every conversation with how great her life was and how popular she was, and, as a result, no guys wanted to ask her out. Thus, in reality, she was very lonely. (Ben-l)
►A man went to the doctor recently feeling tired and sluggish. He got winded just climbing one flight of stairs. He wasn’t sleeping well at night and had gained 10 pounds since his last visit. The doctor advised him to eat moderately and get exercise three times a week. (Ben-a)
►On Monday the teacher tells the class that there is a big test in two weeks covering all the material learned in the whole semester. There are 10 chapters in the book. He advises reviewing 1 chapter each night for 10 days to be prepared for the test. One student does as advised and gets an “A.” A second student waits until the day before the test, crams for the test all night, and gets a “D.” (Ben –n and Confucius #18)
►A teenager had lots of friends living on his block; friends that he had grown up with. When they got to high school, not all of them fared very well. Some got in with the wrong crowd and were regularly getting into trouble because they were choosing new friends that had bad habits like skipping school and smoking behind the gym. The teenager and some of his neighborhood friends did well, they made friends with students who were respectful to teachers, completed homework, and joined a club that volunteered at the local animal shelter. Those students who succeeded made a conscious choice not to be like certain kids. (Confucius #3 or Ben-b)
3. When the 3 charts are full, assign the students a quick homework assignment – to ask family and friends for their favorite sayings and what they mean. Bring that back to class to share. Any new sayings are recorded on 4X6 cards (saying on front – explanation on back) and added to the third chart in the same manner as before. By random draw, the teacher has several students share the sayings they brought from home.
4. The teacher keeps the 3 charts posted and adds all the 4X6 cards to one deck and shuffles. (Scaffold if you anticipate that many students will have difficulty with the assignment – make sure that there are many choices of simpler, easy-to-understand sayings that translate well to personal experience.) The deck should total at least 50 cards. Students each choose one card/saying (there should be extra cards so if a student has difficulty matching a personal experience to the saying, he/she can trade). The assignment, then, is for each student to write a paragraph or two describing a personal connection to the saying – a choice, a moment, an event, or a situation that happened to them and which relates to the advice in the saying. The student’s actions with regard to the event or situation could have followed the advice of the saying or not followed the advice of the saying, it just has to relate to the saying.
Example: “One summer when I was 10 a new boy moved into the neighborhood from a big city. He talked about all the mischief he got into where he used to live. Most of the neighborhood kids didn’t get along with him, but I thought he was cool because he said his brother was a pro basketball player and he could get us some tickets. He rode his bike too fast on the sidewalk and scared some of the little kids. One day we walked to the corner store to pick up two packages of bacon for my mother. Instead of letting me pay for the bacon with the money my mom gave me, he hid a package under his shirt and wanted me to do the same. I didn’t want to do it so I ran home. I gave my mom the money back and said I forgot to get the bacon. Later, he said I was a ‘sissy’ for not stealing the bacon and that we could have gone to the movies with the money we would have saved. I felt very guilty for lying to my mom about forgetting the bacon.” (Ben-b or Confucius #3)
5. The teacher roams the room while students write a rough draft, monitoring the work and offering assistance to those in need. The rough drafts and 4X6 cards are collected together and reviewed before the next class. Students who still need assistance will conference with the teacher at the next class meeting to polish up rough drafts.
Coaching for students having difficulty – “Don’t think about the exact wording of the original saying when you are trying to think of your personal connection – think of what the saying means. Example: “’A promise easily made is hard to keep.’ Think about a time when you made a promise without thinking about it and what you would have to do to keep the promise. Think about how hard it is to keep some promises, especially if you make a promise in the heat of the moment.”
6. The final drafts of the assignment are completed. If a student gives the teacher permission to share the paragraph(s), it is copied on to a lined, colored 4X6 card. Hopefully, at least half of the students’ paragraphs can be used. If multiple classes are taught the same lesson, assignment paragraphs from other classes can be used to have enough for the final activity.
7. Copies of the shared paragraphs are distributed. Available posted around the room are the sayings that match the situations in the paragraphs. (For best results, make the match one-to-one.) Singly or in pairs, students read an assignment paragraph written by another student and decide to which saying it matches. When the student(s) provide the rationale as to why the match is appropriate and the teacher confirms, the saying is taken down. This continues until all assignment paragraphs and sayings are matched.
8. The teacher asks for volunteers to share the matches they made, including the rationale as to why the match works.
9. Step 7 can be repeated several times with students being given different assignment paragraphs each time.
Optional: Have students compose additional paragraphs involving made-up scenarios or scenarios which happened on television or to book characters.
Optional: Compare and contrast the two or more sets of sayings. Match pairs of sayings for which an argument could be made that they have similar intent – 5j, 9i, 21i, and 22k. This can be taken further by collecting additional sets of sayings to compare and contrast.
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