SUGGESTED PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

1.Locate China on a global or world map. Using the map of China provided with this guide, locate place where relatives may have lived or places that have been in the news, magazines or other materials. What other countries are as large as China in land size? (Canada and the United States.) Does any other country have a large population? (No. China's population is over one billion.) Have the students notice which other countries are near China: Japan, Korea, Russia, Mongolia, India, etc.

2.Play some Chinese or oriental music. Then play some Western music. (Try children's songs, classical music. (The object is to try to verbalize differences between Western and Eastern styles of music.)

3.Using the materials provided , discuss the history of China music and the kinds of Chinese musical instruments.

4.Color pictures of Chinese musical instruments. (Picture enclosed.) Add the correct number of strings using colorful yearn (punch holes in each end of the instrument and knot the yearn to anchor the "strings".) Hide the name of the instrument then play" flashcards," seeing who can name the instrument by looking at the picture. You can also show how to hold the instrument properly (for example, among wind instrument the xiao is held vertically down from the lips, but the di-zi is held horizontally out from the lips). See who is playing what, and if they're doing it right!