Three Weddings on the Silk Road

Integrated Skills Lesson Plan

Overview:  Students read about three ethnic groups located in present-day China, watch video clips of their weddings and compare and contrast two of the ceremonies orally and/or in writing.

Timing:  Much, most or all of a 100-minute period.

Materials: Three video clips, three handouts, a page of questions based on the handouts, answers to those questions, a compare/contrast outline, a folder of maps

Prep:  Photocopy a class set of the handouts about the ethnic groups (one page each).  These can be reused in future classes provided students do not write on them.  Optionally, make copies of the compare/contrast outline.  

N.b. These video files will open (with audio) in VLC media player

Suggested use:

1. Introduce the topic of the Silk Road, perhaps by eliciting what students know.  Level 5 Science students may have done a listening/speaking unit based on the topic.  There is a map of the route (much simplified) in the map folder.

2. There are three questions about each group – add more if desired.  Dictate the questions about the Tajik people.  Display the questions for students to check.  Distribute the Tajik handout.  Check answers when students have finished.

3. Tell students they will see a short clip of a Tajik wedding filmed in China about 30 years ago.  They should attend carefully.  After the clip they will work in groups to share and record their observations.  Explain that they will be watching three clips altogether and will be asked to compare and contrast two of them – they should observe and make notes with this objective in mind.

4. Play the first clip.

5. Put students in groups to share and record observations.

6. Repeat above, beginning with dictation of questions about the Uyghur people and continuing with the handout and video.  Repeat for the Kazakh people.  Volunteer students might dictate the second and third sets of questions.

7. Students work in their groups to prepare an oral presentation and/or write a compare/contrast essay.  Distribute or display the compare/contrast outline if students need scaffolding.

8. Listen to oral reports as a class and/or peer check essays.

Notes on the video clips:

The clips are from a joint Chinese/Japanese production made some 30 years ago.  See the separate Word document for more complete information.  The length of each clip, as well as its location in the original full length video, is given below.

1. Tajik people

The Silk Road 12:  Two Roads to the Pamirs

38:45 – 45:15 = 6min30sec

Tajik village wedding, 80k from Tashkurgan

2. Uyghur people

The Silk Road 10:  Journey into Music

36:35 – 40:05 = 3min30sec

Uygur wedding, Kucha

3. Kazakh people

The Silk Road 11:  Where Horses Fly Like the Wind

26:50 – 32:00 = 5min10sec

Kazakh wedding at Nuki (?) in the Tian Shan Mountains, near Hami