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Classroom Guide for
Vanishing Cultures: Mongolia

by Jan Reynolds

Far North

Vocabulary
Have students write the following headings on their papers to make a three-column chart: I Know the Word, I Have Seen or Heard the Word Before, I Am Unfamiliar With the Word.

Then introduce the following words from the book and tell students to list each word under the heading that fits their knowledge of the word. Students may also add other words from the story to their charts. Have volunteers use a dictionary and context from the book to define each word.

cluster    portable    extended family         frisky
dusk dung site fermented


After Reading
Discussion Questions
Use these or similar questions to generate discussion and deepen/extend understanding. Encourage students to refer back to the text and photographs to support their responses.

  1. Why are horses important to the people of Mongolia?
  2. How do Dawa and Olana’s family get fuel?
  3. Why do the people of Mongolia move so often?
  4. Why do you think Dawa and Olana don’t have many possessions?
  5. What are some problems you think the people of Mongolia might face?

Writing Activities
You may wish to assign one or more of these activities for students to complete. Set aside time for them to share and present their work.

  1. Imagine that you are spending a week with Dawa and Olana. Write a postcard to a friend back home describing your visit.
  2. Write a list of questions you would like to ask the author/photographer about Mongolia, or about her work in general.
  3. Imagine you are going to host a large Mongolian celebration. Design an invitation to the event. Mention what guests will do, see, and eat at the celebration.

Interdisciplinary Activities
You may wish to use some of the following activities to help students integrate their reading experiences with other curriculum areas.

Social Studies
  1. Draw attention to the map of Mongolia in the book and have students identify the countries it lies between. On what continent is Mongolia? Point out that this is a mountainous, landlocked nation. Have students consult a political map of Mongolia and find out the following: capital city, desert area, mountain ranges.
  2. Tell students that a famous leader, Genghis Khan, united groups of Mongols in the 1200s. Have students research Genghis Khan and how he extended the Mongol Empire.


Health and Nutrition
A favorite food of the Mongolians is yogurt. Have students find out how yogurt is made. Bring in a variety of commercially produced yogurts (all the same flavor) and have students compare the ingredients. Which ingredients are probably not in the yogurt Olana’s mother makes? Students may also wish to do a taste comparison and speculate about the reasons why the yogurts don’t all taste the same.

Vanishing Cultures Classroom Guide
Next Section: Sahara


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