Grade 3
Workshop 1: January 13, 2011
Workshop 2: January 18, 2011
Workshop 3: February 2, 2011
Behind the Book did an illustrated book program with Ms. Kyla Gay’s 3rd grade students at P.S.
46 in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The students were studying China, so author/illustrator Kam Mak was chosen to do a program featuring his book, My Chinatown: One Year in Poems. His visits provided a unique opportunity for students to ask questions about China.
Mr. Mak read his book aloud to the students and then took questions about his experience
growing up as an immigrant in New York City. He explained how he used his life as an inspiration for his art and writing. He discussed Chinese culture and brought a life-size Lion puppet to show the students.
On his second visit, Mr. Mak led the class on a walking trip through Chinatown, showing the
actual location of places illustrated in his book. The class also visited the Museum of Chinese in America and learned how to write several words in Chinese.
The program culminated in the class writing poems about their neighborhood and illustrating
them as postage stamps with Mr. Mak’s guidance. Mr. Mak also gave the students Chinese fingertraps, and a Chinese board game that he played as a child.
