This is the first of four lessons from the unit Hmong Family Practices and Values.

Complete mini unit for Hmong Family Practices and Values:

• Hmong Family Practices and Values - Intro 
• Hmong Family Practices and Values - Birth  
• Hmong Family Practices and Values - Marriages  
• Hmong Family Practices and Values - Death and Funeral Rituals 

1. Cultural Energizer: 
   1. Think about your family, what are some things you enjoy doing as a family?
      1. Students share with a partner (take two to five minutes).
      2. Have student volunteers share with the whole class.
   2. Now, think of your family’s practices:
      1. Does your family do anything to welcome a new baby, a new individual to the family, or the death of a family member?
         1. Teacher shares some of their family practices
         2. Have student volunteers share with the whole class

2. First interaction with text:
   1. Hand out copies of the article: What is the Hmong Soul by Michelle Xiong (22, 23, 26, 28, 30)  https://ucdavis.box.com/s/7ebuavd068tgs6o9ouvbszb5pkwub2um. 
   2. Teachers can choose to read aloud for class or popcorn read together. For the first read, have students underline, highlight, or place question marks around unfamiliar words, wonderings, or main ideas. 
   3. Have students share their annotations with a peer, then with the whole class. Teachers should help clarify unfamiliar words or details.

3. Second interaction with text:
   1. Have students reread and answer questions with a partner.
   2. Student pairs should answer the following questions based on the second read of the text.
      1. Who is the author?
      2. What is her relationship with the rituals she is talking about?
      3. What does it reveal about her family?
   3. Allow time for students to write their answers to the previous questions.
   4. Once completed, have a whole class discussion about the students' answers.
      1. Extension question to pose to the class: How does the author feel at the beginning of the article and how does the author feel at the end of the article?

4. Third interaction with text:
   1. Have students discuss with a partner one of the following lesson questions:
      1. What do Hmong practices tell us about what is important in Hmong family and society?
      2. What does it tell us about Hmong values around family and gender roles? 
      3. How do beliefs and practices help us understand Hmong beliefs about life, death, and the birthing process?

5. Closure or Exit Ticket: Write down at least one question that you had from reading the article.
   1. As teachers read and gather tickets, sort them into categories and use any questions about birth, marriage, or death as a connector for lessons.
   2. Teacher can move on to the connecting lessons: Hmong Family Practices and Values - Birth, Hmong Family Practices and Values - Marriages, Hmong Family Practices and Values - Death and Funeral Rituals 

6. (Optional) Culminating Assessment
   •  If teachers plan to teach the connecting lessons (Hmong Family Practices and Values - Intro, Hmong Family Practices and Values - Birth, Hmong Family Practices and Values - Marriages, Hmong Family Practices and Values - Death and Funeral Rituals), the (optional) Culminating Assessment is as follows: 
   • My Family Practices Presentation: Students will choose one of the following life events (birth, marriage, death, and funeral rituals), and create a poster that shows their practices, traditions, and/or celebrations associated with it. 
     1. Students will talk with parents, guardians, or community members to learn about family practices around that particular life event. 
     2. Students will then use a creative method of their choice (digital art, photography, painting, drawing, charcoal, mixed media, etc.) to create an image or visual representation.
     3. Teachers will provide opportunities for students to share their product with the class: whole class/small group presentation, Give One/Get One, Lines of Communication, etc.
        1. Teachers use the Give One/Get One strategy as a way to have students share their work or ideas with their peers. Students practice being active listeners as they take turns sharing ideas and recording the thoughts of others. 
        2. Teachers can use A Lines of Communication method to get students sharing and receiving information from a number of students in an organized fashion. The class is divided into two rows of students facing each other. After sharing has taken place, one row moves over one position to repeat the process.