INTRODUCTION

Do you remember Ma Liang? She lives in China.
China is the biggest country in Asia.
Ma Liang lives in a little village but she wants to travel around the world.
Can you help her?

If you want to read the story again, go ahead!

Ma Liang´s magic brush

Ma Liang is a Chinese girl and she loves drawing but she is very poor and she hasn´t got a brush. Ma Liang draws her pictures on the ground. She draws with a stick.
One day she closes her eyes and she says three times, ´I want a brush! I want a brush! I want a brush! ´

Ma Liang opens her eyes and there, in front of her, is an old man. He has got a long white beard and he is holding a brush.
The old man says, ´This brush is for you! ´
´For me? ´
´Yes, it´s for you. Take it! It´s yours! ´
´It´s mine?´
Yes, it´s yours! It´s for you!´
Ma Liang takes the brush and she looks at it. It is a beautiful brush. She wants to say ¨Thank you¨ But the old man isn´t there! Ma Liang looks in front of her, he isn´t there. She looks to the right; he isn´t there; she looks to the left; he isn´t there. She looks behind her; he isn´t there.

Ma Liang finds a piece of paper. Wat can I draw?”
Then she sees a hen and she draws a hen.
¨Here´s its head. Here´s its bright eye. Here´s its proud neck. Here´s its strong body. And here are its long tail feathers.¨
Suddenly the picture begins to move. The hen is standing up on the paper! It is a real hen! Then it jumps off the paper and it looks at her.
Wonderful. It´s a magic brush!
Then Ma Liang picks up the hen and goes to a little house. Then woman in the house is very poor. She hasn´t got any hens. Ma Liang says,
¨This hen is for you¨
¨For me?¨
¨Yes, it´s for you. Take it it´s yours.¨
¨It´s mine? ¨
¨Yes, it´s yours. It´s for you. ¨
The hen lays an egg. The poor old woman is very happy!.

Then Ma Liang sees a farmer. He is trying to pull a plough in his field.
Ma Laing draws a cow: a big strong cow.
¨Here´s its small head and big gentle eye. Here´s its short, strong neck and its long, strong body. Here are its short, strong legs.¨
Suddenly, the cow begins to move. It stands up on the paper and then t jumps on the ground and it begins to grow, bigger and bigger and bigger. Ma Liang takes the cow to the farmer.
¨This cow is for you. ¨
¨For me?¨
¨Yes it´s for you. Take it it´s yours.¨
¨It´s mine? ¨
¨Yes, it´s yours. It´s for you. ¨
The cow pulls the plough. The farmer is very happy.
Everybody in the village knows Ma Liang. She draws things for all the poor people.

One day two soldiers come to the village. ¨Where is Ma Liang? ¨The people in the village say:¨ ¨She´s there! That´s Ma Liang! She is our wonderful girl!¨
¨Are you Ma Liang?¨
¨Yes¨
¨The king wants you. Come with us. ¨
¨Why? ¨
¨The King wants a picture. ´
¨No, I won´t come! I won´t draw a picture for the King. He has got a palace, and soldiers, farms and horses, and a lot of money! No, I won´t come.¨
The two soldiers take Ma Liang to the king. The king is in the garden.
¨Are you Ma Liang?¨
¨Yes.¨
¨Have you got a brush?¨
¨Yes.¨
¨Draw me a tree. Draw a tree for me! Draw me a tree, full of golden coins!¨
¨No, no, I won´t draw a tree! I won´t draw a tree full of golden coins.¨
¨Put her in prison. ¨

Ma Liang is in prison. What can she do?
Ma Liang draws a key, a big key for the door of the prison. She puts the key in the lock. She turns the key. She opens the door. She looks into the corridor. She sees some soldiers. She walks slowly and quietly down the corridor. Suddenly, the soldiers see her! Hey! You¡ Stop! Come back! Hey You! Stop! Come back!¨
Ma Liang begins to run. The soldiers begin to run. What can she do?
Ma Liang draws a horse! She jumps on the horse and the horse begins to run. The soldiers and the king jump on their horses and they begin to run!
Ma Liang´s horse is very fast. But the King and the soldiers get nearer and nearer and nearer.
What can Ma Liang do?

Ma Liang draws a hole! She throws the hole on the ground behind her. The hole grows bigger and bigger. The king and all the soldiers and their horses run into the hole!

TASK

We are going to help Ma Liang on her trip. You have to make a tourist guide. Think of all the things she needs for the trip and help her to decide the route.

1. What does she need?

2. Where can she go?

PROCESS

Answer these questions. They can help you to order the information on the tourist guide:

 What does she need in her suitcase?

 How many continents can Ma Liang visit?

 In which continent is Ma Liang’s country?

 Which cities can she visit in China?

 Tell Ma Liang typical things about China

 Which countries are in the North?

 Which countries are in the South?

 Which countries are in the East?

 Which countries are in the West?

 Which languages are spoken in Asia?

RESOURCES

Use the following links to find information:

• Clothes (vocabulary with illustrations):
  
  
  

http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/illustrated-clothes.htm#
http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/illustrated-accessories.htm

• Continents in the world:

http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-maps/world-map-for-kids.html

• Chinese cities:

http://questgarden.com/46/79/3/070316100406/task.htm

• Typical things about China:

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/asia/china/

• Map of Asia:

http://www.geographic.org/maps/asia_maps.html#MORE2

• Languages of the word:

http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-language-map.htm

EVALUATION

CATEGORY:KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED
Points
4. All students in the group can accurately answer all questions used to create the brochure.
3. All students in the group can accurately answer most questions related to facts in the brochure and to technical processes used to create the brochure.
2. Most students in the group can accurately answer most questions related to facts in the brochure and to technical processes used to create the brochure.
1. Several students in the group appear to have little knowledge about the facts or technical processes used in the brochure.

CATEGORY: Content - Accuracy

Points
4. All facts in the brochure are accurate.
3. 99-90% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.
2. 89-80% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.
1. Fewer than 80% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.

CATEGORY: Graphics/Pictures
Points
4.Graphics go well with the text and there is a good mix of text and graphics.
3.Graphics go well with the text, but there are so many that they distract from the text.
2.Graphics go well with the text, but there are too few and the brochure seems "text-heavy". 1.Graphics do not go with the accompanying text or appear to be randomly chosen.

CATEGORY: Sources
Points
4. Careful and accurate records are kept to document the source of 95-100% of the facts and graphics in the brochure.
3. Careful and accurate records are kept to document the source of 94-85% of the facts and graphics in the brochure.
2. Careful and accurate records are kept to document the source of 84-75% of the facts and graphics in the brochure.
1. Sources are not documented accurately or are not kept on many facts and graphics

CONCLUSION

Ma Liang is very happy because you have helped her a lot. Now, what do you have to do?:

1. Finish your your tourist guide.

2. Email it to Ma Liang at maliang@gmail.com

As you have seen Asia is an amazing continent and China is an interesting country. Would you like to go there? Ma Liang can start her trip now. She may send you a funny postcard from every place she visits so CHECK YOUR E-MAIL AND HAVE FUN!