First assembly: Asia

The follow are the slides and notes for the narration. Each picture in each side is animated to pop up when it’s time to talk about that picture.

What’s the country with the most people in the world? It’s China! There are 7.53 billion people in the world and 1.4 billion live in China.

1. The Chinese flag is red with yellow stars.

2. One of the world’s 7 wonders is in China. It’s called the Great wall of China

3. China has very unique buildings and temples such as this one.

4. You guys all know your ABC’s? Well, Chinese use Chinese characters and write in calligraphy. This is what it looks like.

5. This is the traditional Chinese clothing

SLIDE 2: The Chinese are known for many things. Among which include

1. Foods from different regions of china: laziji stir fry with bean paste from Sichuan cuisine; xiaolongbao, Cantonese rice noodle roll, Peking duck. Soy sauce is also from China

2. How many of you have seen the Movie Kung Fu Panda? It’s action comedy martial arts film based on Chinese martial arts, Kung Fu. Did you know that pandas live only in China? They used to be an endangered species, meaning there’s not a lot of them around and they’re at risk for being extinct like dinosaurs. Since 2016 they are now considered as vulnerable. They eat primarily bamboo.

3. Tai Chi is another form of martial arts and exercise from china.

4. Dragon boat racing is a popular traditional sport in China

5. Chinese Zodiac is represented by 12 animals with descriptions of characteristics associated with each animal. 2019 is year of the PIG

6. Have you guys seen this movie? Mulan is based on the Chinese legend of warrier Hua Mulan, who disguised herself as a man to take her father’s place in the army.

7. An important part of Chinese Traditional Medicine is acupuncture where small needles are inserted into the skin along energy channels called “Qi or Chi”. It is used since 100BC, meaning a very very long time, to treat many illnesses, including pain.

New year celebrated 2 times in Asian countries. The traditional January 1st new year as well as the Lunar New Year, which is the bigger celebration. Lunar New Year is the beginning of a year whose months are coordinated by the cycles of the moon. The first day of the Lunar New Year begins on the new moon that appears between January 21 and February 20.

1. Dragon dance is performed during Chinese New Year. Dragons are thought to bring good luck, represent imperial authority, great power, dignity, fertility and wisdom. Chinese dragon dancing is done with dragons on sticks while Vietnamese dragon dancing is done with people dancing under large dragon costumes.

2. In preparation for the new year, people clean their homes the day before to sweep away bad fortune and make room for good luck. Other Traditions during Lunar New Year include lantern festival, hanging red paper cuts and scrolls with poems on windows and doors, and burning incense to show respect to ancestors.

3. People wear their best and newest clothes on new year. Children wish adults good health, happiness and a long life in exchange for red envelopes willed with money.

4. People celebrate up to 2 weeks. The entire community comes out to celebrate with parades and fireworks. People visit friends and family bringing special new year foods and fruit baskets.

5. Lunar New year is one of the most celebrated events in the world

South of China is a small country called Vietnam. It is bordered by the China sea. Vietnam is about the size of California. Although it is small, it is very populated. There are 96 million people in VN

1. The country is divided into 3 regions, North, Central and South. Each has it’s own distinct foods, cultural dress and Vietnamese accents. For special occasions people wear ao dai khan dong. In the south women wear ao ba ba. The more popular ao dai non la is from the central region. The north and mountainous people have different dresses.

2. This is Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. It is one of the busiest cities. Streets are filled with mopeds, which is the major form of transportation.

3. In the northern part of VN are a group of islands and rock formations called Ha Long Bay. It is one of the 7 wonders of the world.

4. VN countryside is filled with rice paddies. Were 3 women are harvesting rice.

5. VN has many unique musical instruments such as the 16 string zither aka dan tranh and a 1 string instrument called dan co that has a very characteristic sad sound.

There are many unique fruits in Asia that you can not find anywhere else in the world. These are some of the ones on Vietnam, which can also be found in Thailand.

Japan is an island. It is also known as the Land of the Rising Son. Their flag has a red sun. There are 127 million people in Japan. This is what Japanese cultural clothes look like.

1. The capital is Tokyo. It is a very busy and crowded city.

2. Japan has many beautiful temples. This is one of the temples overlooking the famous Mount Fuji mountain.

3. Japan has the world’s fastest train, called the bullet train.

4. Japan is also makes a lot of cars like Honda and Toyota

5. Japanese Taiko drummers are unique to Japan.

SLIDE 2: These are the things are unique to Japan: Anime cartoons, Origami, kabuki theatre, Sumo wrestling, Kendo martial arts, Bonsai, Tea ceremony, Sushi, udon, miso soup, soba, ramen, bento, tempura

Korea Is a country south of China. There are 2 separate countries, North and South Korea with 2 different flags.

1. They speak the same Korean language but the written language is different in the North and the South.

2. Seoul is the capital of South Korea

3. This is the Korean cultural attire, called the Hanbok.

4. Gyeongbok is a famous palace in Korea

5. The Koreans make several techy things like the Samsung TVs, Samsung phone and KIA, Hyundai cars

SLIDE 2:

1. A famous Korean food is Kim chi which is fermented cabbage

2. KBBQ: banchan, bulgogi beef, pork belly daikon, rice cakes

3. K-Pop is a popular singing group known world wide

4. Taekwondo is a type of Korean martial arts, so is Hapkido

1. Philippines is an archipelagic country in the western Pacific Ocean, meaning it is made up of lots of islands. 7,641 islands to be exact. It is the 12th most populated country in the world with 106 million people.

2. The Philippines' location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and close to the equator makes it prone to earthquakes and typhoons. Ring of fire is a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

3. The Philippines was named in honor of King Philip II of Spain. The country has under Spanish empire for more than 300 years.

4. Filipinos speak many languages but the most common is tagalog.

5. Filipino Barong is an embroidered formal shirt, light weight, worn untucked. Baro't saya is the feminine equivalent of barong with the Maria Clara gown being the most popular variant of baro't saya. Barong and baro't saya are traditionally made up of piña, a fiber made from the leaves of a pineapple plant

1. Religion is very important in the Philippines. At least 92% of the population is Christian.

2. Ati-Atihan Festival is the "The Mother of All Philippine Festivals“. It is held annually in January in honor of the Santo Niño (Infant Jesus), concluding on the third Sunday, in the town of Kalibo Atklan in the island of Panay. The festival has tribal dance, music, with people dressed in indigenous costumes and weapons, and parade along the street. Christians and non-Christians observe this day. Other islands have a similar celebration.

3. The Miagao Church also known as the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines. The church was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 11, 1993 together with San Agustin Church in Manila;

4. City of Vigan, is the capital of the province of Ilocos Sur, on the western coast of the large island of Luzon, facing the South China Sea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in that it is one of the few towns left in the Philippines whose old structures have mostly remained intact, and it is well known for its set pavements and a unique architecture of the Philippine colonial era which fuses Native Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial Spanish architecture

5. The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a protected area of the Philippines. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, and voted as a New7Wonders of Nature in 2012. It also became a RamsarWetland Site in 2012. It is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the western coast of the island, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of the city centre of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and contains the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River. It has been managed by the City Government of Puerto Princesa since 1992.

6. These are pictures of the traditional Filipino food: Lumpia (Filipino eggrolls), adobo, Halo Halo and sisig! Yummy!

1. The country of Thailand used to be called Siam. It is bordered by Laos, Cambodia and Myamar. Thailand has mountains, flat lands and islands. There are 69 million people in Thailand.

2. Traditional Thai clothing is called chut thai

3. The traditional Thai greeting, the wai, is generally offered first by the younger of the two people meeting, with their hands pressed together, fingertips pointing upwards as the head is bowed to touch face to fingertips, usually coinciding with the spoken words "sawatdi khrap" for male speakers, and "sawatdi kha" for females. The elder may then respond in the same way.

4. The country's official language is Thai. They have a very unique written language.

5. The main religion is Theravada Buddhism, which is practiced by around 95% of the population. There are many Buddhist temples in Thailand

6. Wat Phra Kaew is also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the grounds of the grand palace. It is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The emerald buddha is a statue26 inches tall made from one jade stone. It is believed to be the protector of the country.

1. The elephant is Thailand's national symbol. Surin Elephant Round-up is a cultural festival held every year in Surin Province, Isan, Thailand during the third week of November. The two-day event includes parades and a variety of shows displaying the physical strength and skill of the animals, such as soccer and tugs of war with the Royal Thai Army.

2. Thailand has been called the golf capital of Asia

3. When visiting Thailand one must try the Thai massages. This is an image of foot massage in the streets of the capital, Bangkok.

4. Thailand is one of the largest rice exporters in the world. 49% of Thailand's labor force works in agriculture (like farmers).

5. Mua Thai is a native form of kickboxing and Thailand's signature sport.

6. Thai food blends five fundamental tastes: sweet, spicy, sour, bitter, and salty. Common ingredients used in Thai cuisine include garlic, chillies, lime juice, lemon grass, coriander, galangal, palm sugar, and fish sauce (nam pla).

1. This is the map and flag of India. It is south of China, bordered by the Arabian sea. There are 1.35 Billion people in India, making India the 2nd most populated country in the world.

2. Indians wear very colorful, beautiful clothing. The girls wear Shalwar Kameeze and boys were Kurta-pyjama trousers and shirts. For special occasions, they wear Saris.

3. This is the capitol city of New Delhi

4. One of the most famous sites in India is the Taj Mahal in the city of Agra built in 1631, over 300 years ago, by the Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife. For older audiences: It is the “Jewel of Muslim art and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.” Unesco site. Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations.

5. India is the birth place of the religion Buddhism but Hinduism is the most common religion. There are many temples and enormous statues of the Buddha and Hindu gods like Ganesh the elephant headed god.

6. India has 23 languages! The most common is Hindi, not “Indianese” like Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese. They have a very distinct writing.

7. This is the Ganges River in India, a sacred place for Hinduism

SLIDE 2: India is known for many things, including:

1. Bollywood movie industry, Bollywood dancers, famous actress Sridevi Kapoor

2. Priyanka Chopra Jonas: Indian actress, singer, film producer, philanthropist, and winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant.

3. The Royal Bengal Tiger is an endangered species found only in the Indian subcontinent. It is the Indian national animal

4. How many of you play chess? Chess originated in India based on an Indian game called Chatarranga.

5. Henna’s traditional body art tattoo is called Henna.

6. Indian food is filled with flavor from all the spices. Common foods include Curry, Biryani rice, naan & roti bread, samosa, pakora

7. India has the world's largest gems and jewelry industry. 75% of the world's diamonds are cut or polished in India

8. India also has a large textile and silk industry. This is a picture of a crowded Indian street selling fabric.