Making Noise for Lunar New Year

Third graders in Kent Elementary School celebrated Lunar New Year with a noisy art project. 

 Art Teacher Rachel Berry first asked the students in Kenneth Ryan’s third grade class what year they were born. Many said they were born in 2016.  

“That’s the Year of the Monkey” Berry said. “They say it means you are creative, talented and have influence over people, but that you can also be easily discouraged.” 

That got the students’ interest.   

“That part is not me, getting discouraged,” Everly said. “If people make fun of me, I don’t care.” 

Lunar New Year is a holiday widely celebrated in Asia, Berry said. Then she helped them create Pin Drums, which are used to make loud noises during parades and celebrations. 

The students cut out circles, colored in pictures of dragons, firecrackers, snakes and more. They fastened strings tied with beads to a circle of oak tag so the beads could make a loud noise when flipped back and forth.  

“This makes me want to go to China now,” Lucas said. “Chinese food is the best.”