STUDENT CURRICULUM TEMPLATE Adapted from STARTALK program template Teacher Name: Hong Jiang Grade or Level: Grades 6-8 Language(s): Target Proficiency Level: Novice-Low Novice -Mid Number of Contact Hours: 10 hours Chinese Age of Students: Middle School Duration (weeks): 2 weeks Designed by: Hong Jiang A. Theme This is the umbrella theme that frames the curricular unit and provides context for language and culture learning. Chinese Birthday Celebrations B. Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions for your Theme Students will understand that 1) People must eat noodles on birthdays as it symbolizes long life. 2) Longevity is the main theme for birthday celebrations for elderly people in China. Essential Questions 1) Why do people celebrate birthdays? 2) How do people celebrate birthdays in China? 3) What are the differences and similarities in the ways people in American and China celebrate birthdays? 1
C. Unit Subthemes What are the subthemes that will address different aspects of the umbrella theme? These subthemes will facilitate student learning and enable students to demonstrate what they have learned. Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 When is your What is your animal birthday? sign? Would you like to come to my b-day party? D. Standards and Expected Outcomes Can-Do Statements What are we going to eat? What will students know and be able to do in the target language and culture? Identify what students will do in terms of the standards. Ideally, all standards will be addressed, but there may be exceptions depending on the type of program that is being offered. Standards Targeted Communication - Interpretive Communication - Interpersonal Communication - Presentational Cultural Practices/Products/Perspectives Connections Comparisons Students Can Read dates, character and symbol for birthday, invitations for birthday parties, recognize Chinese characters related to Chinese zodiac; watch video clips of a conversation or phone call related to birthdays, write down information regarding birthday celebrations. Ask and answer questions about birthdays and animal signs, invite friends to birthday parties, ask/answer questions about what activities and food are planned. Perform skits such as conversation at school, or phone conversation; create an invitation card. Understand elderly people are highly respected in the Chinese culture; Noodles must be served on birthdays as it symbolizes long life. Draw/color pictures of the 12 Zodiac animals; sing songs related to Chinese zodiac; Compare and contrast the ways Americans celebrate birthdays to those of Chinese. 2
Community Invite friends to birthday parties and celebrate friends birthdays outside school, with family members; E. Specific Knowledge and Skills What specific linguistic, cultural, and other subject matter knowledge and skills will students be learning as they work with this theme? (e.g., language functions, cultural knowledge/ practices/ perspectives, knowledge related to subject matter or concepts.) Identify what students will do in terms of, but not limited to, LinguaFolio-like Can Do statements that are aligned with the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21 st Century. Thematic Knowledge and Skills Students Can Students Use Ask/answer questions about birthdays; When is your birthday? My birthday is Ask/answer questions about zodiac animals. Ask and answer questions about age; Invite friends to birthday parties and respond to invitations; Create a birthday card. What is your animal sign? My animal sign is How old are you? I m years old. Would you like to come to my birthday party? I d love to. What day is your birthday party? My birthday party is on Date, time, address, etc. F. Performance Tasks What culminating performance tasks will provide evidence that students have achieved the learning objectives? Indicate how students will be assessed for each mode of communication through interpretive, interpersonal and presentational performance tasks.! Interpretive tasks involve students in receptive communication of oral or written messages, in mediated communication via print and non-print material, or with listener, viewer, reader works with visual or recorded materials whose creator is absent. 3
! Interpersonal tasks require direct oral communication between individuals who are in personal contact or direct written communication between individuals who come into personal contact.! Presentational tasks require students to engage in productive communication using oral or written language, produce spoken or written communication for people with whom there is no immediate personal contact or which takes place in a one-to-many mode, or author or create visual or recorded material for listeners or readers not personally known. Interpretive task: Read a birthday party invitation card; Watch a video clip of a student inviting friends to his/her birthday party; Listen to a phone conversation between two people talking about a birthday celebration plan. Interpersonal task: Students role play inviting friends to attend birthday party and asking/answering questions about when and where, how old, animal sign and phone number. Presentational task: Students performing skits in pairs, creating invitation cards and introducing oneself and friends at parties. 4
G. Other Types of Assessment and Evidence of Learning Other types of assessment and evidence of learning may include a wide range of activities and products that provide meaningful evidence of learning, such as dialogue journals, reflective journals, posters, LinguaFolio self-assessment, role plays, presentations of visual or performance arts, portfolios, audio portfolios, e-portfolios, research projects, or videos. Include some assessment or reflection about students attitudes and perspectives toward the target language and culture. Examples Brief description Class birthday survey! Students complete a survey sheet to find out each other s date of birth, animal sign and how each of them celebrates their birthdays. Venn Diagram work! Compare and contrast ways birthdays are celebrated in the US and China. H. Instructional Strategies How will you ensure that the following best practices are incorporated into your planning? Strategies Use target language for instruction Examples Use a monthly calendar on Smartboard for to teach ways to say/write dates in Chinese and expressions such as: This Sat., next Sat. next week, in two weeks time, the day after tomorrow. Students learn to say what day is his/her birthday, what s the date for this Sunday, etc. Facilitate student-centered learning Ensure meaningful interaction in the target language Integrate language, culture and content Students will plan their individual birthday celebration and then share their plans in groups. Students invite friends to their birthday celebrations. They ll ask/answer questions about date for the celebration, age, animal sign, who will be at the party, etc. Students make birthday invitation cards with the Chinese birthday symbol. Students understand that the theme for birthday celebration for 5
Differentiate instruction based on student need elderly people is longevity and that noodles must be served as it symbolizes long life. Students create information gap games with class birthday survey results and then play each other s games in pairs. Students watch a video clip showing a Chinese family celebrating birthday for their child. Students look at a picture with the Chinese birthday symbol written in a variety of scripts. I. Materials & Other Resources Describe the primary resources that you plan to use for the program. Resources Title of textbook, if applicable Realia / Authentic materials Description Chinese Link; Welcome Birthday candles, dry noodles, a cake, balloons, the Chinese character shou, Chinese zodiac poster Multimedia DVD for Chinese Link Lesson 14; 6
J. Technology How will technology support instruction and enhance learning? Technological tools Smartboard and document camera Computer and recording device Explanation Students will show slides of their birthday celebrations and birthday cards they create. Students will record their skits and play them to share with class. 7