Chinese Zodiac Animals
Introduction
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This is a demo lesson for students who are in 2nd grade. In this class, I will have 20 students and they are just completing their first year of Chinese. They are still novice learners as none of them are heritage speakers, and they only have Chinese class one time per week. My model lesson is required to be completed within 25 - 30 minutes. Since the students recently learned about the zodiac animals, so the school like me to do a review of zodiac animals and then introduce the students to some different locations that animals live - for example, in a nest, under water, on a farm, in the jungle, etc.
When I designed this lesson, I tried to follow the workshop format which constructed by warm-up, brief introduction, students independent work, and closure. However, since the students are novice level, I extended the individual practice time and also gave them a quick assessment in order to keep the class pace well.
Chinese Zodiac Animal Masks are used during the class activity. Each student wears a mask and pretends to be that animals. Teacher thoughts a ball to students and the one who gets the ball will answer several questions that regards to the animal they pretend to be.
Chinese Zodiac Wheel is used during the warm-up stage. This wheel must be colorful because it can catch students' attention easily at the beginning of the class. Moreover, teacher can lead students' to sing the Chinese zodiac song by clapping the rhythm.
Chinese Zodiac Ball is used during multiple activities during class. Students can be motivated and engaged if teacher use the ball as a tool to call students for answer.
Character Sheet is used during teaching.Teacher read aloud ad slowly and students read after teacher for couple of times. When teacher is modeling, the names of animals and animals' living places need to be emphasized.
Lesson Plan
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Theme: Chinese Zodiac
Aim: How
do we find out Chinese Zodiac animals’ living place?
Content Objectives:
SWBAT
know the names of several locations
SWBAT
match the animals with the location they live properly
Language Objectives:
SWBAT
ask “who are you” and “where do you live” in Mandarin
SWBAT
answer by using “I’m….” and “ I live in/on…..” in Mandarin
Common Core:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1 Participate in
collaborative conversations with diverse partners aboutgrade 2 topics and
texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions
as who, what, where, when, why, andhow to demonstrate
understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.6 With guidance and support from adults,
use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in
collaboration with peers.
Materials: markers, color paper, worksheet, posters
Wrap Up: who knows what
zodiac year is this year?
Pair talk: What’s you
and your partners’ Chinese zodiac? (3 min)
Lesson / Classroom Activity Procedure
1. Review
12 Chinese Zodiac in order by showing the zodiac animal wheel and sing a
Chinese Zodiac song by clapping the rhythm. (5 min)
2. Introduce
the location that each animal lives by showing a map and vocabulary cards. Then
each student gets an animal card and put it to the correct living place on the
map. (7 min)
[Differentiation: Some students can work in pair.]
3. Quick
Assessment: students work in group to complete a worksheet by matching animals
and places they live. (3 min)
4. Practice:
each student wears an animal mask and stand in the place the animal lives. They
thought a ball to their peer and ask “who you are” and “where do you live”. The
student who catch the ball need to answer the questions and through to another
friend. (10 min)
[Differentiation: Some students allow using
limited English to show their comprehension.]
Conclusion: Review the places that
animal lives (2 min)
Assessments:
a)
Teacher observation
during class performance
b)
Teacher individual
conference during group work
c)
Students’ worksheet
Students' Worksheet
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