This document provides materials for a thematic unit on the Chinese folktale "Mr. Foolish Moves the Mountain" for beginner Chinese language learners. It includes objectives, assessments, instructional strategies, vocabulary, and sample lesson plans. The story is about an old man named Yu Gong who wants to move two mountains blocking his front door. Through determination and the efforts of future generations, the mountains are eventually moved. Lessons incorporate activities like role plays, retelling, interviews, and creating pocket books to help students understand the cultural meaning and develop language skills.

1. Big Books
in the Chinese Classroom
愚公移山
By Yana Yu
Special Thanks to Yue Jiang

7. Simplified version for young kids
• 1. 很久很久以前，有一个老人叫愚公，他已经九十
多岁了。
• 2. 他家门口有两座大山，出门很不方便。
• 3. 所以他想把山搬走。他开始一点一点地搬这两座
山。
• 4. 他有一个邻居叫智叟。智叟对他说：“你真笨
啊，这么大的山，什么时候才能把它搬走呢？”
• 5. 愚公笑笑说：“我搬不走还有我的儿子接着搬；
我的儿子搬不走还有我的孙子接着搬。总有一天会
把山搬走的。”
• 6. 天上的神仙听到愚公的话以后很感动，就帮他把
这两座山搬走了。

9. Thematic Units Using Backward Design
Grade Level ____6_____ Proficiency level __beginners__
Unit Theme: Mr. Foolish Moves the Mountain
Enduring Understanding: After learning this unit, students will be able to
understand that as long as we pursue something with determination and make
unremitting efforts, we will be able to overcome difficulties and succeed.
Learning Objectives Assessment Instructional Strategies
- Use pictures to Performance Assessment Language Items:
make predictions tasks: •Vocabulary: 接着；以前；
about the books and •(Interpersonal) Role play: one 以后；门口；方便；搬（走
stories. student plays Yu Gong and the ） Structure: "Ba” structure
- Retell the story. rest of the class interview Yu
- Understand the Gong. Major Learning activities:
cultural meaning •(Presentational) Students oThink-Pair-Share
related to the story. make their own pocket book oNumbered Heads Together
based on the story and oTPR
introduce it to others. oKing and soldier
•(Interpretive) Retell the story oInterview Yu Gong
Other Assessment Evidences:
Learning tasks; homework;
student self-assessment;
teacher observation; quizzes.

10. Teacher may pre-teach some words or structure, and
repeatedly use all the new words and structure daily throughout
the whole unit.

11. Agenda
星期一 星期二 星期三 星期四 星期五
8 ： 15 – 8 ：
中文 历史 音乐 中文 中文
55
9 ： 05 – 9 ：
45
数学 政治 美术 中文 英文
9 ： 55 –
10 ： 35
英文 中文 英文 数学 音乐
10 ： 45 –
11 ： 25
体育 英文 中文 体育 英文
1 ： 15 – 1 ：
55
音乐 数学 数学 英文 数学
2 ： 05 – 2 ：
45
地理 数学 历史 政治 地理
yǐ qián jiē zhe
星期一上午九点以前，我们上中文课，上完中文课接着
yǐ hòu
上数学课。下午两点以后，我们上地理课。

12. 把你每天
什么时候
做什么事
写下来。
You must
use “ 以前” ,
“ 以后” , and
“ 接着” .
Sample

13. 这是我们的家。我们站在家门口。
mēn kǒu
门 口

14. 他们在家门口干什么？

15. 放学的时候，学校门口有很多人

16. 家 学校
门口
Sb. Where Do Sth.
我 家 做功课
老师 学校 看书
小明 教室 唱歌
Structure ： ____ 在 ____ 门口
_____ 。

17. 太高了，
真不方便！
愚公家的门口有山，
fāng biàn
所以很不 方 便。

18. 方便 不方便 不方便 方便
方便 方便 不方便 方便
不方便 方便 方便 不方便
方便 不方便 不方便 不方便
Rule:
•Ss are divided into two groups and contest (PK).
•First, group A choose a box and make a sentence with that
word.
•If the sentence makes sense, teacher draws an “o”. If the
sentence doesn’t make sense, teacher draws an “x”.
•Then, it’s group B’s turn.
•The group with the most “O-X-O” wins.

19. 搬书
搬椅子
bān
搬家

20. 桌子放在教室门口真不方便，
我们一起把它搬走。
愚公的家门口有一座山，也很不
方便，所以他也想把它搬走。

21. TPR
Ss respond to teacher’s commands that require physical
movement.
T:
把窗打开。
把脚抬起来。
把椅子搬走。
请走到门口，把灯关上。
请把书包打开，把作业拿出来，把作业交给老师。
Teacher gives examples by demonstrating how to use the
“ba” structure to state an action.
（ 1 ） Teacher puts a book on the desk.
老师把书放在桌子上。
（ 2 ） Teacher gives a student a book.
老师把书给 Peter 。

22. Activity:
3)Ask each student to "ba” one thing "fang zai” somewhere or
"ba" one thing "gei" someone else.
This is done in sequence, in other words, every student will be a
chance to "ba" something and "do something" with it.
Ex. 把一支笔放在他的书包里。 / 把桌上的纸交给 Peter 。
2) Ask them what they notice about the sentence, and write it
on the board IN CHINESE.
3) Give them some items to "ba" and "do something with", and
practice aloud with them as a group.

23. 4) Put them in pairs.
（ 1 ） Student One has a picture of a classroom with
classroom items in certain places (paper on desk, textbook on
bookshelf, chalk on blackboard, etc.)
（ 2 ） Student two has a picture of a classroom and cut-outs
of the classroom items.
（ 3 ） Student one instructs student two where to place the
items, using the "Ba" structure.
5) Game: King and soldier
(1) Each students writes down three orders. They must use
"Ba" structure at least once.
(2) Students draw lots to decide who is the king and who is
the soldier.
(3) The soldier should follow the king’s orders.

24. 愚公移山（ 1 ）
Objective: SWBAT use pictures to make predictions about the books and
stories.
Do Now:
[Teacher shows a mountain picture.]
Think-Pair-Share
Think: 想一想，如果你家门口有座山，挡住了去路，你会怎么办？
(If there was a mountain in front of your house, which blocked your way,
what would you do?)
Pair: 把你的答案告诉你的朋友。
(Turn to your friend and share your answer with him or her.)
Share: 几分钟后老师要请你说说你朋友的答案。
(Tell teacher your friend's answer.)

25. Teaching:
1. Teacher quickly shows all the pictures.
Ask Ss (in Chinese) to make predictions about the story.
T ：你觉得这会是一个什么故事？
T explains the title.
《愚公移山 Yú Gōng Yí Shān 》讲的是一个叫愚公的老人搬走一座山的故
事。 (The story is about an old man named Yu Gong moving mountains.)
Ss are welcomed to ask any questions about the title of the book.
看了这个标题后，你有什么想要问的问题吗？
For example:
(15)这个叫愚公的老人为什么要搬走山呢？ (Why did Yu Gong have to
move the mountains? )
(16)他是怎么把山搬走的？ (How did he move the mountains? )
(17)他最后有没有把山搬走？ (Did he finally move the mountains?)

26. 愚公移山（ 2 ）
Objective: SWBAT to get the picture of the beginning, middle, and end of
the story.
Do Now: Find your seat and sit in groups.
Teaching:
5.Teacher reads and explains the story.
Activity: Numbered Heads Together
(1) Students number off within each group.
(2) Teacher asks questions:
a. 愚公觉得什么不方便？
b. 愚公想怎么办？
c. 愚公有没有把山搬走，他怎么把山搬走的？
(3) Students in each group “put their heads together” to decide on an
answer and write it down. All students are responsible for knowing the
answer.
(4) Teacher chooses a number at random. Students with that number raise
their hands and answer questions.

27. 愚公移山（ 3 ）
Objective: SWBAT know details of the story.
Do Now: Read Aloud the story
Activity: Interview Yu Gong
T: 现在我想请一个小朋友做愚公，其他小朋友可以问他问题。
(Ask one student to be Yu Gong, and the rest of Ss will interview him and
ask him whatever you want.)
比如说，“你是谁？” “你住在哪里？”
(For example, “Who are you?” “Where do you live?”
Ss can use: how, why, when, where, etc.)
Teaching:
T: 在这个故事中，有一个人也有问题要问愚公。
(In the story, a man also had a question to ask Yu Gong.)
他是谁？他问了什么问题？
(Who was he? And what did he ask?)
愚公怎么回答他？
(How did Yu Gong answer his question?)

28. Put these pictures in
the right order.
给每张画写 1 ~ 2 个句
子。

29. Final Project:
Students create their own pocket books including pinyin and
illustrations based on the story. They are encouraged to use their own
words and expressions to write their version of Yu Gong’s story.
Reflection:
The reason why I picked Yu Gong’s story is that it is a well-known
ancient Chinese fable which taught us that as long as we never give
up and all family members work together, we can finally remove
obstacles one day.
I want my students to be in Yu Gong’s shoes when they read the
story. I’d like to close the distance between Yu Gong and the
students so that they won’t think that Yu Gong is just a character
appeared in a Chinese fable long long ago.

30. 谢谢！
余亚纳（ Yan a Yu ）
E m ail: yy745@ n yu .e d u