This document discusses using children's literature in a Chinese language classroom to teach young learners about cities in China. It proposes reading a storybook aloud about a panda visiting seven large Chinese cities and their famous tourist sites. After reading, students would locate the cities on a map of China and discuss them. It also describes follow-up extension activities like a "World Traveler" class activity and Chinese calligraphy that reinforce the lesson's objectives of distinguishing and locating the seven cities.

1. Journey to china
“Big Book” and “Mini Book” in
Chinese Language Classroom
Yichun(Shelley) Huang

2. Why Children’s Literature?
simpler language and grammar
fewer lengthy stories
less complicated theme
✓cultivating an encouraging learning environment
✓ enhancing language learning for young learners

13. Thematic Unit

15. Read Aloud
Objective: Students will be able to
✓distinguish seven large cities in China and
their famous tourist sites.
✓locate the seven cities on the map.

16. Read Aloud
Teacher (T) shows students (Ss) the cover of the book and read the title aloud to
them.
T asks Ss the following questions in order to focus them on the story, put them
into the author’s shoes and predict the story before reading.
What kind of plants and animals can you figure out from the cover?
Judging from the title of the book, can you tell why the panda wants to pay a visit
to China?
T lists all the city names on the PowerPoint and asks ss to find out all the city
names while T reads the story.
After reading, T shows a map of China and has ss discuss with group members and
locate the city on the map.

18. Class Activity: World Traveler

19. Extension Activities

20. Chinese Calligraphy

22. Mini Book

23. Kindergarten

24. Kindergarten

25. Hana
Kindergardener

26. Third Grade

27. Sixth Grade

28. How to make a mini book?

29. Thank you all!
Lixing (Frank) Tang -- frank.tang@nyu.edu
Robin Harvey -- robin.harvey@nyu.edu
Yu (Phoebe) Sha -- shayuu@gmail.com
Yichun (Shelley) Huang -- shelleyhyc@gmail.com