The Guests are Coming

Curriculum Area

Language Learning (Mandarin) – Third Grade, US Education Standards

Lesson Objectives

1. Students will recognize and understand key vocabulary related to hosting guests in Mandarin.
2. Students will apply new vocabulary in context through listening, speaking, and interactive activities.
3. Students will improve comprehension and contextual usage of new vocabulary in short narratives.

Session 1: Vocabulary Introduction

Time: 35 Minutes

Pre-Activity (5 minutes)

• Teacher’s Greeting and Warm-Up: Greet the class in Mandarin and introduce the topic: "The guests are coming" (客人来了). Engage the students with a brief discussion about inviting guests to one's home.

Main Activity (25 minutes)

• Visual Vocabulary Introduction (15 minutes):

  • Use flashcards with images and words to introduce the key vocabulary: 主人，客人，筷子，叉子，汤匙，碟子，盘子，肉丸，香肠，杯子，汽水，温水，冰水，一片肉干，青草，非常，纸巾，蛋糕，第，忙，原来，一定，把，吧，得.
  • Pronounce each word, and have students repeat.
  • Discuss the meaning of each word briefly with translations.

• Interactive Group Activity (10 minutes):

  • Divide the class into small groups (3-4 students) to mimic a "preparation for guests" scenario using props or images.
  • Each group uses the vocabulary to describe what they are setting up in front of the class.

Post-Activity (5 minutes)

• Quick Review and Q&A: Rapid-fire questions using flashcards; have students shout out answers as vocabulary words are shown.

Session 2: Story Listening and Comprehension

Time: 35 Minutes

Pre-Activity (5 minutes)

• Vocabulary Recap: Quickly review the vocabulary words from the previous session through a matching game on the board (words to pictures).

Main Activity (25 minutes)

• Story Listening Exercise (10 minutes):

  • Read the provided story "小狗请客" to the class, pausing to emphasize vocabulary words in context. Use expressive tone to engage students.
  • Display images related to each part of the story for better understanding.

• Comprehension Questions (10 minutes):

  • Ask simple comprehension questions in Mandarin based on the story.
  • Example: "小狗请谁来？" (Who did the puppy invite?), "小狗准备了什么食物？" (What food did the puppy prepare?)

• Role-Playing Activity (5 minutes):

  • In pairs, have students choose roles (小狗, 小猫, 小羊, 小兔) and act out short dialogues using vocabulary learned.

Post-Activity (5 minutes)

• Reflective Discussion: Encourage students to share what they liked about the story or what they found surprising, using simple Mandarin sentences.

Session 3: Vocabulary Application

Time: 35 Minutes

Pre-Activity (5 minutes)

• Flashcard Relay: In two teams, students race to find and categorize vocabulary flashcards based on whether they are 'foods' or 'table items'.

Main Activity (25 minutes)

• Sentence Construction (15 minutes):

  • Provide students with sentence construction frames on the board, e.g. "小狗____请____".
  • Have students fill in the blanks with vocabulary words to form coherent sentences.

• Peer Review (10 minutes):

  • Each student shares their sentence with a partner; partner checks for correct vocabulary usage and pronunciation.

Post-Activity (5 minutes)

• Exit Ticket: Each student writes down one new thing they learned about inviting guests or hosting in Mandarin on a small slip of paper before leaving the class.

Session 4: Story Reconstruction

Time: 35 Minutes

Pre-Activity (5 minutes)

• Jumbled Story: Display sentences from the story "小狗请客" jumbled up. Ask students to help rearrange them in the correct order.

Main Activity (25 minutes)

• Group Story Reconstruction:

  • Divide the class into small groups and provide them with cut-out sections of the story.
  • Groups rearrange and reconstruct the story using provided sentences and images, focusing on correct sequencing and vocabulary placement (15 minutes).

• Illustrated Story Creation (10 minutes):

  • Each group illustrates one part of the story using vocabulary words, adding details and labeling images.

Post-Activity (5 minutes)

• Class Sharing: Each group presents their part of the story in sequence, using both words and images.

Session 5: Assessment and Celebration

Time: 35 Minutes

Pre-Activity (5 minutes)

• Activity Warm-Up: Game of “Simon Says” using new vocabulary (e.g., “拿起叉子” (Pick up a fork)) to ensure students are comfortable with vocabulary in a fun way.

Main Activity (25 minutes)

• Vocabulary Bingo (15 minutes):

  • Distribute bingo cards with vocabulary words instead of numbers. Teacher calls out words in Mandarin as students mark them.

• Assessment Activity (10 minutes):

  • Each student writes a short paragraph or dialogue using at least 5 vocabulary words. Teachers check understanding through correct word usage and context.

Post-Activity (5 minutes)

• Celebration: Conclude with a simple Mandarin thank you and song related to the theme to celebrate students’ efforts and learning, ending the series on a high note.

Materials Needed

• Flashcards with vocabulary words and images
• Pictures or realia (objects) for role-play and interactive sessions
• Printed or projected story text and illustrations
• Bingo cards with vocabulary
• Whiteboard/Smartboard for displaying activities

Assessment Criteria

• Active participation in interactive activities.
• Correct pronunciation and understanding of vocabulary.
• Ability to construct simple sentences using new vocabulary.
• Engagement in story comprehension and reconstruction activities.

Note to Educators

Adjust the group sizes and activities as necessary to ensure all students remain engaged and can participate actively in the large class setting. Consider using teaching assistants or volunteers to facilitate group activities and manage crowd control.