Year 9 Mandarin Program

Topic 4:Weather and Tourism / Indicative time: 4-5 weeks
Unit description: Learning in this unit focuses on developing the knowledge, understanding and skills that will enable students to inquire about and to describe the weather, to indicate future possibilities and length of time, and to talk about seasons in Chinese cities.
Students acquire vocabulary expressions and language structures within this context. Student activities relate to the learn about and learn to statements and form the basis of a unit of work. Students listen, read and respond to texts and learn to incorporate modelled linguistic structures in order to produce a series of linked sentences.Using the Interactive Whiteboard, students practice higher order thinking when electronic interactive activities are incorporated in lessons.
Outcomes A student:
5.UL.1:A student selects, summarises and analyses information and ideas in spoken texts and responds appropriately.
5.UL.2:A student selects, summarises and analyses information and ideas in written texts and responds appropriately.
5.UL.3:A student uses Chinese by incorporating diverse structures and features to express own ideas.
5.UL.4:A student experiments with linguistic patterns and structures in Chinese to convey information and to express own ideas.
5.MLC.1:A student demonstrates understanding of the nature of languages as systems by describing and comparing linguistic features across languages.
5.MLC.2:A student uses linguistic resources to support the study and production of texts in Chinese.
5.MBC.1:A student explores the interdependence of language and culture in a range of texts and contexts.
5.MBC.2:A student identifies and explains aspects of the culture of Chinese-speaking communities in texts. /

Language functions and structures

  • What’s the weather today?

今天天气怎么样？

  • What will be the weather tomorrow?

明天天气怎么样？

  • Beijing’s weather

北京天气

  • Weather report

天气报告

  • It’s raining again

又下雨了！

  • To indicate length of time, using ‘dao’
北京的春天是三月到五月。
  • Seasons in Chinese cities: ‘It’s warm in Shanghai’s spring’.
中国城市季节：‘上海的春天很暖和‘。
  • Weather in various cities: ‘Sydney is raining today’.
悉尼今天下雨。

Resources

Ni Hao II Unit 9, CD ROMs, ZGT 1,2 Pg 55, 68, 71, LOTE Stage B Unit 10, CME II Unit 2, Tai Hao Le, Zou Ba, worksheets, word-cards, China & world map, IWB (Interactive Whiteboard). / Assessment for learning activity – Listening activities, card matching games, weather report, map reading, presentation

Students learn about:

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Students learn to:

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Integrated teaching, learning and

Assessment activities

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Evidence of Learning

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Feedback

  • ways of identifying relevant details when listening for specific information
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  • make judgements about the relevance of detail in understanding text, eg extracting ideas and issues referred to in text
/ Teacher
  • Outlines the communication goals of the unit in English
  • Presents new vocabulary using visuals of weather charts
  • Provides models of language structures
/ Correct pronunciation of new vocabulary
Accurate identification of specific details

Correct pronunciation of new vocabulary
Correct pronunciation of new vocabulary
Correct responses to sample questions
Production of the dialogue demonstrates students’ ability to use the language presented and apply it to the construction of their own text
Discussion of class findings
Oral responses and level of participation in activities will demonstrate how well students recognise and use the vocabulary
Oral responses and level of participation in activities will demonstrate how well students recognise and use the vocabulary
Correct responses to listening activities
Correct responses to written exercises / Teacher observation
Teacher’s oral feedback on expression
Teacher observation and oral feedback on expression, pronunciation and intonation
Teacher observation and oral feedback
Students’ sharing of responses, teacher’s oral feedback on details in the text
Teacher observation and oral feedback on specific patterns and rules
Teacher’s written feedback on structure, format and vocabulary, manipulation and known structures and sequencing of ideas
  • linguistic choices made in texts to influence listeners.
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  • analyse the impact of linguistic choices made to achieve communication goals, eg to inform or entertain.
/ Students
  • Mimic pronunciation of description vocabulary
  • Mimic models of language structures
  • Participate in pair work activities e.g. draw and describe, describe pictures of weather patterns

  • ways of identifying relevant details when reading for specific information
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  • make judgements about the relevance of detail in analysing text, eg extracting ideas and issues referred to in text
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  • Complete exercises on adjectives and agreements
  • Listen to descriptions of weather and complete table
  • Read descriptions of Chinese cities and complete table

  • the application of known linguistic structures in new contexts
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  • reconstruct information from a range of sources eg summarising information
/ Teacher
  • Presents new vocabulary using visuals cities in the world
  • Provides models of language structures

  • collaborative and inclusive ways to achieve communication goals
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  • interact with reference to purpose, audience or participants, eg making arrangements
/ Students
  • Mimic pronunciation of personality vocabulary
  • Mimic models of language structures

  • ways in which texts are formatted for particular purposes and effects
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  • explore the way text content is developed and how ideas and information are sequenced, eg headings, paragraphing, introductory sentences, topic shifts
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  • Write an email to your penfriend including a weather description provides models of language structures
  • Complete a gap-fill exercise on adjectives
  • Read descriptions of seasons and complete the table

  • resources available to enhance or promote independent learning
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  • develop skills in accessing appropriate additional information to expand and enhance communication, eg dictionaries, word lists, grammar references, authentic texts in print and online
/ Teacher
  • Presents new vocabulary using the world map book
Students
  • Complete a table of countries and cities
  • Practise the structures by completing exercises such as linking words together
  • Mimic the different usage of the term ‘dao到’

  • ways to analyse and explain features of language in use, and their relationship to the system
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  • analyse aspects of language in order to identify and explain structures and patterns in text
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Assessment for learning activity

Speaking (peer assessment)

Students
  • Present weather in different cities with the use of flashcards
  • Read out Pin-yins for bingo game
  • Present and drill the term ‘dao’ and give examples of how it is used

  • the use of technology to express ideas and create own text.
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  • access websites to transfer and manipulate data to produce a specific text, eg multimedia presentation.
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Students

  • Mimic pronunciation of terms for weather report
  • Read the weather descriptions Textbook p. 105
  • Listen to and read the dialogue about descriptions
  • Read a description of Beijing’s weather and match the flashcards to the description

  • variations of the message according to context, purpose and audience.
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  • reflect on formal and informal language, and when and where it is used.
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  • Listen to three weather reports p.107 from textbook and respond to a list of questions and comprehension questions
  • Listen to the Pin-yins and mimic the sounds of the New words and expression p.111 textbook

  • the importance of being aware of the choices that are made to convey precise meaning
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  • evaluate the accuracy and appropriateness of structures when constructing and editing text
/ Students
  • Give an oral description of their home countries’ weather
  • Revise cities and identify features of structures to indicate length of time and extreme condition
  • Survey the class to find out the weather patterns of their home towns and record the information in a table

  • the effect of linguistic choices on intended meaning
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  • make linguistic choices to enhance their intended meaning, drawing on a range of linguistic structures
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  • Make up weather reports like the ones that they have researched on the internet and students work in pairs to prepare for a presentation

  • the contributions of diverse cultures to the local and global community
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  • reflect on attitudes and practices that differ from their own
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Teacher

  • Talk about climate in China
  • Explain Tourism situation in Chinese cities

  • cultural attitudes that add meaning to texts
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  • identify and discuss cultural influences in specific texts, eg newspapers, magazines, advertisements, video clips, films
/ Students
  • Mimic pronunciation of cities’ names
  • Participate in pair work activities e.g. battleships to internalise new vocab
  • Play language computer games on weather
  • Research the climate and weather pattern of famous Chinese cities and write a report about it

  • Design an ideal weather pattern using dictionaries and internet resources
  • Listen to descriptions of weather and make future appointments
  • Using the given information to complete true or false and matching activities

  • ways in which texts are constructed for specific purposes
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  • identify purpose, eg to inform, persuade or entertain, and distinguish between main points and specific and supporting details in text
/ Students
  • Complete exercises such as fill in the gap with the correct usage of ‘dao’ and ‘si’
  • Write a short article using weather terms , ‘dao’, and ‘si’
  • Respond to basic comprehension questions about weather in English e.g What is the weather like in Beijing’s Spring?

  • the use of multimedia for communicative purposes.
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  • participate in discussions with speakers of Chinese, eg by using email, discussion forums on the internet.
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  • Listen to dialogues on a CD and identify the cities being discussed
  • Virtual Reality game on the Web to conduct tour to Beijing with the whole class

  • the manipulation of structure, format and choice of vocabulary to achieve specific purposes
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  • select and manipulate particular structures to achieve specific communication goals,
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  • Make up a grid with nine squares with letters of their own choice, students cross out the letters as the teacher calls them out. The winning student calls out ‘Binguo’!
  • Mimic new expressions from the situation and present the weather report situation as a role-play in groups

  • the need for consistent application of grammatical rules and conventions to achieve effective communication
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  • use metalanguage to explain linguistic structures and textual features encountered in text
/ Assessment for learning activity – Listening and Responding
Students
listen to descriptions and complete a table in English
  • ways to support and sustain communication in extended text
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  • describe features of text structure, textual coherence and cohesion in sequencing ideas, eg conjunctions, ellipsis
/ Assessment for learning activity – Reading and Responding
Students
  • read a description of 3 weather patterns and complete a table in English
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  • meaning conveyed in words
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  • analyse ways in which words are constructed, eg how particles are used for grammatical effect
/ Assessment for learning activity – Writing
Students
  • write descriptions of weather of two famous cities

Evaluation

‘This programme has been produced by the Languages staff at PresbyterianLadiesCollege, Sydney with funds provided by the Australian Government through the Languages Programme’.