A Unit of Study:

The ChineseProvinces, Administration Units and

The environs of Hangzhou, China

William Franklin

Suggested Grade Levels: 4-6

Suggested Curriculum Areas: Educational Technology, Social Studies, and Communications.

Estimated time for the activity:

5-6, 45-minute sessions for the ChineseProvinces and Administration Units and 5-6, 45- minute sessions for the environs of Hangzhou, China. Duration dependent on class size and computer lab access.

Essential (Major) Understandings

Provinces are like states, but with differences. A state is a governmental and geographical area found in a country such as the United States that duplicates and maintains nearly the same nationwide values found in all other states in the union. China’s 23 Provinces and other Administration Units (i.e., 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities, Hong Kong and Macao) can resemble ‘mini-countries’ or ‘city-states’ that operate more independently of each other while still conforming to the uniform decisions of a powerful central government. An essential understanding is that relatively young countries like the United States have organized their states from the beginning with values that are understood and shared by all, whereas much older countries like China often ‘retrofit’ provinces/units into formerly independent areas that represent a far greater array of pre-existing values. An essential understanding is that the fundamental attributes of provinces in an unfamiliar culture can make meaningful connections with what is known about the same attributes of states in a familiar one. Other essential understandings are that ancient countries like China can have several capital cities like Hangzhou over time, and that a single plant such as tea can profoundly influence the history and culture of a nation.

Content Standards

WashingtonState Essential Academic Learning Requirements Grades 4-6 [1]

EALRs 2-3 Social Studies: Economics, Geography, History, SS Skills

EALRs 1-3 Communications:The student uses listening and observation skills and strategies to gain understanding, uses skills and strategies to communicate intercultural knowledge of topic/theme, audience, and purpose to plan presentations, uses media and other resources to support presentations, uses effective delivery.

EALRs 1&2 Educational Technology: Students use technology within all content areas to collaborate, communicate, generate innovative ideas, investigate and solve problems. Students demonstrate a clear understanding of technology systems and operations and practice safe, legal and ethical behavior.

Objectives

Students will study one of the 23 Provinces of China in pairs. Depending on class size, the remaining 11 Administration Units ( A.U.s) can be assigned to individuals, pairs or other combinations based on ability level. The study of 7major sites in the environs of Hangzhouwill be a whole class study, but similarly assigned.

Students will explore online computer lab and onsite library resources to collect data on their Province/A.U. and their assigned studies of the major sites in the environs of Hangzhou.

Students will organize data in their own server folders and complete a computer lab ‘fact file’ and PowerPoint assignment for their Province/AU and the Hangzhou assignments.

Students will give corresponding oral presentation demonstrating an understanding and appreciation of the Province/A.U. and Hangzhou assignments.

Background Information for Teachers

For best learning, teachers will want to precede this unit with a study/report on US states.

If the class size exceeds 17 students, re-assign some of the Province/A.U.s to higher-level individual students rather than student pairs. Adjust the Hangzhou assignment groups to be as equally balanced as possible.

The Province/A.U. lesson could be adapted to the study of other countries with provinces (e.g., Canada) or, with alterations, a study to compare states and provinces (e.g., Australia, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, US, China, Canada). The Hangzhou lesson, as just one example,could be adapted to a study of important historical sites of ancient capital cities.

Find and greatly enlarge a Province/A.U.-demarcated map of China for classroom display. is a very good Province/AU-demarcated map available at Asia for Educators, an excellent website for elementary-level resources on China. Large assortments of free online maps of Provincesand Hangzhouto print or project can be found at Chinese Provinces and maps ofHangzhou. The following site has student-friendly maps and other pertinent information. A service like FedEx Kinkos is a good source for making oversized, white board-sized prints.Teachers can acquaint themselves early on with Hangzhou by exploring the following sites and compiling information and visuals pertinent to it’s environs:

The teacher should have access to a server (or some safe digital storage) to which students can save, edit and retrieve their individual accumulated materials and projects.

Create a resource folder with separateChinaand Hangzhoufolders inside on your class website and/or in a class ‘dropbox’ for studentaccess. Explore, select and post the Websites Resources (and their many links) that will be suitable for your students to use in their Province/A.U. and Hangzhoufact files and PowerPoints. The previously mentioned site has many subcategories that point directly to useful environs of Hangzhou information.

Create a ‘fact file’ template in Kidspiration or Inspiration (or word document if have either) that you will project and handout as a student guide (see Day 2 for details).

Purchase in advance (or acquire through your school/district/public library) some of the books in the Book List. Chinese Culture Active Learning Series and it’s over 28 different booklets is especially useful. In addition to the CDs that come with this series, there are free online Chinese language pronunciation sites that will give students a chance to hear the correct pronunciation of Chinese words.

Activities for the Provinces and Administration Units of Study

Day 1

  1. Spend at least a 45-minute period with the class examining the enlarged map or map projection that demarcates the 34 Provinces and 11 A.U.s.
  2. Assign each student/pair a Province/A.U. or if preferred, devise a random selection procedure such as having students pull a name from a hat (a Chinese one, of course!).
  3. Help practice the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation of the Province/A.U. with the students, explaining that Mandarin Chinese is China’s official language even though other regional languages and dialects exist. In addition to writing Chinese words out phonetically and if you have the time, try to focus student attention on the special letter symbols used in western script that are normally used to facilitate correct pronunciation of Chinese Initials, Tones and Finals.
  4. If students have recently completed a US state report (highly recommended), they should be aware that the continental United States are grouped into geographical regions that we call the Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Midwest, etc. Unless your enlarged map already does this, outline and name the 6 geographical regions of China around the Province/A.U. they encompass thusly:

Northeast: Hébei, Hēilōngjiāng, Inner Mongolia, Jīlín, Liáoníng, Shānxiī.

Northwest: Gānsù, Níngxià, Qīnghai, Shanxi (Shaanxi), Xinjiāng.

East Central:Fújiàn, Jiāngsū, Shāngdōng, Táiwān, Zhèjiāng.

Central:Ānhuī, Hénán, Húbei, Hunán, Jiāngxiī.

Southeast: Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdōng, Guangxī, Hainán.

Southwest: Guìzhōu, Sìchuān, Tibet, Yúnnán.

Municipalities:Beijīng, Chóngqìng, Shànghai, Tiānjīn.

5. If possible, group the students together into their Chinese ‘regions’. This association will be become more meaningful for the students when they present their oral state reports by region.

6. Explain that the autonomous regions are a bit like our own pre-state regions (e.g., WashingtonState was once part of the OregonTerritory) that were more under the control of a distant Federal Government. Also explain that the uniqueness of municipalities is a bit like the uniqueness of our own District of Columbia, and the special administration regions of Hong Kong and Macau are a bit like our own Puerto Rico. If you have a high achievement group, and after you have given them some general definitions, you might present the previous information in the form of questions: do you think you can compare the autonomous regions to our early territories (and how), is there any part or place in the US that might be unique like Hong Kong or one of the municipalities of China (and why), etc.

Day 2

1.Show students where all the book and material resources are (either your classroom or on reserve in the library). Assemble students in the computer lab and show them the Chinaresource file on the classroom website or classroom dropboxwhere they can access websites and the template in step 2, below. Demonstrate how to save, retrieve, etc.

2.Show students your ‘fact file’ template that you have created (ideally in Kidspiration or Inspiration) on an overhead/ digital projection and hand out hardcopies. Demonstrate how to locate, copy and paste Province/A.U. picture, etc. Your fact file template should include the following:

 Size (in sq km)

 Population

 Languages

 Capital (Provinces only)

 Rivers

 Forests/National Parks/Wildlife Sanctuary

 National Neighbors (Province/A.U.)

 International Neighbors or seas (if on the periphery)

 Special products made there

 Special foods grown and eaten there

 Famous people and historical events there

 Traditional art, music and dance

 Discovery(s) of special interest to the student!

3.Explain that the fact file will be filled out in pencil on the handout first, then typed into the template and saved. When this is completed, the information will be transferred into PowerPoint slides as part of a larger project that includes unique pictures, audio files, and important facts about history, people, art and music that represent their Province/A.U.).

4.With any time that may be left, have students begin researching their fact file information. Collect the papers and save for the next day/session.

Days 3-4

1.Pass out the fact file papers and have students complete the tasks started on Day 2, including transferring the written information on the fact file handouts to the fact file template and saving that to their own ‘saving space’ (either a unique student ‘dropbox’ or flashdrive, for example).

2.When all students are finished with step 1, review the access information and requirements for the PowerPoint that follows. The PowerPoint should include:

A minimum of 10 slides, maximum 20.

A title page slide with Province/A.U. name in a large font, student names in smaller font, and a background Province/A.U. -related picture and audio music file. The audio music file, if appropriately subdued, may continue for all remaining slides. Different background pictures, foreground pictures and audio music file may be on each slide, as long as they are relevant to other information on the slide. If something doesn’t seem relevant, ask the student to defend his/her choice.

At least 3 slides with the transferred fact file information included.

At least 1 slide on Province/A.U. history (e.g., in the 13th century CE the Italian Marco Polo wrote that the largest city in the world was what is now know as Hángzhōu, today’s capital city of Zhèjiāng province, or Xi’ān the capital of Shanxi Province was once called Chang’an and was were the Silk Road started in BCE China).

At least 1 slide on Province/A.U music (e.g., Peking Opera music of the BeijīngMunicipality).

At least 1 slide on Province/A.U art (e.g., lacquer ware of FújiànProvince).

At least 1 slide on a famous Province/A.U person (e.g., the philosopher Confucius or Kong Fūz lived in what is now ShāngdōngProvince).

At least 1 slide on a famous city or monument (e.g., the burial complex of China’s first emperor Qín Shi Huáng and the terra cotta warriors)

1 slide on something the students think is the best (or favorite) thing about the Province/A.U!

Days 5-6

  1. Before individual PowerPoints are shown, reassemble students in their ‘regional groups’ again and have them brainstorm what they think are ‘linking commonalities’. Prompt by suggesting they think about some things like:
  2. What languages are spoken.
  3. What kind of work do people do (is farming or fishing important, is growing rice, tea or apples big here, etc.)
  4. What is the weather or landscape like (is there heavy rainy weather, is the land flat or does it have a lot of mountains, is there a major river, etc.)
  5. What was important about their history (was silk produced here first, did the Mongols rule in this region, is there a portion of the Great Wall or Great Canal here, did English, Portuguese. French, Japanese or Americans have anything to do with this region? )
  6. Have students take some time and write down about 4 things they think they

learned about their Province/A.U. Have them ready to memorize and present

that information in a short, 1 or 2 minute oral report.

  1. Have students give a class presentation of their Province/A.U. PowerPoint,

organized by region. Each student will follow this with a 1 or 2-minute oral

report on what they learned about their Province/A.U.

Activitiesfor the environs of Hangzhou Unit of Study

Day 1

  1. Spend the first part of the 45-minute period with the class examining the enlarged map or map projection(s) thatshow the city of Hangzhou, the surrounding areas and the geographic location of Hangzhou in China and East Asia.
  2. Explain to the students that you will be grouping them into 7 roughly equal study groups of equally mixed boys and girls. Pre-assign the student(s) that previously reported on ZhèjiāngProvincein the Provinces/A.U. Unit to the study group(s) with students that may need most assistance. Also try to populate each group with at least one student that is a higher learner, or one that is likely to be successful with the topic of that group.
  3. After establishing the groups, tell each group what their environs of Hangzhou study focus will be. I think it is best to do this after establishing the groups to avoid any conflicts regarding choice. This is also done, as mentioned above, to put together the most successful combination of students.
  4. The 7 group topics:

West Lake, Song Dynasty Theme Park, Chinese Calligraphy, The Grand Canal, The Hangzhou Museums, Wuzhen Village and the National Tea Museum.

  1. Practice the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation of the new Chinese words they will encounter, e.g,Hangzhou, Song, Qianjiang, Wuzhen. Review the correct pronunciation of Chinese Initials, Tones and Finalsas discussed in the Provinces/A.U Unit.
  2. Pinpoint the geographic locations of each of the 7 topics on map already projected, or on a projected tourist-type map that already shows the locations, or on a physical map of Hangzhou that can be displayed.
  3. Now that students have their topics, explain that the next period will begin by assigning information-collecting responsibilities within groups from a list of search facts they will be looking for. The teacher will remind students that there will be specific websites to search on their topics within the Hangzhou folder that is on the class website and/or in the class dropbox.
  4. Leave enough time remaining to give students a general overview of Hangzhou, explaining some of its special features (including some that they will later research)and modelinga sample list of search facts and method of inquiry that they should use in their own research.

For material to assist with the overview, use these sites:

A list of possible search facts and prompt questions:

  • Age: When was Hangzhou first settled?…..4,700 years ago
  • Capital: When was Hangzhou a capital of China?....during the Southern Sung Dynasty from 1132 to 1276
  • Famous natural landmark: What is Hangzhou’s major geographical landmark?....West Lake
  • Famous man-made landmark: What is Hangzhou’s major man-made landmark?...the Grand Canal
  • Famous western visitor: Who was a famous western visitor?....Marco Polo in the 13th century
  • Famous Chinese art form:what can be read but also used as art?....it is called Chinese Calligraphy.
  • Famous ancient town: what and where is a famous ancient Chinese water town near Hangzhou?...it is called Wuzhen and it is next to the Grand Canal
  • Famous tea museum: what and where is China’s most famous tea museum?...it is called The NationalTeaMuseum and is west of West Lake.
  • Famous theme park: what is a famous theme park outside of Hangzhou?....SongDynastyCultureTheme Park or SongTown.

Day 2

  1. Have students in each of the 7 topic groups sit together. Show them your ‘fact file’ template that you have created (ideally in Kidspiration or Inspiration) on an overhead/ digital projection and hand out hardcopies.The students in each group will divide up the following possible list of search facts and record those they are responsible for on their own fact file sheets. The fact file information from the students of each group will reemerge in their respective group PowerPoints.

A partial list of possible search facts:

 Size and/or age

Historical or present day function

Important location(s) (if it has one)