Grade 6: Acquiring Information

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

• identify specific information from age-appropriate Chinese-language resources to complete authentic tasks
• convey acquired information in oral, visual, and simple written forms

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Acquiring Information in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• Have students watch a Chinese exercise video and perform the simple routines. Ask them to listen for names of various body parts and label them on a large picture. Then challenge them to listen for verbs associated with body movements (e.g., bend, stretch). Have students draw pictures of these movements and write the words in Pinyin, selecting them from a vocabulary chart. The video could be shown again without sound, with volunteers providing narration as the class performs the exercises. Alternatively, students could work in teams to see which team can determine the most information from the video in the shortest time.
• Give pairs of students store receipts (one receipt per pair) and have them gather information such as the cost of each item. Partners then role-play transactionsÑone student playing the customer, the other the service clerk.
• Ask students to watch several Chinese TV commercials. Have them record as much information as they can about each product, the selling points, and places where the items can be purchased. For each product, ask students to note any words or expressions that helped them acquire their information. In groups, students pool their findings and then create collages describing products of their choice. The collage should include some labels in simple Chinese (Pinyin or Chinese characters).

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

• When students participate along with exercise videos and draw and label pictures of the movements, note the extent to which they are able to:
  • recognize frequently repeated words and phrases
  • follow parts of the exercise sequence
  • use some of the new vocabulary and patterns in the labels on their visual representations
  • increase their comprehension by working collaboratively
• When students examine store receipts and role-play transactions, look for evidence that they are able to:
  • select appropriate information
  • use the information in their role plays
  • apply what they have learned about Chinese retail practices
• To assess students' abilities to work with age-appropriate resources, look for evidence that they are able to:
  • identify the main topics
  • focus on key words or phrases
  • make logical predictions based on the situations and their prior knowledge
  • use strategies such as previewing, looking, and listening for patterns; using context clues; watching for body language and intonation
  • persevere, even when they are not able to understand most of what they see, hear, or read

• Concise English-Chinese/Chinese-English Dictionary (Oxford)
• Long is a Dragon

• The Dragon's Tongue Series

• Chinese Mandarin Resource Book - Volumes 1, 2, and 3
• Zhongguotong

  BC Ministry of Education Home Page