BC Education - Mandarin Chinese 5 to 12 - Appendix D

Sample 1: Grade 5

Topic : Introducing Self and Family

Prescribed Learning Outcomes:

Communicating

It is expected that students will:

exchange simple greetings
introduce themselves and others, using appropriate family-relationship terms in the context of the immediate family
repeat and respond to simple requests

Understanding Culture and Society

identify characteristics of Chinese cultures

Overview

In this introductory unit, students learned to provide information about themselves and their families (real or fictitious). Evaluation was based on:

participation in classroom oral activities
booklets
short oral presentations

Planning for Assessment and Evaluation

The teacher led a discussion about names, inviting students to contribute information about their own names (e.g., how their given names were chosen, the cultural background of their family names).
The teacher presented information about Chinese names and explained how they are chosen and written (e.g., family name first). After talking about a variety of examples, students, with the teacher's help, chose two Chinese characters that they could use to name or identify themselves during Mandarin classes. Some students chose Chinese characters with meanings that appealed to them; others chose characters that sounded like their names. The teacher provided name cards in Pinyin.
The teacher modelled how to introduce oneself, then students practised introducing themselves. They circulated around the room and, at a given signal, responded to the question N v õ jiˆo shŽnme m’ngzi?
Students started work on booklets about themselves by creating title pages. They drew pictures of themselves and/or objects associated with some of their activities and accomplishments. They labelled these using Pinyin, including their names, using their family names first. Some students chose to use their adopted Chinese names as first names; others used their given names. (All used their real family names.)
Using photographs and sketching on the chalkboard, the teacher introduced family members, writing labels in Pinyin for family relationships. Students worked with partners to practise the patterns and vocabulary the teacher had introduced.
The teacher continued to provide frequent opportunities for students to practise the patterns and vocabulary they had learned. For example, groups selected characters from popular media and from stories and novels they had studied in English and then challenged other groups to name their family members and relationships.
Students added to their booklets. They drew pictures of their families, or of fictitious ones, and labelled the pictures in Pinyin, using the patterns and relationship terms they had learned. Students then continued to learn new vocabulary and patterns, adding more pages to their booklets (e.g., birthday, interests, friends).
When the booklets were complete, students practised presenting them to partners, displaying and reading each page aloud. They worked to internalize the patterns so they could present their work fluently.
Students presented their booklets to the class.

Defining the Criteria

As students worked on activities in this unit, the teacher outlined the requirements and discussed the criteria.

Participation in Oral Activities;

To what extent does the student:

take risks; make an effort to speak Chinese
exchange simple greetings
follow simple directions for classroom routines
use practised structures to ask and answer questions

Booklet

To what extent does the student:

write own name in Chinese format (family name first)
use appropriate relationship terms to label pictures
use correct Pinyin spellings and tone markers
correctly reproduce simple sentence patterns in Pinyin
clearly present information so it is easy to follow and understand

Note: The illustrations and graphic design were assessed as part of fine arts.

Oral Presentation

To what extent does the student:

correctly use language patterns practised in class, including greetings
pronounce words so they can be understood; make an effort to distinguish among the tones
read or recite with some flow (pauses tend to be at the end of a sentence or phrase, rather than after every word)
use mime, gesture, and pictures to help convey meaning
attempt to self-correct

Assessing and Evaluating Student Performance

The teacher used a checklist and performance rating scales to evaluate students' work. Students were given copies of the rating scales, and they discussed them in English before beginning work on their assignments.

Participation in Oral Activities

Date: ___________________________ Name: ___________________________

Criteria Rating

takes risks; makes effort to speak Chinese

exchanges simple greetings

follows simple directions for classroom routines

uses practised structures to ask and answer questions

Key:

3-Independently/With Minimal Support
2-With Some Support
1-With Continuing Support
0-Not Demonstrated

Booklet
Rating Criteria

Outstanding Goes beyond the requirements To demonstrate additional learning (e.g., includes vocabulary not introduced in class and uses some Chinese characters).

Good Complete and accurate. Uses the structures and vocabulary provided to present required information.

Satisfactory Includes most family member and relationship terms. Writes own name in correct format. May omit some information or make errors (e.g., use an inappropriate label).

Requirements Not Met May be incomplete, inappropriate, or incomprehensible.

**Booklet**
Rating	Criteria
Outstanding	Goes beyond the requirements To demonstrate additional learning (e.g., includes vocabulary not introduced in class and uses some Chinese characters).
Good	Complete and accurate. Uses the structures and vocabulary provided to present required information.
Satisfactory	Includes most family member and relationship terms. Writes own name in correct format. May omit some information or make errors (e.g., use an inappropriate label).
Requirements Not Met	May be incomplete, inappropriate, or incomprehensible.

Oral Presentation
Rating Criteria

Outstanding Goes beyond basic requirements to demonstrate additional learning. Greets the class appropriately and might include a concluding or leave-taking phrase. Reads or recites the required information with some fluency. Most of the presentation is understandable. Makes clear and consistent attempts to distinguish among tones. Shows awareness of own speech, and attempts to self-correct, often by restarting a sentence or phrase.

Good Reads or recites the required information, often with frequent pauses. Most parts can be understood. Makes some attempts to distinguish among tones, although these may not be consistent. Shows some awareness of own speech, and may repeat a word after a blatant pronunciation error.

Satisfactory Reads or recites most of the required information, often hesitantly, speaking word by word. Comprehensible with some effort on the part of the listener (the teacher may understand easily; classmates might have a great deal of difficulty). Attempts accurate pronunciation but may fail to distinguish tones, and often mixes Mandarin and English pronunciations.

Requirements Not Met May be incomplete, inappropriate, or incomprehensible.

**Oral Presentation**
Rating	Criteria
Outstanding	Goes beyond basic requirements to demonstrate additional learning. Greets the class appropriately and might include a concluding or leave-taking phrase. Reads or recites the required information with some fluency. Most of the presentation is understandable. Makes clear and consistent attempts to distinguish among tones. Shows awareness of own speech, and attempts to self-correct, often by restarting a sentence or phrase.
Good	Reads or recites the required information, often with frequent pauses. Most parts can be understood. Makes some attempts to distinguish among tones, although these may not be consistent. Shows some awareness of own speech, and may repeat a word after a blatant pronunciation error.
Satisfactory	Reads or recites most of the required information, often hesitantly, speaking word by word. Comprehensible with some effort on the part of the listener (the teacher may understand easily; classmates might have a great deal of difficulty). Attempts accurate pronunciation but may fail to distinguish tones, and often mixes Mandarin and English pronunciations.
Requirements Not Met	May be incomplete, inappropriate, or incomprehensible.

Note: Communicating meaning is the most important consideration and should receive the greatest weighting when assigning a grade.

Last Modified: March 24, 1999

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