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Chinese Fair

Critical Language Project
1 year 6 months ago
Bao Qingmei (STEP Academy, 2018-2019) and Marwa Borghol (STEP Academy, 2018-2019) received a CLP grant for a Chinese Fair, in which students and faculty demonstrated what a traditional Chinese fair is like. There was food, snacks for sale, and Chinese dumpling tutorials. There was also an arts section where participants learned to write Chinese calligraphy, brush painting, papercutting, and how to paint a Peking Opera mask. In additional, there was a variety of performances such as a Chinese dance call guozhuang, Chinese children’s songs, and martial and Tai Chi performances. There was some traditional Chinese sports for participants to join in on, like shuttlecock and long rope jumping. There was prizes for those who did well in these activities.

FANtasy

Critical Language Project
2 years 2 months ago
Zhang Wenjie (2017-2018) received, with mentor teacher Ivy Yiu (2017-2018), a CLP grant to hold, at the North Warren Multi-cultural fair, an event that will introduce the folk art of Chinese fan-making to the school district and community. As part of the FANtasy project, students enrolled Mandarin I and those in the North Warren Chinese Club will perform a traditional Chinese fan dance and sing a traditional Chinese folk song. Students attending will have the opportunity to learn and share about the cultural meanings and history of Chinese paper fans by painting fans, using the techniques of calligraphy and ink-wash painting. Additionally, students will also have the opportunity to make a digital fan through a cellphone application and to make posters for the event. This event will serve to promote the development of the incipient Mandarin Chinese program in the school district through engaging cultural activities.

Terracotta Warrior Exploration

Critical Language Project
2 years 6 months ago
Mentor teacher Debby Page (2016-2018) and exchange teacher Li Chunping (2017-2018) organized a unit (using the Franklin Institute's Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor K-12 Educators' Guide) focused on the story and science behind the terracotta warriors, exploring Chinese culture, history and language with their students. Working with library media specialists at their school, Ms. Page and Ms. Li Chunping guided students in a virtual field trip to the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xi’an, China. Additionally, students evaluated and analyzed information on the topic found in print and multimedia sources. 50 students then participated in a field trip to the Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. At the Franklin Institute, they explored the interactive Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor exhibit. At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, students participated in a docent led tour of Chinese art. Students then visited Philadelphia's Chinatown to partake in an authentic Chinese meal. Following the field trip, students engaged with focus questions and worked collaboratively to create a class presentation and video which was shared at grade level assemblies. The video was also shared at the school-wide Morning Show, a reception for Board of Education members, and a PTO Meeting, providing an opportunity for students to highlight the advantages of studying Chinese language and culture in order to promote support for the Chinese program and to encourage enrollments. .

Chinese Art and Food Appreciation

Critical Language Project
2 years 7 months ago
Ji Guanping’s (2017-2019) project aimed to enhance students’ cross-cultural understanding and increase their interest in learning about Chinese language and culture. Activities included Chinese New Year poster making, Chinese calligraphy for decoration, appreciating artwork of China and other Asian countries, and trying Chinese food by ordering in the target language in an authentic Chinese restaurant. A culminating event was held simultaneously with parent/teacher conferences for the students to share their experiences and knowledge and celebrate the Chinese New Year. Through the project, not only students, but also their family members and friends learned about Chinese culture and traditions. Overall, 28 students, 12 teachers, and 55 parents benefited from this project and expanded their cultural appreciation of China and awareness of the Mandarin program at STEP. Guanping’s principal and board members were impressed by the project and are excited for the continuing the Mandarin Chinese program in the future.

Chinese Cultural School and Community Fairs

Critical Language Project
3 years 6 months ago
  Yu Aihua, exchange teacher at Mingus Union High School in Cottonwood, Arizona, will conduct a project to bring cultural opportunities to students in her Chinese club, the general high school population, and people in the surrounding community. The Chinese club will create eight cultural presentation covering topics such as calligraphy, paper cutting, Beijing Opera, traditional festivals, Chinese history, sports, and cuisine. Each week students will present a new topic along with a hands-on activity during their lunch periods. Ms. Yu aims to have all students at the school benefit through the research and presentation of her Mandarin students. In total, the students will conduct eight presentations at the school, and will additionally visit different venues in the community to present these topics to a broader audience, including nearby schools, the public library, and a local senior center. In February 2017, students will take a field trip to the Phoenix Cultural Center, where they will display and present their work as part of a Chinese New Year celebration. Students will also have the opportunity to take part in many cultural activities and experience Chinese traditions first-hand during this culminating event.

The Origins of the Names of China

Critical Language Project
4 years 2 months ago
Xia Zhi, former TCLP Teacher, was awarded a CLP grant to support an immersive exploration of Chinese history and language with his students. Xia Zhi decided to set up this project with his students to focus on the name “China” and delve into the origin of this and other Chinese words. The students did research, interviewed experts, and proved the result of the research. Xia Zhi and his students used the research to develop a book for the school's library. Students learned how to conduct research, assess the outcome of the research, cooperate, and communicate with other people. Student got and in-depth perspective of the origins of Mandarin Chinese words and language to expand their Mandarin reading and speaking skills.

Chinese Language Club and Online Chinese School Newsletter

Critical Language Project
4 years 7 months ago
  TCLP exchange teacher Tan Lihua received a CLP grant to establish the Chinese Language Club, an intensive Chinese language program that provides extra learning activities to students who are interested in learning more about Chinese language and culture, and the Chinese Club Newsletter an online Newsletter that provides a report and summary to Chinese Language Club members who participated in different club activities. Students participated in the following activities: a Chinese culture and arts show, a shadow puppet play, making Chinese knots, a traditional Chinese fashion show, making Chinese tea, reading Chinese Books, Chinese calligraphy, playing Chinese cards game, learning Chinese songs, video-conferencing with Chinese students in China to learn more from each other, a lecture from a Chinese calligrapher from the Overseas Chinese Culture Athletic and Arts Federation (OCCAAF), and Chinese Cultural field trips to the international market, Buddhism temple, and a authentic Chinese restaurant.   After the engaging Chinese club activities, students greatly improved their Chinese language skills, which included their Chinese writing and speaking. The Chinese language club largely increased students’ cultural awareness about Chinese culture and arts through diverse Chinese cultural activities and lessons to immerse students into Chinese Culture and language.

Field Trip to the Metropolitan Museum

Critical Language Project
4 years 7 months ago
  TCLP Arabic Teacher, Hanan Gawdet, received a Critical Language Project Grant to give Southern Lehigh Arabic students from 7th -12th grade an opportunity to focus on “Ancient and Modern Egyptian Arts.”   First, the students (in 7th to 12th grades) studied and presented to the class in Arabic on Islamic Art, Ancient Egypt, and different cultures in the Arab world. This prepared the students for the class field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, funded by the CLP, where they did further research on related subjects. At the museum, the students were provided with a check list of scavenger hunt questions to answer for their class. Simultaneously, Ms. Gawdat’s class in Egypt took a virtual museum tour in Egypt via Skype, which allowed the them to learn about topics similar to her U.S. students. The Egyptian and American students shared what they had learned with each other using Skype.   After the field trip, the students shared information via a Power Point presentation with Arabic subtitles, photos, and video of their experience at a school assembly. In art classes, the American students also created Egyptian Sculptures and made a giant tapestry using Arabic and Islamic Art pictures that was hung at the entrance to the school.

Arab World and Language Awareness Week

Critical Language Project
4 years 8 months ago
Principal Al Church at the Academy for Math, Engineering and Science in Salt Lake City, UT was given CLP funding for an Arab World and Language Awareness Week, conducted in partnership with the University of Utah’s Middle Eastern Center. TCLP Arabic teacher Samir Gibrial collaborated in organizing 65 current students and many community members who participated in multiple activities including: a field trip to the University of Utah’s Middle Eastern Center to observe a university Arabic class, view Arabic artifacts, and share an Arabic meal. Over 130 9th grade students participated in a beginning lesson with TCLP teacher Mr. Gibrial, and in an evening presentation that was open to the public. The Arabic Cultural Evening included Arabic artifact and calligraphy displays, dance performances, open discussions with panel speakers, and Arab food. These presentations were aimed at increasing awareness of the importance of Arabic study, the need for this critical language knowledge, and the availability of quality instruction at area schools and universities.

Ancient Near East Culture and Language

Critical Language Project
4 years 8 months ago
Mentor teacher Robert Wiley at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago, IL and TCLP Arabic teacher Abdel Magid Hussein collaborated on a project to enhance 58 Arabic I students' knowledge of Ancient Near East culture and language using resources at the Oriental Institute Museum in Hyde Park, Chicago. In order to initiate interest and basic Arabic knowledge among those not currently enrolled in Arabic, 20 Reading/Writing students were invited on the trip and paired with Arabic students during an Arabic scavenger hunt. Following this field trip, students designed presentations on specific topics to be presented at the Lincoln Park Middle March International Day, open to the school and community. As a final element to the project, students were again paired with non-Arabic language students to create an Arabic-themed mural in the school hallways and incorporated Arabic text explaining the history and significance of these murals.

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