Read-On StarTalk Program Home
Read-On StarTalk 2015 Home
Participants
Expert Sessions
Research on Text Literacy
Best Practices in Text Literacy in Chinese

Daily Schedule

Grade-Level Thematically-Based Modules

Complete Unit K-5 Complete Unit 6-8 Complete Unit 9-12 Complete Unit 13+
Read-On StarTalk 2012 Home
Read-On StarTalk 2013 Home
Read-On StarTalk 2014 Home
STARTALK

 

 

 

Theme, Goal, Population, Time Can Do Statements Daily Lessons Assessment

Complete Unit 13+

Day-to-day lesson plans and activities you can use in your classroom

 

13+ Daily Lessons 2015

 

Reading and Writing Skills Focused

Pre-reading: predicting, skimming, scanning, previewing with purpose, activating cultural background and prior linguistic knowledge

During-reading: determining text type with the use of textual organizer, identifying main ideas, classifying supporting details, categorizing contextual clues (sequence markers, transition markers, discourse markers, etc.), summarizing viewpoints and attitude, conjecturing word/phrase meaning from the context, making inferences, rauding, learning

Post-reading:     comprehension check (linguistic and cultural knowledge), summarizing main viewpoints, learning and memorizing to use textual organizers and contextual markers to write more effectively, retelling

Readings
(Modified. Adapted from authentic materials.)

  • 《一个美国人眼中的跨国婚姻》
  • 《中美异族婚姻两大优点》
  • 《袁立反思跨国恋:嫁给老外才知中国男人的好》

Materials
(Authentic materials & links included)

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNzMwNjIxODQ=.html?from=s1.8-1-1.1

Sentence Patterns

  • 愈来愈…..
  • 牵扯到…(问题)时,...
  • 相对于….而言,...

Core Vocabulary

  • Core Vocabulary:

跨+noun,维持,碰撞,混血,包容,迷茫,关键,综上所述,涉及,鸿沟,障碍,误解,利弊

  • Word/Phrase Expansion

1. 跨(跨国,跨文化,跨种族,跨信仰,跨宗教)
2. 维持(维持婚姻,维持感情,维持关系,很难维持,难以维持,维持不下去,无法维持,尽力维持,维持得很好)
3. 碰撞(中西文化碰撞,风俗习惯上的碰撞,观念碰撞,思想碰撞)
4. 混血(混血儿,混血孩子)
5. 包容(对..更加包容,包容心,无法包容)
6. 迷茫(<对..>很迷茫,<对..>感到迷茫)
7. 关键(问题的关键是...经营婚姻的关键是…, 维持…的关键是…)
8. 综上所述 (总而言之,...,总的来说,...)
9. 涉及(涉及到..的问题)
10.   鸿沟(...之间有一道鸿沟,产生…危险的鸿沟)
11.   障碍(语言障碍,文化障碍,产生...障碍,克服..的障碍)
12.   误解(产生误解,A误解了B<的意思>)
13.   利弊(有利有弊,利大于弊,弊大于利)

Lesson 1

Objectives

  • Activate background knowledge and linguistic knowledge through videos and authentic materials;
  • Discuss cultural differences and conflicts in the cross-cultural romantic relationship.

 
Activity 1: Contextualize the Learning Objective of this Unit
In order to engage students in meaningful practices, tell students that we will discuss the concerns and challenges that their best friend is facing. 
 
Steps: (L1_Handout 活动一) (L1_PPT slide #2-5)

  • The teacher introduces the storyline.
  • Each student first writes down the possible problems and challenges in a cross-cultural romantic relationship.
  • Students in pairs discuss their views. 
  • Each pair shares the main points of their discussion (including specific examples).

Activity 2: Activate Students’ Cultural Background and Awareness through Video & Follow-up Discussion
The purpose of this activity is three fold: 1) to encourage learners to recognize that they are culturally conditioned; 2) to prompt learners to pay attention to different cultural perspectives and perceptions; 3) and provide opportunities for learners to engage in process-based tasks.

Material Needed:  a movie clip《喜福会》-见父母
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhtjwGZlaew&list=PL9CKh2hfqFvbisE7ChwFdxVRuusxa436O
 
Steps: (L1_Handout 活动二) (L1_PPT slide #6-10)

  • Watch the video clip.
  • Students in small groups discuss the questions based on the video clip.
  • Each group writes down their answers to the above questions on a poster.
  • Place the posters on wall. Students walk around the classroom and read the answers written by other groups and make comments.
  • The teacher goes over the posters with students.

Activity 3: Activate Students’ Linguistic Knowledge
Students are asked to preview and find out the meaning of the vocabulary of the article “一个美国人眼中的跨国婚姻” before this class.  (L1_一个美国人眼中的跨国婚姻).  This activity focuses on a set of new words and phrases which will be used in Activity 4.

Steps:  (L1_Handout 活动三) (L1_PPT slide #11-18)

  • Vocabulary practice生词练习: review the new words.
  • Phrase exercises短语练习: connect the verbs with the noun phrases
  • Reorganize chunks to sentences连词成句
  • Paragraph practice完成段落

Activity 4: Using the Key Words and Phrases in Video Discussion
Material: Movie 《推手》 three generations together
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuvsD0Tizzw  (watch 1:40-5:04)

Students will be asked to use the new vocabulary to describe the movie clip (3-5 sentences) and express their opinion (3-5 sentences). 用刚练习过的生词或短语来描述影片,表达看法。

Homework
1.   Read Aloud Paragraph 5 and 6 of Article  “一个美国人眼中的跨国婚姻.” Record your best reading-aloud of paragraph 5 and 6.  The assessment rubric of reading-aloud is in L1_readaloud assessment rubric.
2.   Character Homework (L1_CharacterSheet).

Lesson 2

Objectives:

  • Able to extract main information or key words from authentic materials and make inferences;
  • Able to brainstorm, compose, discuss, finalize and share their viewpoints from different angles through purpose-driven reading with guided activities;
  • Use a variety of bottom-up reading exercises to enhance in-depth textual comprehension and develop critical thinking as well as higher-level reading and writing strategies.

 
Activity 1: Warm Up: Cross-X Marriage Discussion
Demonstrate a clip of Avatar. Students will discuss what kind of cross-X marriage it is: (cross country/cross culture/cross race/cross religious…) and talk about the challenges and advantages of this kind of marriage.  (discussion questions are in L2_PPT Activity1-7 #4)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHRIVioj8l0

Activity 2: Practice Vocabulary in Context
 (Material: L2_Activity2)
 

  • Students in pairs read the paragraph and choose the words that indicate negative or positive meaning.
  • Students in pairs find the topic sentence of the paragraph.

Activity 3: Make Prediction by Looking at the Article Title

 
Activity 4: Scan the Article for Main Points  (L2_PPT Activity1-7 #9-11)
Steps:

  • Circle the phrases “金安迪/他(也)认为” and “金安迪/他(也)指出.
  • Highlight in orange the examples that cited in this article.
  • Highlight in green all of the information related to 混血儿.
  • Highlight in blue all of the information related to advantages of cross-country/culture marriage.
  • Highlight in red all of the information related to challenges of cross-country/culture marriage.
  • Highlight in purple all of the information related to suggestions/tips for the cross-country/culture marriage.
  • Formative assessment: 10 true-and-false questions (Material: L2_activity4)Teacher goes over the questions with whole class.

Activity 5: Categorize the Main Information (L2_PPT Activity1-7 #12-13)
The class will be reorganized and divided into 4 groups.  Every group works together to answer one of the following questions based on the reading and then fill all four graphic organizers. (Material: L2_activity 5)

  • What is the definition of a cross-country/culture marriage?
  • What is the benefit of a cross-country/culture marriage?
  • What is the challenge of a cross-country/culture marriage?
  • What is the key to maintain a cross-country/culture marriage?

Activity 6: Connect the Article Effectively (L2_PPT Activity1-7 #14-18)

  • Divide students into groups of 3.
  • Student are guided to identify the connectors and discourse markers of the article using the Robot structure map (Material: L2_activity6)

Activity 7: Analyze the Text Type and Structure (L2_PPT Activity1-7 #19-20)
Activate and utilize students’ L1 knowledge about text type and text structure to identify that of the article.   (Material: L2_Activity7)

  • Identify the text type of the article and see which structure picture best delineates the organization of the article;
  • Go over the typical connectors used in the different text types, and see if such connectors are used in the present article.
  • If you are not satisfied with the provided structure for the article, come up with your own structure map and add connectors to your structure.

 

Activity 8: Introduce and Practice Sentence Patterns in Context
Sentence Structure 1 愈来愈(L2_PPT_activity8 #4-10)

  • Introduce the pattern 愈来愈adj。
  • Find and highlight in blue the pattern “愈来愈+ adj”  used in the article (L1_一个美国人眼中的跨国婚姻).
  • Circle the 愈来愈 in the posters/ads in PPTs #5-8.
  • Listening to the song 《哪怕天愈来愈黑》 and fill in the blank. Handout: (L2_activity8哪怕天愈来愈黑)
    (song link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPKHOmMoRCg
  • Rewrite the sentences using 愈来愈, PPT#9.
  • Check students’ comprehension and mastery of the pattern by Story Solitaire game (接龙). Start from “自从….以后,subject 1愈来愈adj1了”,  the next student will connect from “自从subject 1 愈来愈adj1以后,subj2(变得)愈来愈….”In other words, each student has to continue the story using愈来愈adj1 .( PPT#10)

 
Sentence Structure 2牵扯到…(的问题时)(L2_PPT_activity8 #11-17)

  • Introduce the pattern 牵扯到…(的问题时),…。
  • Find and highlight in green the pattern 牵扯到used in the article, (L1_一个美国人眼中的跨国婚姻).
  • Circle the牵扯到…(的问题时)in the screenshots of authentic materials PPT #12-14.
  • Rewrite the sentences using (一)牵扯到…(的问题时),subj就…. PPT #15.
  • Check students’ comprehension and mastery of the pattern. Students use the sentence pattern to describe the pictures in small groups and then see if a variety of opinions or factors are involved in these matters, e.g. pollution, equality, family roles, etc. (PPT #16-17)

Sentence Structure 3: 相对于…而言,…。(L2_PPT_activity8 #18-26)

  • Introduce the pattern 相对于…而言,…。
  • Find and highlight in orange the pattern 相对于…而言used in the article, (L1_一个美国人眼中的跨国婚姻).
  • Circle the相对于…而言in the screenshots of authentic materials. (PPT #19-21)
  • Rewrite the sentence using相对于…而言(PPT #22)
  • Check students’ comprehension and mastery of the pattern. Students use the sentence pattern to describe the pictures/stats in small groups. (PPT #23-26)

Integration of Sentence Structure 1-3 (L2_Activity8早报关键词 异族通婚.mp4)
Ask students use the three targeted structures to summarize the main ideas in this news clip: 《早报关键词: 异族通婚》http://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/singapore/story20150730-508911
 
Activity 9: Put Yourself in Someone’s Shoes & Think Differently
(L2_PPT_activity9-11 #2-3)

  • Prepare 7 Identity Boxes (Variables), PPT#3.
  • Sex(Male/Female)
  • Family background(Chinese parents, mix-race family, American family, adoptive family….)
  • Language ability (English, Chinese & English, French & English ...)
  • Age
  • Religious (Buddhism, Christian, Catholicism, Mohammedanism, atheism… )
  • Ethnicity (American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Caucasian).
  • Occupation (teacher, priest, engineering, construction worker, software engineering, doctor, police …)
  • Students will work in groups of 3: two students will play the roles of a couple and are seriously considering getting married, and construct their identity by picking one card from the 7 Identity Boxes. The third student will be their consultant.
  • Students will describe their new identity, and analyze the challenges and advantages they may face if they get marry under their new identity. The third student will present his/her opinion and give suggestions to their marriage.

 
Activity 10:  Listen to Interview Audios & Get a Different Perspectives (L2_PPT_activity9-11 #4-8)

Teachers can consider use one interviewee’s responses in class and assign the rest as homework.

  • Students will listen to the recordings of 3 interviews.  Each interview includes three questions and responses from the interviewee.  The interview questions are in L2_activity10_interviewQ.
  • Interviewee A: a Chinese father whose daughter married an American man
    (recordings in the folder of L2_activity10_recordingA)
  • Interviewee B: a American mom whose son married a Chinese woman
    (recordings in the folder of L2_activity10_recordingB)
  • Interviewee C: a Taiwanese woman who married an American man
    (recordings in the folder of L2_activity10_recordingC)
  • Guiding questions for discussion (L2_activity10_worksheet)
  • Predict the responses from the interviewees
  • Talk about the main opinions of the three interviewees.
  • Analyze the differences and similarities of the views from the three interviewees.
  • Provide personal views in terms of agreeing/disagreeing their views.

Activity 11: Recap and Discuss in Depth(L2_PPT_activity9-11 #10)
Student will watch the clip of Avatar again and carry on a more in-depth discussion using the following guiled questions.

  • Assume that the Avatar is actually about Cross-X marriage/relationship, then what might be the influences on their parents?
  • What kind of challenges and advantages do Avatar and Zoe face? And how may they maintain their relationship?
  • What kind of problems and advantages their child/children may confront?
  • If another Avatar II, what story you think it might tell?

 
 
Homework: Composition (L2_PPT_activity9-11 #11-13)
Topic/Scenario: Your best friend is in a cross-cultural romantic relationship with his/her partner, he/she is facing three folds of challenges:
(1) Conflicts between he/she and the parents;
(2) Conflicts between the boyfriend/girlfriend and his/her parents;
(3) Conflicts between the two families.
Please write your best friend a letter to talk about your thoughts on this, and help solve the problem from different perspectives.  At least 500 characters, hand-written. ) For detailed writing instruction and grading rubric, see (L2_Homework_Writing/Rubric).

Lesson 3

Objectives

  • Analyze peers’ writing on cross-cultural romantic relationships: identify its main ideas and the text structures;
  • Compare their own writing with their partner’s writing
  • Clarify and negotiate meanings with their partners on their ideas in the writing;
  • Organize their writing comparison results with a graphic organizer and present in a poster;
  • Revise their writing by incorporating ideas and peer feedback from discussion in class.

 
Guided Peer Review Compositions
The focus of this lesson is on students’ interactions and learning from each other. Students bring their writings to class, assigned as homework in Lesson 2. Students work in pairs read each other’s writing. The steps to guide students to review the writings are in (L3_handout). 
*If some students forgot to bring their writings, use sample writing in (L3_sample writings)

  • Skim and identify main ideas in your partner’s writing.
  • Organize the main ideas using Graphic Organizer (1).
  • Locate the connectors in the writing and identify the text structure. 
  • Show the filled the graphic organizer (1) to your partner and get his/her confirmation.
  • Make comparison between your own writing and your partner’s writing using Graphic Organizer (2).  Clarify ideas, negotiate meanings, and try to convince one’s partner if there are conflicting ideas.
  • Each pair  puts the comparison results on a poster and places it on the classroom walls.
  • Gallery Walk: students walk around the room and read every group’s poster. While reading, students take notes of major ideas and consolidate the findings.
  • Whole class discussion: What do you agree and disagree?
  • The class summarizes the discussion in a flowchart with major ideas.
  • The teacher uses the flowchart to guide students’ logical thinking.

 

Homework 1:  Composition Revision
Students revise/rewrite their writings and turn it in the next day。
请改写你的文章(给朋友的信): 使用合适的文章结构, 使用合适的连接词, 尽量使用采访录音中的不同角度和不同观点, 电脑打字, 700字以上, 下次课交上来。

Lesson 4

Objectives

  • Skim and raud (analyze the paragraph structure) of the articles through guided questions and scaffolding instructional activities.
    • to skim the articles and find the main ideas 
    • to compare and contrast the key facts and messages in the articles 
    • to exchange ideas with classmates on the challenges and solutions of cross-cultural relationship based on the reading  
  • Write the challenges and solutions regarding Cross-cultural relationship based on the survey they conduct.

 
Activity 1: Read Individually – Recall & Share with Friends (L4_PPT#12-23)
Students will be divided into two groups.  Group A read Article 1 and Group B Article 2.
Article 1 : 中美异族婚姻两大优点:浪漫与尊重
L4_Article1中美跨国婚姻两大优点
Article 2:中国女明星反思跨国恋
L4_Article2中国女明星反思跨国恋

  • Individual Reading and Writing
    (L4_worksheet) (Worksheet p. 1-2)

(L4_PPT  slides #6-20)

  • Each student reads the assigned article.  Skim the article and find the main idea 
  • Each student reads the assigned article, answer reading comprehension questions to get key messages. 
  • Write a one-paragraph summary about the article through guided questions. 
  • Recall and Retell the Reading (L4_PPT  slides #22)
    Each students is paired with a partners from another group.  They recall and retell the key ideas and facts of the articles they read to their partners.
  • To check student comprehension, each student writes the key ideas/facts recalled by their partner about the article he/she read. Submit the note to the teacher. 

 

Activity 3: Interview 5 People and Use Data as Supporting Ideas
(L4_PPT slides #24-25 )

  • Students write/create a questionnaire with five questions to interview their classmates about their opinions (challenges and solutions) on cross-cultural relationship.
  • Students interview their classmates, record the interviews, and jog down the answers.  This task can be completed as homework.
  • Rubric to evaluate this task is in L4_interview rubric.

Homework  (L4_PPT #27-28)

  • Complete 5 interviews using the questionnaires they create.  Submit the recordings (see rubric L4_interview rubric)
  • Students write an article focusing on their views of cross-cultural romantic-relationships based on what they find out so far through the three articles, multiple class discussions, the interviews and questionnaire data collected. The structure of the summary may be either problem-solution or compare and contrast. Based on their compositions, students prepare a short presentation reporting to the class the main points of their writings.
    (L4_writing and presentation rubric)

Lesson 5
Summative Assessment

Objectives

  • To complete Presentational Assessment:
    • Students present their viewpoints on cross-cultural romantic-relationships;
    • Groups present their info-graphic poster/brochure/pamphlet on Tips for Maintaining Cross-cultural Romantic Relationships (跨国婚姻恋爱宝典) to the class.
  • To complete Interpretive Assessment:
    • Students read and listen to classmates’ drafts/presentations, and vote for the one that can be used for creating a final brochure/pamphlet.
  • To complete Interpersonal Assessment:
    • Students explain, discuss, clarify and debate why voting for one draft over another.

Steps:

  • Teacher illustrates the expected final product with examples of info-graphic posters/ brochures/ pamphlets and divide students into groups (L5_website links for info-graphic examples).
  • Students present their main viewpoints based on their writings on cross-cultural relationships in small groups.
  • Students take notes of their classmates’ presentations, and then collaborate and create one group  info-graphic poster/ brochure/pamphlet on Tips for Maintaining Cross-cultural Romantic Relationships (跨国婚姻恋爱宝典) that incorporates and summarizes the ideas from their group members.
  • Divide students in small groups.  Each group uses the rubric (L5_final project rubric) as guideline and also the examples demonstrated by the teacher to design the info-graphic poster/ brochure/pamphlet.
  • Students read and listen to all the brochures and vote for one that can be used for creating a final class brochure.  Use the form to evaluate other groups’ products (L5_form_evaluation of the product by students).

 

Phase 2
Utilize Grammar Knowledge to Enhance Automaticity

Objectives

  • Develop automaticity and fluency through read-aloud tasks with attention to proper word boundaries, stress, neutral tones, intonation and tempo.
  • Identify VO structures in the text, master phrase structures, grammar points and discourse markers.
  • Use rauding exercises to enhance in-depth comprehension.

Use the PPTs in (phase2 PPT) with the following activities. 

Activity 1: Word recognition (Warm-up)

  • Divide students in pairs.  Give each pair (phase2 activity1 word recognition).   Students work together to identify correct words from the vocabulary list, using phonological or morphological cues to distinguish the target words from the distractors. 

Activity 2: Sentence read-aloud task

  • Use the worksheet in (phase2 activity2 ReadAloudTask) to guide  students to do the read aloud task.
  • Step 1 in the worksheet guides their attention to word boundaries.  Step 2 focuses on the parallel structure used.  Step 3 asks students to identify VO structures.  Step 4 guides students to notice the neutral tone used.  Step5 guides students to notice the discourse markers that mark the relationships between sentences.
  • Instructor models the reading of the dialogue (phase1 activity3 dialogue).  Draw students’ attention to accuracy, automaticity/fluency, and expression and provide students immediate feedback. 

Activity 3:  Higher-level reading skills: rauding, inferences and prediction

  • Distribute the worksheet (phase2 activity3 ReadingSkills).  Ask students to scan the 10 sentences and identify the target word ‘打工’.
  • Divide students in pairs and ask students to work together to summarize the viewpoint of each sentence.  Teacher checks their work. 
  • Proceed to Task (d) in the worksheet.  Students read between lines and make inferences about the opinions expressed by the 10 statements.  Fill the expressions that represent either one of the opinions. 

Homework
Assign students to record their reading of the dialogue.  Provide them the rubric of read aloud (phase2 ReadAloudRubric) which is used to evaluate their reading aloud task. 


Phase 3
Engage Students in Task-based Extended Reading
Through Guided Activities

Objectives

  • Extract information from extensive readings relevant to travel and itinerary.
  • Ask appropriate questions to obtain information for making a travel plan.
  • Gain cultural understanding and functional knowledge of traveling in China.

Use the PPTs in (phase2 PPT) with the following activities. 

Activity 1: 长城攻略 Warm-up Activity  

  • Activate students' background knowledge (if there is any) of the Great Wall and foreground the task of planning how to go to the Great Wall. 
  • Give students a map of Great Wall which is on the first of the worksheet (phase3 ER Great Wall).  Discuss what they know about Great Wall and if they or their friends have been there.  Questions and answers must be in Chinese.

Activity 2: 长城攻略 Guided Practice

  • Provide students the worksheet (phase3 ER Great Wall) and ask them to scan and skim the information of the three methods to get to the Great Wall.  Then, fill in the form on page 2 in the worksheet. 
  • Teacher checks their finding through asking questions.  Make sure they comprehend the information.
  • Divide students in pairs.  Each pair read the WebChat between two people on page 3 and discuss which method they should suggest based on the information of the WebChat. Write their suggestion in the form. 
  • Teacher confirms the method. 

 
Activity 3: 冬季北京的必需品& 吃货眼中的中国 Group Practice

Homework

  • Independent reading.  After students have completed the guided and group practice of three extensive readings.  Assign this homework, and students are required to complete the task independently.

 

Phase 4
Summative Assessment

Objectives

  • Review the homework.
  • Evaluate students’ ability to ask appropriate questions to obtain information for making a travel plan.
  • Develop a travel plan to be presented in next class.

Activity 1: 北京饭店选择Discussion
Go over Phase 3 homework 1 (北京饭店选择) to make sure students complete the independent reading practice successfully. Answer any questions they may have.

Activity 2: Travel Inquiry (assessment)
Use the worksheet to assess if students can ask correct questions to obtain  the information needed to plan a trip  (phase4 Travel Inquiry).

 

Activity 3: Making a travel plan (assessment)

  • Students have read five articles: the intensive reading text 暑假计划, and four extensive reading blog posts: 长城攻略,冬季北京的必需品, 吃货眼中的中国and 北京饭店选择.
  • Divide students in small groups of three.   Each group develops a detail 5-day travel plan with itinerary which provides transportation sightseeing, hotel and dining arrangement. The plan also includes packing preparation. 
  • After each group decides the cities/places in China, students in each group are assigned different tasks in search for the information necessary to arrange the 5-day trip.
  • Group discussion: Discuss the research findings and finalize the travel plan.
  • The travel plan should be submitted in next class.  The rubric to evaluate the plan is in (Rubric for Travel Plan).
  • Each group presents their plans using PPT slides in next class.