During my tenure as a high school Chinese teacher, I often felt that I wasn’t adequately incorporating Chinese culture into my lessons. Despite not growing up in a strictly traditional Chinese family myself (in certain aspects), I greatly admired how culture could shape individuals and communities. The main obstacle I encountered was the time-consuming process of finding suitable cultural topics. I didn’t want to simply hand them a piece of paper and call it a culture lesson; I wanted something more immersive that would encourage deeper exploration and discussion. Consequently, I dedicated countless hours over the years to develop a project that I thoroughly enjoyed creating.
The culmination of this endeavor is now available in the form of a product, which can be found in the shop. If you’re an educator, you can utilize it as a warm-up tool at the beginning of your classes. It consists of 175 Chinese culture facts, some of which revolve around the same topic (such as Chinese New Year!) but are spread across several days. Allow me to highlight some features of this product:
1. Extensive research: I invested substantial time in locating relevant YouTube videos, Wikipedia articles, or webpages that discuss each topic. Consequently, the provided facts extend beyond a mere couple of sentences. By watching or reading these materials, you can engage your students in meaningful discussions about their thoughts. Furthermore, you can encourage comparisons between these cultural facts and the customs prevalent in your own community. While I’ve endeavored to find suitable sources, they may not perfectly align with your preferences. However, a brief prepping session beforehand can ensure the content meets your requirements.
2. Chinese language integration: Each fact includes key phrases in Chinese. As students learn about the cultural facts, they simultaneously acquire new Chinese vocabulary. While the facts themselves are presented in English to facilitate understanding, incorporating (one) key phrase(s) in Chinese helps students solidify their memory of the topic.
3. Time-saving resource: This product offers a staggering 175 facts, providing enough material for five days a week, spanning 35 weeks—an entire school year! Moreover, it can be reused in subsequent Chinese classes, making it a highly cost-effective investment.
I hope this product proves invaluable in enriching your students’ understanding of Chinese culture while saving you considerable time in lesson planning.
Take a look at the examples provided below to explore the culture facts and key phrases. Feel free to click on the pictures for more information!
