Unit 5: My Interests

In this unit of study students begin to learn how to communicate effectively about their leisure time interests in Chinese. They also describe sports, hobbies and other activities with friends and places they spend time. Furthermore, students learn to make and discuss plans. They also learn how American teens and teens in China spend their free time. Throughout this unit, students gain knowledge and insight into the concepts of how culture and family influence teen’s choices in China and the USA.

Recommended Can-Do Statements:

*I-Can Statement worded specifically for this unit and based on NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements.

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
(Novice Mid-High)

• I can say what sports I play.
• I can say what leisure activities that I do.
• I can express my preferences or feelings toward sports.
• I can express my preference or feelings towards various leisure activities.
• I can answer questions about my favorite weekend activities.
• I can ask and respond to questions about preferences of sports and other activities.
• I can exchange information about what I do for fun with an ePal.

• I can exchange information on whether I am going to do an activity or sport at a given time.
• I can exchange information on whether I want to do an activity or sport at a given time.

Interpretive Communication

• I can recognize activities and sports in Chinese characters.
• I can understand the description of other people's preferences on sports or activities.
• I can understand when someone asks a question about availability.
• I can understand questions about someone's social schedule.
• I can understand questions regarding someone's ability to perform a sport or activity.

Presentational Communication

• I can say some activities I do every day.
• I can label the activities or sport that I like and don’t like in a picture.
• I can say what sports or activities that I am able to perform.
  
• I can tell sports and activities I like or don't like.
• I can write how much I like or don’t like certain sports.
• I can state how much I enjoy doing a certain activity or sport.
• I can tell about others' preferences on sports and other activities.
• I can list my favorite free-time activities to create a survey for my peers.
• I can write a rank ordered list of my favorite and least favorite free-time activities.
• I can write a short note, text or email to my friend about upcoming plans.

Intercultural Communication

• In my own and other cultures I can identify how people use their free time and why
• I can participate in a sport or an activity with peers of the target culture by observing and imitating them.

1. What do teens do in their free time in China and the USA?
2. How do family and culture influence how teens spend their free time?
3. How does geographic locations influence the choices teens make?

Click here to access Learning Activities and Assessments for this Unit.

WEEKS 1 AND 2

Review of previously learned material

• review daily activities using images, props and/or technology (e.g. Quizlet, Kahoot, Blooket, song etc)
  

Presentation of new materials

• Introduce sports 运动、球、篮球、足球、乒乓、网球、棒球、橄榄球、排球、跑步、游泳 using authentic materials (e.g. texts, websites, video, etc), images, props and/or technology
  
• Introduce the collocations of verbs and sports：做， 打， 踢 using authentic materials (e.g. texts, websites, video, etc), images, props and/or technology
• Introduce like in different degree: 很，不太，不，很不 using authentic materials (e.g. texts, websites, video, etc), images, props and/or technology
• Introduce sentences to describe how students feel about a sport: 我___喜欢_____。
• Introduce how to inquire other people's opinion on a sport: 你喜欢______吗？你喜（欢）不喜欢_____?
• Introduce how to inquire others' preference on sports: 你喜欢什么运动？
  

Scaffolded practice

• Present pictures of the sports and ask students to identify these sports and say them in Chinese.
• Present teacher created flashcards in Chinese characters and ask students to identify them in both English and Chinese
• Students practice verb and sports collocation with a drag and drop game
• Students describe their preference: like and in different degree 很，不太，不，很不 to complete sentences 我___喜欢_____。
• Students ask their friend if they like a sport using the structure in conversation after teacher demonstration.
• Teacher ask students what sports they like with the structure 你喜欢什么运动？and students ask. students ask their classmates.

Formative Assessment

• Students choose the correct pictures for each sports given and speak out loud. Teacher can use flashcards
• Students choose the correct verb to match with the sports by using pictures or flashcards
• Students discuss their preference in sports with the structure learned with their classmates.
• teacher give students a few sports and students write about how they feel about the sports in Chinese characters.

Summative Assessment: Weeks 1 and 2

• Presentational Writing: Student writes in complete sentences, using characters, describe the pictures given focusing on sports preference (1.3.N.W.c)
• Presentational Speaking: student discuss their sport preference with a classmate. They have to use at least five different sports with three different questions patterns learned. (4.2.N.b)

WEEKS 3 AND 4

Review of previously learned material

• Review how to inquire others' preference on sports: 你喜欢什么运动?

Presentation of new materials

• Introduce hobbies/activities 活动、爱好、看书、看电影、看电视、唱歌、跳舞、弹钢琴、弹吉他、弹古筝、拉二胡、拉小提琴、画画、玩电脑游戏、做游戏; using Quizlet flashcards and Youtube video.
• Introduce how to inquire others' preference on activities: "你喜欢什么活动？,and answer to it:"我喜欢....".
• Introduce how to inquire others' hobbies: "你有什么爱好？/你的爱好是什么？, and answer to it:"我喜欢...."; using Youtube video.
• Introduce be able to (会) 不会
• Introduce how to whether to be able to/how to do something:会不会 by a song.

Scaffolded practice

• Present pictures of various activities and ask students to and say them in Chinese.
• Have students take turns to silently act out a few activities, and the rest of the class guess by shouting out in Chinese.
• Students describe how much they like each activity in different degree 很，不太，不，很不 to complete sentences 我___喜欢_____。
• Teacher randomly each student if they they like certain activity, and the rest of class write down the answer in complete sentence in characters.
• Teacher show flashcards in English, and have have students in pair to ask each other if they can do certain activity or sport.

Formative Assessment

• Students circle and number the corresponding picture of each activity announced by teacher.
• Students to write down the English meaning or act out according to given activity vocabulary in the correct order.
• Students to read/watch a video of the daily life and interests of Chinese teens, and compare with themselves.
• Teacher have students in pairs to interview each other about whether they can do a list of activities, and then write the report accordingly.

Summative Assessment:

• Interpretive reading: Students to read about hobbies and other leisure activities of a family, and identify who are likely to attend certain events. (Attachment Assessment 5.3; 1.2.N.L.b )
• Interpersonal speaking and presentational writing: Students to interview classmates on given hobbies and other leisure activities in pictures and write the report on whether interviewees can perform them and how much he/she enjoys the activities. (Attachment Assessment 5.4; 1.1.N.SL.h, 1.1.N.SL.j, 1.3.N.W.c)

WEEKS 5 AND 6

Review of previously learned material

• Review 几点 and introduce 什么时候 （what time) using a video.

Presentation of new materials

• Introduce adjectives to discuss how you feel about a sport/hobby/activity 有意思、有趣、好玩、无聊 using authentic materials
• Introduce 觉得 to give your opinion: 我觉得画画很有意思。using teacher made flashcards. Teacher demonstrate the use of 觉得 in sentences
• Introduce 因为; 我_____喜欢...., 因为我觉得....。
• Introduce 有空 using a song "你有空吗"
• Introduce how to ask "when will you be available/have time to..." 你什么时候有空？你什么时候有空...?
• Introduce 周末 using Quizlet flashcards
• Introduce 想 (wanna) and 要 (gonna) and its difference with a video
• Introduce how to ask and answer to when do you want to do something 你想什么时候....?
• Introduce how to ask and answer to when are you going to do something 你要什么时候....?

Scaffolded practice

• Teacher shows students the sports and hobbies and ask students to describe how they feel about them.
• Teacher asks students to describe how they feel about the sports and hobbies and give reason using "因为".
• Teacher asks students when they will have time to do an activity; providing the sentence pattern for the answer, and have students answer by filling in the blank. Q：你什么时候有空看书？A：我______（time）看书。
  
• Teacher shows pictures of activities, and students take turns to ask teacher when the teacher wants do certain activities, then teacher answers to the questions. 你想什么时候....? 我想______（time）....
• Students in pairs to ask each other when they want to do certain activities, and then answer.
• Teacher asks students what do they want to do on the weekend 你周末想做什么？and have students answer to it, providing the answer format 我周末想.....。

Formative Assessment

• Teacher gives students a list of sports and hobbies. Students choose at least 5 to describe how they feel about them using the sentence structure 我觉得...
• Students describe the pictures given about the characters' preference of hobbies and interests in Chinese characters and explain why using 因为 and adjectives.
• Teacher asks students what do they want to do or what they are going to do by either 你周末想做什么？ or 你周末要做什么； and students answer accordingly.
• Teacher have students in pairs to ask each other either when they want to or when they are going to do sports/exercise; and students to answer accordingly.

Summative Assessment:

• Presentational Writing and Speaking: Students make a poster about their likes and dislikes regarding sports and hobbies. They need to use the learned sentences and explain why. And students present their poster to the class. (1.3.N.W.c, 4.2.N.b)
• Interpretive reading and interpersonal writing: based on a given class survey of preferred leisure activities, write an invitation to every classmate regarding a birthday party, including two favorite activities, schedule, date, time, and location. (Attachment Assessment 5.6; 1.2.N.L.b, 1.3. N. W. c)
• Intercultural Competence: students read an article about how Chinese students spend their school day and write down what activities they do in their own spare time. Students compare the difference and get the conclusion. (2.1.N.F.d)