Theme-based learning at Huili

The traditional Chinese legends and tales are all-embracing. They not only express various natural phenomena, but also eulogize the truth, goodness and beauty of the world, and have a great desire to benefit human beings. These beautiful legends and tales accompany people generation by generation and stimulate their infinite curiosity about the world around them.

Grade 2 pupils recently explored the myths of ancient China in the “Chang’e” theme-based curriculum. 

In this theme-based curriculum, the pupils learned the legends of Chang'e flying to the moon and Houyi Shooting the Nine Suns; they were curious about the cold and mysterious moon palace which is full of auspicious mist and smoke. They admired the brave Houyi who came forward to save the world and sympathized with the love between Chang'e and Houyi.

Based on the original tales, the children have created their own stories through literary creations, dramatic compilations, handcrafts and stage performances.

To display a story on the stage perfectly, a good script is very important. The pupils learned about the composition of a script and the expression of the lines, which prepared them with their own stories. It is worth mentioning that they also wrote the lines in both Chinese and English. They cheked it word by word and expressed the whole story with the most accurate words.

In addition to the script, props are also an essential part of a good play. The pupils designed their own "Chang'e" and "Houyi" by referring to various ancient documents, paintings, costumes, and the historical background of the tale, In the process of searching for references, the pupils were amazed at the long history of Chinese culture, and there were so many changes in clothing over that time period.

Furthermore, based on their own design, they made the figures out of clay and demonstrated the vivid story background on paper with drawing pencils.

With scripts prepared and props set up, the story was ready for presentation. The pupils presented their stories in groups. They first assigned roles and lines, and the division of work in a collaborative way. Then in the rehearsal, they figured out the character's psychology and tried to imitate the character's tone. Furthermore, different thoughts were exchanged among the pupils, such as "I think you should read this line in a happy tone" and "I think you should read it in a calm tone". They gathered to discuss every detail and strive for perfection. In the discussion, the pupils practised their communication and organizational skills. 

The aesthetic, historical and cognitive functions of mythology are closely linked, which is the key to understand the life and psychology in childhood. But where mythology exists, there are also illustrations of scientific inventions. While learning the legend of Chang'e, the pupils got to know the various traditional Chinese festivals, the Chinese lunar calendar and the twenty-four solar terms. Also, they learned that the ancient people engaged in agricultural production according to the cycle of lunar phases by tracing the origin of the lunar calendar. Furthermore, they explored the different shapes of the moon from the cycle of lunar phases, and the positional relationships amongst the moon, the Earth and the sun. Some basic knowledge related to meteorology and astronomy was also taught in the class. They used clay to make a lunar phase diagram, summarizing their thoughts.

The theme-based curriculum at Huili School Nantong is a comprehensive subject designed by Huili in conjunction with the National Curriculum, which covers the different topics and subjects. In the theme, the pupils discover the problems and figure out the solutions in interdisciplinary scenarios designed by both Chinese and Western teachers.

The theme-based curriculum is a practical core subject, which plays a very important role throughout the primary years. Each topic inquiry lasts for 4-8 weeks. Through the teachers’ pre-design and preparation, the theme combines knowledge with real scenarios, breaks the boundaries between subjects, and provides a platform for language application. Pupils can not only comprehensively learn and apply knowledge in various fields, but also improve their language ability and comprehensive learning ability.

At Huili School Nantong, rather than learning a skill or subject individually, we encourage pupils to explore the connections between different subjects, and fully engage students' interest and participation in learning, and inspire them to explore independently.