Enduring Understanding: Students will understand that they need to learn other languages and cultures to communicate and work with people in this interconnected world.

Essential Questions: Who are we in the world? How can the study of Chinese language and culture help us communicate and work with people from different backgrounds?

Overarching Theme: This Interconnected World

Essential Strategies:

1. School Partnership: A U.S. and Chinese elementary school partnership is required (e.g., online and mail communication; exchange of drawings, photographs, work samples, and/or artifacts);

2. Voices and Perspectives: American and Chinese children’s voices and perspectives are woven throughout the curriculum;

3. Awareness of the World: Current events are used to help connect the Chinese language and culture learning to real life experiences;

4. Spiraling of Themes: Themes are reinforced, broadened, deepened, and enriched across grade levels;

5. Comparisons of Languages and Cultures: Comparisons of languages and cultures are embedded in curriculum and instruction;

6. Transfer Task: As American children learn about the world of Chinese children they gain greater awareness of their own world.