This term, during the Mandarin language enrichment class at Astor International School, we are embarking on an inquiry into the different foods we eat in a day.
Recently, the students listened to a multicultural tale of an American girl whose mother is from France and whose father is from China. The story talks about how the family of three are great chefs and the different cuisines they have in the week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then, the students thought about the different meals they have each day, and we learnt what they are called in Mandarin.
The students then looked closely at the food the characters had for breakfast. As one of the breakfasts is pancakes, the students thought about the ingredients needed to make pancakes. The students learned about the Mandarin words of the key ingredients and some of them shared their food allergies.
During the following lesson, the students made a two-ingredient pancake using bananas and flour. The students mashed the bananas before adding the flour. They decided on the amount of flour to add and noticed the difference in consistency when cooking their pancakes. The students took turns adding their pancake batter onto the grill and safety tips were also discussed.
At Astor International School, we involve students in hands-on activities to help create a lasting impression of the lesson. Repeating keywords during the lesson ensures that students get multiple exposures to them, strengthening the neurological pathways in the brain to better attune to the sounds, and to remember the new words.
Join us in a language enrichment class at Astor International School for a hands-on and fun learning experience. We currently offer classes in Russian, French, Spanish and Mandarin.