Mandarin Immersion Culture Reading Club(Chinese Philosophers-孔孟的故事 ）

Class Title: Mandarin Immersion Culture Reading Club (Chinese Philosophy) – Level 5 (Ages 14–18)
Teacher: Dr. Xiaochuan Zhang (Mrs. Zhang /Zhang Laoshi)

Book 1 – 孔子的故事 (Kǒngzǐ de gùshì): The Story of Confucius

WEEK 1 Lesson: Chapter 1 第一章 少年穷苦
WEEK 2 Lesson: Chapter 2 第二章 开办学校
WEEK 3 Lesson: Chapter 3 第三章 访问洛邑
WEEK 4 Lesson: Chapter 4 第四章 齐国求仕
WEEK 5 Lesson: Chapter 5 第五章 回国治学
WEEK 6 Lesson: Chapter 6&7 第六七章 孔子当官
WEEK 7 Lesson: Chapter 8&9 第八九章 周游列国
WEEK 8 Lesson: Chapter 8 第八章 晚年的孔子
WEEK 9 Lesson: Chapter 9 第九章 《论语》
WEEK 10 Lesson: Chapter 10 第十章 孔子的影响
 WEEK 11 Lesson: Wrap-up & Review 全书总结与复习

Book 2 – 孟子的故事 (Mèngzǐ de gùshì): The Story of Mencius
Book 3 – 老子的故事 (Lǎozǐ de gùshì): The Story of Laozi
Book 4 – 庄子的故事 (Zhuāngzǐ de gùshì): The Story of Zhuangzi
Book 5 – 墨子的故事 (Mòzǐ de gùshì): The Story of Mozi
Book 6 – 荀子的故事 (Xúnzǐ de gùshì): The Story of Xunzi

What will be taught?
 In this ongoing reading club, students will explore the Historical Stories about these Great Thinkers written in simplified Chinese. Each week, learners will improve their Mandarin reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary while deepening their cultural understanding through carefully selected age-appropriate texts.

Sample Topics:
--Who are the greatest thinker in Chinese history?
--What are their thoughts and how did it happen?
--What influence did their though have on Chinese history and culture?
--How do we evaluate their thought in nowadays life?

Class structure:
Each 50-minute weekly session is structured to include:
--Warm-up Activity (5 min): Cultural trivia or review questions
--Guided Reading (30 min): Group or individual reading with shared screen text 
--Interactive Discussion (10 min): Students respond to comprehension questions
--Wrap-up & Writing Prompt (5 min): Brief writing or drawing activity based on the story

Teaching method and style:
 Mrs. Zhang teaches with a warm, encouraging, and interactive style. Lessons are student-centered and scaffolded to build confidence. She incorporates visual aids, gestures, repetition, and storytelling techniques to support comprehension and maintain engagement.

Interaction and engagement:
--Live interaction in each session (guided reading, Q&A, games)
--Students can choose to read aloud or follow along silently
--Weekly take-home prompts and optional extension activities
--Feedback and support provided through Outschool messaging


Who is this class for?
--Young Mandarin learners in grades 6–12
--Students in immersion or dual-language programs
--Heritage learners who want to build confidence in reading
--Learners who enjoy stories and cultural exploration


Progression and materials:
 Students will read a series of 20 chapter books, each with 7–8 chapters (7–10 pages per chapter). All reading materials are adapted from the level-up reading books published by Beijing Language and Culture University Press, ensuring educational quality and authentic cultural representation. Texts are used with educational permission and are suited to learners’ developmental levels.

Why join this club?
--Build a joyful habit of reading Mandarin
--Improve reading fluency and cultural awareness
--Connect with peers in a supportive learning community
--Grow steadily with consistent weekly practice