The presenters elaborated on the effectiveness of teaching with thematic units, and of making connections with other disciplines such as art, science, social studies, and physical education. Two real-world examples — Chinese ceramic art and silk-making — were presented; one is for K-8 while the other is at the college level.

1. Kuangchi (Kathy) Lee, M.Ed. (miller@yscp.org)
Young Scholars of Central PA Charter School
Yuanyuan Lin, MAT. (yuanyuan.lin@uncp.edu)
University of North Carolina at Pembroke

2. Across curriculum
 Common core 5 Cs.
 Communication, Culture, Connections, comparison, and
Community
 Connections: CONNECT WITH OTHER DISCIPLINES AND
ACQUIRE INFORMATION
 Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge
of other disciplines through the foreign language
 Standard 3.2: Students acquire information and recognize
the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the
foreign language and its cultures

3. What are the benefits to develop a thematic
unit across the curriculum ？Why do we need
to across curriculum?
1. Enhance their foreign language proficiency and
cultural knowledge.
2. Learn in target language the vocabulary, terminology,
and concepts used in academics or professional
disciplines
3. Develop a keener cultural awareness and language
skills necessary to participate more fully in today's
shrinking, interdependent world.

4. Principles
 A focus on communication and content
 An emphasis on developing meaningful content-focused
language use outside traditional language classes
 An approach to language use and cross-cultural skills as
means for the achievement of global intellectual synthesis,
in which students learn to combine and interpret
knowledge produced in other languages and in other
cultures

5. Who are our learners?
 Learning styles – “visual/spatial”, “bodily/kinesthetic”,
“musical”, “interpersonal”, “intrapersonal”, “linguistic”,
“logical/mathematical” (Howard Gardner’s multiple
intelligences)
 Language proficiency level
 Different ability levels
 Different cognitive needs
 Different interests

6. Why teach with thematic units?
 Thematic planning responding to the needs of the learner
(Helena Curtain)
 Makes instruction more comprehensible
 The theme creates a meaningful context for standards-based
Learning
 Changes the instructional focus from isolated pieces of
information to information revolving around a meaningful
center
 Effective thematic instruction uses a theme as "conceptual glue"
for learners and strengthens bonds to knowledge.
 Thematic planning puts the teacher in the role of instructional
designer /curriculum developer.

7. Web: Subject Content
Webbing by
Content
Disciplines
Physical
Education
Mathematics
Social
StudiesLanguage
Arts
Science
Music/Fine
Arts
Geography
Culture
Source: Helena Curtain and Carol Ann Pesola Dahlberg

8. Web: Multiple Intelligences
Webbing by
Multiple
Intelligences
Bodily
Kinesthetic
Naturaist
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Musical
Logical
Mathematical
Linguistic
Spatial
Source: Gardner, Howard . Multiple Intelligences: The Theory Into Practice.

9. Thematic planning responding to the
needs of the learner (Helena Curtain)
 Story
 Games
 Music/Songs/Chants
 Dance
 Poetry Rhymes
 Drama/Role Play

10. What are effective teaching strategies?
Vygotsky’s ZPD
(Zone of
Proximal
Develiopment)
Standard-based
instruction Proficiency-
based
instruction
Content-
based
instruction
Student-center
instruction
WTC
(Willingness to
Communicate)
“Backward
Design”
Planning
The PACE
Approach

11. Web (Theme): Silk Road
Silk
Road
Science
Language Art
four skills
Social
StudiesMath
PE/Health
Art
strength of fabrics
life cycle of silk worm
Process of
making clothing
from silk
vocab colors
pre, during, & post reading
vocab clothing
Numbers and
measure words
skit or sequence the
story with pictures
fashion
show
clothing style
TPR
putting on
clothing
weather
accepting
clothing
cost comparison
of materials
graphing-
feeling
silk road
country
names
geographic
features
Chinese history

12. Language Art
four skills
vocab colors
vocab clothing
Numbers and
measure words
skit or sequence the
story with pictures
pre, during, & post readingArt
clothing style
fashion
show
Social
Studies
Chinese history
Chinese traditional clothes
throughout the history

13. Science
Math
Social
Studies
silk road
country
names
geographic
features
cost comparison
of materials
Numbers/
Calendar
life cycle of silk worm
Process of
making clothing
from silk
strength of fabrics

14. Unit Plan

15. Dress-up App and Photo Story

16. iMovie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9o5EPGr8J0&list=UU7nS03deGfhl
g0hhawAtw9A&index=11

17. Movie Maker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQp3GM1gJeY

19. Pixton
 http://www.pixton.com/comic/5u19b9e6

20. …有沒有 ....? 在…?

21. the Magic Donkey

22. … 有沒有…?

23. Web (Theme): China, china
China,
china
Science
Language Art
four skills
Social
StudiesMath
PE/Health
Art
The firing process
Chemistry reaction
Process of
making pottery
vocab colors
Express likes and dislike
Vocab for different history term
Numbers and
measure words
The sequence of
making pottery
Ceramic
making
pottery
The degree of
firing process
Unit
conversion
History of
porcelain Different
kind of
china
Chinese history

24. “China-china”
 Grade level: college level or high school
 Introduction of the unit :
china was introduced to Europe in the fourteenth
century, Chinese porcelains were regarded as objects of
great rarity and luxury. Students will be able to tell the
process of making porcelain. Students will learn the
history of Chinese porcelain. Implement Chinese

25. Learning by doing
把字句
 把泥土放在桌子上。  把泥土切小

26.  把泥土放在转盘上  把两只手放在泥土上

27.  转呀转  做好了

28.  把他们放进烤炉  662 华氏度／350摄氏度
烤七个小时。

29.  把颜色刷在杯子上  把杯子再放进烤箱

30. 漂亮的陶瓷做好了

31. Facilities available

36. Some other technologies
 1.Students can make cartoons by using this website
(free):
 http://goanimate.com
 http://goanimate.com/videos/0s5-DohKYPqU

37. animation
 Some of the students work
 http://goanimate.com/videos/0Y76mVDe15kQ
 http://goanimate.com/videos/0VClgsNZzYX8
 http://goanimate.com/videos/0hbwStrzFzJs
 http://goanimate.com/videos/0lspHypRjK94

38.  2. voice recording
http://vocaroo.com
Student’ work
 http://vocaroo.com/i/s1VQHnEqMdGf

39. Students make their Chinese blog
 www.blogg.com
 www.wordpress.com
 The benefits to build the Chinese profile

40. Group Activity
 Which level do you teach (elementary, middle, high
school, or college)?
 Do you implement thematic unit teaching in your
instruction?
 What kind of themes you might have in mind for your
future teaching?

41. Reference
 http://www.bsc.edu/academics/mfl/flac.cfm
 https://www.actfl.org/advocacy/discover-
languages/advocacy/discover-
languages/advocacy/discover-languages/resources-
1?pageid=3392
 http://clacconsortium.org

42. Q & A

43. Thank you for your listening!