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Students in Mandarin Chinese mentor younger students on language, culture

a large group of middle school students stand together in the classroom, displaying copies of the book and their artwork

When Dr. Ping Xu Moroney’s seventh-grade Mandarin Chinese class walked into Robert Kirschke’s sixth-grade classroom at Warwick Valley Middle School on Wednesday, they were prepared with a cultural lesson to teach. Dr. Ping, as her students call her, has taught Mandarin Chinese at the middle school and at Warwick Valley High School for many years, and this isn't the first time that her older students have served as peer mentors to their younger counterparts. In fact, Dr. Ping's high school Mandarin Chinese students often lend a learning hand with the middle schoolers too.  

Dr. Ping organized this visit as a way for her students to share what they have learned about realtionship between the Chinese Lunar Calendar and the Chinese Zodiac. They shared that the twelve animals of the Zodiac — the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig — each represent one year in the repeating twelve-year cycle of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The younger students had fun figuring out their own Chinese Zodiac animals after the seventh-graders gave them this simple formula: Birth Year = Zodiac Animal. Needless to say, there were plenty of snakes and horses in the room.     

See a gallery of photos from the lesson below this story!

The sixth graders listened, asked questions, and then the room shifted from discussion to hands-on work. Dr. Ping, who was born and studied art in Shanghai, has long believed that art and language belong together in the classroom. Using Dr. Ping’s recently published book, Chinese Zodiac: Learn Chinese Calligraphy, the seventh graders guided their younger schoolmates through the process of drawing one of the twelve Zodiac animals, step by step. Students could also choose to learn the corresponding Chinese calligraphy character, learning the brushstroke traditions behind the written language.

Dr. Ping's book presents a simple method for learning the brushstrokes, which is by encouraging tracing. Each page of the book features a water color image of the animal, along with a solid black version of the caligraphic character, a red outline version of the character, and the Chinese and English spellings. For many of Mr. Kirschke’s sixth graders, it was their first encounter with Chinese calligraphy.

For Dr. Moroney’s seventh graders, this visit was a chance for them to become the teachers. Of course, the dynamic of students teaching students carries its own value. When young people explain something to a peer, they reinforce their own understanding, and the students on the receiving end often find it easier to ask questions and take risks with someone close to their own age.

This cross-grade activity based in cultural awareness sits at the heart of the WVCSD’s Portrait of a Graduate, which calls on students to be communicators, collaborators, and ethical and global citizens — people who can connect with others, share knowledge across differences, and appreciate perspectives beyond their own.

For any families interested in creating their own version of this fun and fascinating activity at home, Dr. Ping's book is available through the usual online retailers!  

A young girl with blonde hair is holding two books, one about the Chinese zodiac and the other featuring illustrations of animals.
The image shows a man in a classroom setting, holding up a document and speaking to a student.
The image shows several students working on art projects, with various supplies and materials visible in the background.
The image shows three students standing in a classroom, with various educational materials and supplies visible in the background.
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A group of students are engaged in a collaborative learning activity, working together on papers spread out on the floor in a classroom setting with various educational materials and supplies visible in the background.
The image shows a group of students working together on a project in a classroom setting. The foreground features a student in a black t-shirt and another student in a gray Nike sweatshirt, while the background shows other students engaged in various activities.
A group of students are engaged in an art project, working diligently on their drawings and paintings at a table in a classroom setting.
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The image shows three young women sitting at a table, intently focused on an art project they are working on together.
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A person with curly hair is intently focused on drawing or sketching something on a table in front of them, surrounded by bookshelves filled with various books.
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A young boy with brown hair is holding up a poster displaying Chinese zodiac symbols and text.
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A young boy with blond hair is holding two books, one featuring a red Chinese symbol and the other displaying the Chinese zodiac animals, in what appears to be a classroom setting with educational posters and a whiteboard visible in the background.