Adlai E Stevenson High School

Course Syllabus
Course Title:
Course Number:
Grade Level:
Semester Offered:

AP Chinese Language and Culture (Honors)

CHI601/CHI602
11-12
Full year

Course Description:
This AP Chinese course is designed for motivated students who have successfully finished
three years of Chinese and who are interested in taking a higher level Chinese course, i.e. a
level comparable to fourth semester (or equivalent) college/university courses in Mandarin
Chinese. It is designed to prepare students who are interested in taking the Advanced
Placement Chinese language and Culture examination. Special emphasis is placed on the use
of authentic source materials related to culture and current events and the integration of
language skills. Specific work includes: analysis of articles and literature, formal and informal
oral presentation, formal and informal writings, a variety of audios/videos related to
conversations, announcements, news reports, or academic or cultural topic related to the
Chinese-speaking world. The expectation is that all communication in the classroom (teacherstudent and/or student-student) takes place in the target language.
The global themes that are studied throughout the year include Personal and Public Identities,
Families and Communities, Contemporary Life, Beauty and Aesthetics, Science and
Technology, and Global Challenges.
Prerequisite:
Mandarin Chinese 3 Accelerated, and/or passing of placement test and recommendation of
instructor
Instructor:

Name: Michelle Wei-Cheng (Wei Laoshi)

Office Number: 2434
Telephone number: 847.415.4737
Email address: mcheng@d125.org
Web page: http://weilaoshi.weebly.com/

Meeting Time and Room:

Period 3:
Period 7:

10:00 am - 10:50 pm Room: 2812

01:40 am - 02:30 pm Room: 2812

Texts/Materials:
Textbooks will not be used in this class because world language instruction targets proficiency
building, which can be accomplished without textbooks as noted on the College Board AP
Central webpage. Curriculum outlines and instructor-created materials will be posted on Haiku
Learning - https://district125.haikulearning.com/. Students are expected to have their iPads
(fully-charged), pencils, and pens of varied colors. A folder just for Chinese is also required.
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Student Expectations:
Mandarin Only!
When you walk into this class, you will be entering a world where only Mandarin is spoken. This
not only will be a fun experience but also enable you to understand and speak more Mandarin in
a shorter period of time. For most of you, this is really the only time you can be immersed in
Mandarin after all. At the beginning you might find it frustrating, but you will be very proud of
yourselves and cant wait to show off you Mandarin sooner than you expect.
How to be successful in this class?
Stay in Mandarin (Keep your cheat-sheet of classroom survival expressions in your
Chinese folder)
Be in class daily, be punctual and to be prepared
Be willing to take risks and dont be afraid to make mistakes or be laughed at
Be kind and respectful to the teacher and others
Be sensitive to others culture
Participate actively and cooperatively in all activities
Review (e.g. 10 minutes on listening/speaking, 10 minutes in writing characters daily)
and reflect frequently
Practice with heritage/native Mandarin-speakers whenever possible
Start of the Class
You must be in your assigned seat and prepare to work as soon as you walk into the classroom.
Daily warm-up activity will either be placed at the desk near the door or displayed on the screen.
You will only have a few minutes to work on it. You will take one as you walk in and write your
name and date on the paper, which will be collected at the end of the week.
During Class
Eating is permitted in class as long as it does not interfere with class activities. Dont forget
to clean up afterwards.
Bathroom/locker/dorm passes are privileges and are not necessary. If you absolutely needs
to use one, you are expected to request politely in Chinese.
Selling for fundraisers needs to be pre-approved by the teacher and needs to be done
before the 2nd bell or after the class.
Dismissal at the end of class
You will be dismissed by the teacher at the end of the period, not by the bell. Do not pack your
backpack until your teacher indicates that it is time to do so.

Assessment Practices, Procedures, and Processes:

Assessment is an ongoing process of setting clear goals for student learning and measuring
progress toward those goals. Formative assessments take place at regular intervals during
instruction to check for understanding and mastery of the skills. Summative assessments
assess what the students can do with language in spontaneous and unrehearsed fashion in
terms of interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal modes of communication.

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Make-up exams are given at the discretion of the teacher. If you miss an exam for a valid
reason, you should notify the teacher before exam time if at all possible, and, if a make-up
exam is appropriate, you should arrange to take a make-up exam as soon as possible after the
scheduled time of the exam.
Grading
Projected #
per grading period

Total %

Interpretive: listening and vocabulary quizzes

5-7

10

Presentational: writing assignments, prepared

skits, photo stories, and short speeches

3-4

10

Interpersonal: interpersonal conversations,

improvising dialogs, email/text exchanges

2-3

10

In-class language production and participation

10

Interpretive: listening and reading comprehension

20

Presentational: cultural presentation, story

narration, short essays

20

Interpersonal: conversations, discussions,

interviews, email response

20

Type

Category

Formative

Summative

Expectations for n Chinese Students

Exceeds Expectations

Meets Expectations

Does Not Meet Expectations

ACTFL Proficiency Level

Intermediate High

Intermediate Mid

Intermediate Low

Grade

A/A-

B+/B/B-/C+/C

C-/D+/D/D-/F

The semester grade will be determined per schools grading policy: 25% for each of the 6-week
grading period and 25% for the final exam. Final exam consists of an interpersonal speaking, an
interpretive listening and reading comprehension, and a presentational writing test.

Sequence of Topics
Unit 1: Back to School
Global Theme: Contemporary Life
Essential question: How can a student be successful in the AP Chinese Language and Culture class?
Chinese cultural topics: The Mid-Autumn Festival

Unit 2: A. Language and Identities B. Self-Image

Global Theme: Personal & Public Identities
Essential question: How are aspects of identity expressed in various situations? How does
ones identity develop over time? How do language and culture influence identity?
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Chinese cultural topics: Celebrities, Overseas Chinese

Unit 3: A. College Planning

B. Community Service

Global Theme: Contemporary Life

Essential question: Why do we go to college? How is your college decisions influenced by
people around you? Why do we need to help others? How can I make other peoples lives
better?
Chinese cultural topics: Education, Sports

Unit 4: A. Between Generations

B. Making Friends

Global Theme: Families & Communities

Essential question: Why do we need family and friends? How different and similar are the
views between generations? What contributes to a good relationship between family/friends?
Chinese cultural topics: Idioms & Proverbs, Customs, Traditions, Holidays & Celebrations

Unit 5: Travel and Leisure

Global Theme: Contemporary Life
Essential question: Why traveling to another country? What makes a city or a tourist attraction
special? How is contemporary life influenced by leisure activities?
Chinese cultural topics: Historical landmarks, Cuisines, Sports, Martial Arts

Unit 6: Beauty and Art

Global Theme: Beauty & Aesthetics
Essential question: How are perceptions of beauty and creativity established? How do ideals
of beauty and aesthetics influence daily life? How do the arts both challenge and reflect cultural
perspectives?
Chinese cultural topics: Architecture, Films, Etiquettes, Calligraphy

Unit 7: Technologies and Inventions

Global Theme: Science & Technology
Essential question: How do developments in science & technology affect our lives? What
factors have driven innovation and discovery in the fields of science and technology?
What role does ethics play in scientific advancement?
Chinese cultural topics: The Great Four Inventions, Traditional Chinese Medicine

Unit 8: Environmental Issues

Global Theme: Global Challenges
Essential question: What environmental, political, and social issues pose challenges to
societies throughout the world? What are the origins of those issues? What are possible
solutions to those challenges?
Chinese cultural topics: Geography, Religions and Philosophies, Current Events

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