Begin with the grade-level learning, not a vocabulary list
A Mandarin immersion unit begins with what students should understand and be able to do in the academic subject. For mathematics, teachers can begin with CCSS-M; for science, NGSS; and for social studies, the NCSS C3 Framework together with Common Core Literacy in History/Social Studies. These frameworks are reference points for learning expectations, not ready-made daily curricula.
The Teacher Teahouse Curriculum Map serves a different purpose: it organizes standards into teacher-friendly grade-level units and topics. Keeping these layers separate helps teachers see why a unit exists, what it addresses, and how its sequence supports learning.
从年级学科目标出发，而不是从词汇表出发
中文沉浸单元首先要明确学生在学科中应该理解什么、能够做什么。数学可从 CCSS-M 出发，科学参考 NGSS，社会学参考 NCSS C3 Framework 与 Common Core Literacy in History/Social Studies。这些框架说明学习期望，但不是可以直接照用的每日课程。
Teacher Teahouse Curriculum Map 的作用不同：它把标准整理成年级清楚、教师容易使用的单元与主题。把这两个层次分开，教师才能看清一个单元为什么要教、对应什么，以及教学顺序如何支持学习。
Write two connected objectives
The content objective names the academic understanding or practice. The Mandarin language objective names how students will use Chinese to engage in that learning. The two objectives should meet in the same student task.
For a Grade 4 science lesson, the content objective might be: students will use evidence to explain how a change in an ecosystem affects organisms. The Mandarin objective might be: students will use cause-and-effect language to discuss evidence and give an oral explanation using connected sentences.
- Content objective: What disciplinary idea or practice will students demonstrate?
- Language objective: What will students understand, ask, compare, justify, describe, or explain in Mandarin?
- Evidence: What will students say, write, draw, sort, model, or present to show both?
编写两个彼此连接的目标
学科内容目标说明学生需要掌握的概念或学科实践；中文语言目标说明学生将如何使用中文参与这一学习。两个目标应在同一个学生任务中汇合。
例如四年级科学课的内容目标可以是：学生能够使用证据解释生态系统变化如何影响生物。中文目标可以是：学生能够使用因果语言讨论证据，并用连贯句群进行口头解释。
- 内容目标：学生要展示哪一项学科概念或实践？
- 语言目标：学生要用中文理解、询问、比较、说明理由、描述还是解释？
- 学习证据：学生要说、写、画、分类、制作模型或展示什么？
Build the Mandarin Immersion Language Layer
Academic Chinese is more than a list of translated terms. Students also need the language functions and sentence or discourse patterns that hold academic thinking together. Plan these features before selecting activities so students receive exactly the support the final task requires.
- Academic Chinese: essential discipline-specific terms and high-utility academic words.
- Language functions: classify, compare, sequence, infer, justify, explain cause and effect, or support a claim.
- Sentence and discourse structures: frames for beginning support plus models of complete, connected explanations.
- Visual scaffolds: diagrams, labeled models, gestures, timelines, real objects, and worked examples.
- Student interaction: structured partner rehearsal, information gaps, collaborative reasoning, and accountable talk.
建立中文沉浸语言层
学术中文不只是翻译后的术语表。学生还需要支撑学术思维的语言功能、句型和篇章结构。先规划这些内容，再选择课堂活动，才能让支架真正服务于最终任务。
- 学术中文：学科核心词语与高频学术词语。
- 语言功能：分类、比较、排序、推断、说明理由、解释因果或支持观点。
- 句子与篇章结构：入门阶段的句型支架，以及完整连贯表达的示范。
- 视觉支架：图表、标注模型、手势、时间线、实物和示例。
- 学生互动：结构化同伴练习、信息差、合作推理和有依据的讨论。
A Grade 4 science example
Topic: ecosystem change. Students study a pond before and after a period of drought. They interpret a labeled food-web diagram, compare observations, discuss which organisms are affected, and explain one chain of cause and effect.
The teacher preteaches only the words needed to enter the task, such as 栖息地、食物链、减少、影响 and 证据. Students first point, sort, and rehearse with visuals; then use frames such as“因为……所以……”and“根据……，我认为……”; finally, they give an explanation with fewer prompts. The academic thinking remains grade appropriate while the language support changes.
四年级科学示例
主题：生态系统变化。学生观察干旱前后的池塘，理解带标注的食物网图，比较观察结果，讨论哪些生物受到影响，并解释一条因果链。
教师只预教进入任务所必需的词语，例如“栖息地、食物链、减少、影响、证据”。学生先借助图片进行指认、分类和口头排练，再使用“因为……所以……”和“根据……，我认为……”等句型，最后减少提示独立解释。学科思维保持年级水平，变化的是语言支持。
Plan the learning sequence
- Launch with a phenomenon, problem, image, object, map, short text, or question that creates a reason to communicate.
- Model how a proficient speaker notices evidence and builds an academic explanation in Mandarin.
- Let students rehearse meaning through visuals, movement, sorting, partner talk, and short reading or listening.
- Move from supported interaction to an independent product that shows content and language learning.
- Use the evidence to decide whether to reteach the concept, strengthen the language layer, or reduce a scaffold.
安排学习顺序
- 用现象、问题、图片、实物、地图、短文或问题启动课程，让学生产生真实交际需要。
- 示范熟练学习者如何观察证据，并用中文组织学术解释。
- 通过视觉、动作、分类、同伴讨论和短时听读活动帮助学生理解并排练。
- 从有支架的互动逐步走向能够同时显示内容与语言学习的独立作品。
- 根据学习证据判断应重教概念、加强语言层，还是减少支架。
Differentiate without reducing the thinking
Students may share the same content goal while receiving different access supports. One learner may use a labeled diagram and sentence starters; another may receive a connector bank; another may explain without a frame and respond to follow-up questions. The goal is equitable access to the same important idea, not separate low-level content for students who need more Mandarin support.
When a student struggles, identify whether the barrier is the concept, the Chinese input, the language required for the response, or the task format. That diagnosis leads to a more useful scaffold than simply adding more vocabulary or translating the whole lesson into English.
进行分层，但不降低思维要求
学生可以使用不同的进入支持来完成同一个内容目标。一名学生使用标注图和句首提示，另一名使用连接词表，另一名不使用句型并回答追问。目标是让每个人公平进入同一个重要概念，而不是为需要更多中文支持的学生另设低水平内容。
学生遇到困难时，应判断障碍来自学科概念、中文输入、回答所需语言，还是任务形式。这样的诊断比单纯增加词汇或把整堂课翻译成英文更能产生有效支架。
A unit-planning checklist
- Grade and subject are clear, and the relevant standard or framework is identified.
- The curriculum-map unit and topic are connected to—not confused with—the standard.
- Content and Mandarin language objectives lead to the same observable task.
- Academic Chinese includes language functions and discourse, not vocabulary alone.
- Visuals and interaction prepare students to do the thinking themselves.
- Scaffolds can be adjusted or faded based on student evidence.
单元规划检查表
- 年级与学科明确，并找到了相关标准或框架。
- 课程地图中的单元与主题和标准相连，但没有混为一谈。
- 学科目标与中文语言目标指向同一个可观察任务。
- 学术中文包含语言功能与篇章表达，而不只有词汇。
- 视觉和互动帮助学生自己完成思考。
- 支架可以根据学生证据调整或逐步撤除。