Start with two questions
Did the student understand the idea? What Mandarin could the student use to communicate it? These are related questions, but they are not interchangeable. A fluent sentence copied from a partner may hide a misconception; a careful drawing with a few labels may reveal sound thinking.
The following is an original Teacher Teahouse classroom routine, not an official assessment or a validated proficiency measure. Adapt the timing and language to your learners, including their individual learning supports.
先问两个问题
学生理解这个概念了吗？学生能用哪些中文表达理解？这两个问题相关，却不能互相替代。照着同伴说出的流利句子可能掩盖误解；一幅认真标注的图加几个词，也可能展示准确的思考。
以下是 Teacher Teahouse 原创课堂流程，不是官方评估，也不是经过验证的语言能力测量工具。请按学生情况、个别化支持需求调整语言与时间。
A Grade 3 habitat example
NGSS 3-LS4-3 connects evidence-based argument with how well organisms survive in a particular habitat. Use that expectation to guide the content, while your curriculum map determines the unit sequence. This short lesson contributes evidence toward the expectation; it does not cover the entire standard.
Content target: use a habitat observation to explain why an organism can or cannot meet a need there. Mandarin target: make a claim and support it with 因为 and an observation. Keep the scientific challenge meaningful while varying language support.
三年级栖息地示例
NGSS 3-LS4-3 关注运用证据说明生物在特定栖息地中的生存情况。用标准确定学科方向，用课程地图安排单元顺序。这节短课只能提供部分学习证据，不能代表完成整个标准。
学科目标：根据栖息地观察，解释某种生物能否满足一项生存需要。中文目标：提出判断，并用“因为”和观察证据说明理由。保留科学思考的要求，调整语言支持。
Prepare a small evidence set
Use two clear habitat pictures, such as a pond and a dry rocky area, plus teacher-checked fact cards about a freshwater fish. State what the pictures show: the pond contains water; the rocky area has no visible standing water. Include the fact that the fish needs water to obtain oxygen through its gills. Do not expect a photograph alone to establish every habitat condition.
Offer six word cards: 水, 鱼, 鳃, 需要, 生存, 证据. Pair the concrete terms with images; demonstrate the abstract words in a sentence. Read the facts aloud so decoding is not the only route into the science.
准备一小组证据材料
准备池塘与干燥石地两幅清晰图片，加上教师核对过的淡水鱼资料卡。明确图片能说明什么：池塘有水；石地看不到积水。资料卡说明鱼需要水，利用鳃获取氧气。不要让一张照片承担证明所有环境条件的任务。
准备六张词卡：水、鱼、鳃、需要、生存、证据。具体词配图，抽象词用句子示范。把资料读给学生听，让识字不是进入科学学习的唯一途径。
A 35-minute classroom sequence
- Minutes 0–5: show both scenes. Students point, draw, or label what they notice before hearing a model answer.
- Minutes 5–12: examine the fact cards together. Model the difference between an observation and a guess.
- Minutes 12–20: partners choose a habitat and explain their evidence. One asks 你的证据是什么？ Switch roles.
- Minutes 20–28: listen to a manageable group while others annotate their pictures. Record one content observation and one language observation for each student you hear.
- Minutes 28–35: each learner responds to a new picture using the same fact set. Collect a brief exit ticket and plan the next check for students not yet observed.
35分钟课堂流程
- 0–5分钟：先看两幅图。学生指认、画图或标注观察，不急着听标准答案。
- 5–12分钟：一起阅读资料卡，示范观察与猜测的不同。
- 12–20分钟：同伴选择栖息地、说明证据；另一人追问“你的证据是什么？”然后交换角色。
- 20–28分钟：教师倾听一小组，其余学生标注图片。为每位听到的学生记录一条学科证据和一条语言证据。
- 28–35分钟：用新图片和同一组资料完成简短离堂检查，并安排下次观察尚未听到的学生。
A two-column observation log
Copy these headings into your planning notes: Student | Content evidence | Mandarin evidence | Support used | Next step. Describe an observable action instead of writing only good or weak.
Example: Mei points to the pond and matches the fish's need to the water evidence. She says 鱼，需要水 and completes 因为… with a word bank. Next step: rehearse a full explanation with a partner; do not reteach the content simply because her sentence is short.
Example: Alex says a complete 因为 sentence but chooses the rocky area because it looks warmer, ignoring the fish's water requirement. Next step: revisit the evidence and organism's needs before asking for more elaborate language. Neither example assigns an ACTFL proficiency rating.
双栏观察记录
可直接复制这些栏目：学生｜学科理解证据｜中文表达证据｜使用的支持｜下一步。记录看得见的行为，不只写“好”或“弱”。
例：小梅指向池塘，把鱼的需要与有水的证据匹配起来。她说“鱼，需要水”，借词语表补全“因为……”。下一步是和同伴练习完整解释，不必因为句子短就重教概念。
例：Alex 能说完整的“因为”句，却因为石地看起来更暖而选择石地，忽略鱼需要水。下一步先重新看证据和生物需要，再扩展语言。这两个例子都不用于判定 ACTFL 能力等级。
Vary support without lowering the thinking
- More support: point to evidence, arrange picture cards, and complete 鱼需要___。这里有___。
- Less support: explain 我选择___，因为___。图片和资料说明___。
- More independent reasoning: compare both choices and address a partner's alternative: 虽然___，但是___。
- Fade a scaffold after observing successful use; a memorized frame alone does not demonstrate independent language control.
调整支架，不降低思考要求
- 支持较多：指认证据、排列图片卡，补全“鱼需要___。这里有___。”
- 支持较少：“我选择___，因为___。图片和资料说明___。”
- 更独立的推理：比较两个选择，回应同伴的不同意见：“虽然___，但是___。”
- 看到成功使用后再逐步撤去支持；背熟句框本身不能证明能独立表达。
Use the exit ticket tomorrow
Prompt: choose the better habitat, identify one piece of evidence, and explain how it connects to the fish's need. Accept a labeled drawing plus a short oral explanation when that fits the learner's access needs. Keep a record of the support so the evidence remains interpretable.
Sort responses into next steps: revisit the concept; strengthen the Mandarin explanation; or extend the reasoning with a changed condition. A single response is a planning clue, not a final judgment. Check again with a different example before concluding that learning is secure.
把离堂检查用在明天
提示：选择更合适的栖息地，指出一条证据，解释它与鱼的需要有什么联系。按学生的学习支持需求，可接受标注图加简短口头解释，同时记录使用了哪些帮助。
将答案对应到下一步：重访概念、加强中文解释，或改变一个环境条件来延伸推理。一次回答是备课线索，不是最终判断；换一个例子再观察，才更能看见学习是否稳定。