Chinese education packs have been sent to 9,000 UK primary schools in a bid to improve understanding of China.
Produced by the British Council, the Snakes and Dragons packs include lesson and assembly plans, a DVD with films and music, and factsheets on how to make Chinese paper lanterns and dragon puppets. The five lesson plans cover topics including an introduction to Chinese numbers, recycling in China, and how Chinese New Year is celebrated. There is also an assembly plan, looking at the Gaokao – the “world's hardest school test".
The pack has been sent to the 9,000 UK primaries registered with the British Council's Schools Online website, but other schools can download them online. A Welsh-language version of the pack is also available.
The British Council has been working with HSBC to promote the study of Chinese language and culture in the UK since 2000. As part of this, the annual Chinese summer schools for primary school pupils are run at two UK locations, while the Chinese Language Assistants programme places native speakers in UK classrooms.
Download the education pack at http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/projects-and-resources/snakes-and-dragons.
• For more primary education resources from Headteacher Update, click here.