Panda Parents Slides Panda Family
Lesson 1: Bàba and Māma
🐼
Who is he?
Vocabulary
👨
爸爸
Bàba
Say it loud: "Bah-bah!"
Who is she?
Vocabulary
👩
妈妈
Māma
Say it soft: "Mah-mah"
Let's Play!
👨
Bàba
👩
Māma
"When I point to Dad, shout BÀBA! When I point to Mom, whisper MĀMA!"
Puppet Time
👨
👩
We are going to make our very own Bàba and Māma puppets!
Parent Puppets Worksheet Parent Puppets
Panda Family Mandarin • Lesson 1
Name: ____________________
How to make:
1. Color the faces! 2. Cut along the dotted lines. 3. Tape the circles to fit your fingers. 4. Practice saying Bàba and Māma !
CUT LINE
👨
爸爸
Bàba
CUT LINE
Dad
CUT LINE
👩
妈妈
Māma
CUT LINE
Mom
Design your panda decorations here!
🐼
🌿
❤️
✨
Bàba and Māma Teacher Guide Teaching Guide
Lesson 1: Bàba and Māma
Duration
30-45 Mins
Learning Goals
• Recognizes Bàba (Dad) and Māma (Mom) visually and aurally.
• Reproduces the Mandarin pronunciation with appropriate tones.
Key Vocab
爸爸 (Bàba) "Bah-bah" (Falling tone)
妈妈 (Māma) "Mah-mah" (High-level tone)
Supplies
Panda Parents Slides
Parent Puppets Worksheet (per student)
Crayons, child-safe scissors, and tape
Storybook featuring family members
Lesson Flow
1
The Hook (5 Mins)
Gather students in a circle. Ask: "Who packs your lunch or tucks you in at night?" Allow for "Mom" and "Dad" responses. Explain that today, we are going to learn how to name these special people in Mandarin!
2
Visual Discovery (10 Mins)
Use the Panda Parents Slides . Introduce Bàba with a loud, firm voice. Introduce Māma with a soft, melodic voice. Practice choral repetition.
3
Puppet Workshop (20 Mins)
Distribute the Parent Puppets Worksheet . Assist with cutting as needed. Once puppets are taped onto fingers, have students "act out" a small scene: "Bàba says hello to Māma!" (Hello in Mandarin: Nǐ hǎo).
Sibling Circle Slides Sibling Circle
Lesson 2: Big and Small
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🐼
Older Brother
BIG
👦
哥哥
Gēge
"Guh-guh"
Older Sister
BIG
👧
姐姐
Jiějie
"Jee-eh-jee-eh"
Younger Brother
Small
👶
弟弟
Dìdi
"Dee-dee"
Younger Sister
Small
👶
妹妹
Mèimei
"May-may"
Big or Small?
👦
Gēge
Big
👶
Dìdi
Small
In Mandarin, big and little siblings have different names!
Sibling Sorting Worksheet Sibling Sorting
Panda Family Mandarin • Lesson 2
Name: ____________________
Which is which?
Draw a line to match the Big (Older) siblings and the Small (Younger) siblings. Then color them in!
BIG SIBLINGS
哥哥
Gēge
姐姐
Jiějie
SMALL SIBLINGS
弟弟
Dìdi
妹妹
Mèimei
👦
👶
👧
👶
Sibling Titles Teacher Guide Teaching Guide
Lesson 2: Siblings Big and Small
Duration
40 Mins
Goal
Distinguish between older/younger siblings. Unlike English, Mandarin uses specific titles that imply age relative to the speaker.
Mandarin Pinyin
Gēge: Older Brother (Guh-guh)Jiějie: Older Sister (Jee-eh-jee-eh)Dìdi: Younger Brother (Dee-dee)Mèimei: Younger Sister (May-may)
Inquiry Hook
"Do you have a big brother or a little sister? In Mandarin, they have special names that tell us who is the big boss and who is the little baby!"
Activity: The Nesting Block Game
Use nesting dolls or different sized blocks. Assign a name to the Largest (Gēge/Jiějie) and the Smallest (Dìdi/Mèimei).
Round 1: The Boys
Pick up the big block: "Gēge!"
Round 2: The Girls
Pick up the big block: "Jiějie!"
Worksheet Practice
Distribute the Sibling Sorting Worksheet . Walk around and point to the images. Ask: "Is this the Gēge or the Dìdi?" Encourage students to trace the path with their finger before using a pencil.
Pronunciation Note
Remind students that for these words, the second syllable is usually "neutral" (short and light). Gē-ge, not Gē-Gē.
Wise Elders Slides Wise Elders
Lesson 3: Grandpa and Grandma
👵
👴
Grandpa
Elders
👴
爷爷
Yéye
"Yeh-yeh"
Grandma
Elders
👵
奶奶
Nǎinai
"Nye-nye"
The Family Tree
👴
Yéye
👵
Nǎinai
👨
Bàba
🐼
Me!
Grandparents are the roots of our family!
Family Tree Roots Activity Family Tree Roots
Panda Family Mandarin • Lesson 3
Name: ____________________
Build your tree!
Cut out the family members at the bottom and glue them to the tree. Yéye and Nǎinai go at the top!
Top
Top
Side
Side
Side
Me
✂️ CUT ALONG DOTTED LINES ✂️
👴
Yéye
👵
Nǎinai
👨
Bàba
👩
Māma
👦
Gēge
🐼
Me
Grandparents Elders Teacher Guide Teaching Guide
Lesson 3: Grandparents and Elders
Duration
45 Mins
Core Concepts
Respect for Elders: In Chinese culture, grandparents hold a place of honor at the "top" of the family.
Yéye: Paternal Grandpa (Yeh-yeh).
Nǎinai: Paternal Grandma (Nye-nye).
The Hook
"Who is the oldest person in your house? Who gives the best hugs? Today we meet the kings and queens of the family!"
Visual Aid
If possible, show photos of elderly people in traditional Chinese clothing or doing activities like Tai Chi to spark curiosity.
Instructional Flow
A
Storytelling (15 Mins)
Read a story about grandparents. Use the Wise Elders Slides to show the characters. Every time the story mentions a grandfather, have students stand up and say "Yéye!". For grandmother, have them sit and say "Nǎinai!".
B
Roots Activity (25 Mins)
Distribute the Family Tree Roots Activity . Help students identify where the "Elders" go (at the top, because they are the wisest and came first). Students glue the emojis into the slots.
C
Review Chant (5 Mins)
End with a simple rhythm: clap-clap "Yéye", clap-clap "Nǎinai", clap-clap "Family!".
Who is Who Slides Who is who?
Lesson 4: Presenting My Family
📸
🎨
The Magic Phrase
这是...
Zhè shì...
"Juh shir..." (It means: This is...)
👨
Let's say it together:
Zhè shì Bàba
"This is Dad"
👩
Let's say it together:
Zhè shì Māma
"This is Mom"
Your Turn!
Hold up your picture. Point to someone. Tell us:
Zhè shì... [Name]
My Family Frame Worksheet My Special Family
Panda Family Mandarin • Lesson 4
Name: ____________________
Draw your family!
Draw your family members in the frame below (or glue a photo). We will use this to practice saying "Zhè shì..." to our friends!
Practice saying:
Zhè shì [Family Title]
这是
My Family Presentation Teacher Guide Teaching Guide
Lesson 4: This is My Family
Type
Project
Objectives
Students will use the demonstrative pronoun Zhè shì (This is) to introduce specific family members, moving from single words to simple sentences.
1. Creation (20 Mins)
Hand out the My Family Frame Worksheet . If students brought photos, help them glue them in. If not, encourage them to draw their family.
Teacher Prompt: "As you draw, whisper the Mandarin names of the people you are drawing! Is that Bàba? Say Bàba while you color."
2. Circle Share (20 Mins)
The Presentation Routine:
1 Student stands up with their picture.
2 Teacher prompts: "Who is this?"
3 Student points and says: "Zhè shì Bàba" (or Māma, etc.)
4 Class repeats: "Zhè shì Bàba!"
Differentiation Tips
Support:
If the sentence is too hard, focus on the title only. "Who is this?" -> "Bàba".
Challenge:
Ask them to introduce multiple people. "Zhè shì Bàba, Zhè shì Māma."
Family Love Song Slides Family Love Song
Lesson 5: I Love My Family
❤️
🎵
The Action
爱
Ài
It means: LOVE
Make a heart with your hands!
Verse 1
👨 ❤️
我爱爸爸
Wǒ ài Bàba
"I love my Dad"
Verse 2
👩 ❤️
我爱妈妈
Wǒ ài Māma
"I love my Mom"
Big Finale
我爱我的家
Wǒ ài wǒ de jiā
"I love my family!"
🐼 🐼 🐼
Panda Family Award Certificate 🐼 🎍 🐼
Panda Scholar
Mandarin Family Language Award
This award is proudly presented to
_________________________
For learning to speak about their family in Mandarin and singing the "I Love My Family" song with joy and kindness!
爸爸 / 妈妈
Bàba & Māma
我爱你
Wǒ ài nǐ
爷爷 / 奶奶
Yéye & Nǎinai
Teacher Signature
我爱我的家
I Love My Family
Date
Family Love Song Teacher Guide Performance Guide
Lesson 5: The Family Love Song
Type
Performance
Song Lyrics: "Wǒ Ài Wǒ De Jiā"
我爱爸爸 (Wǒ ài Bàba)
I love my Dad
Hands form heart
我爱妈妈 (Wǒ ài Māma)
I love my Mom
Hands form heart
我爱我的家 (Wǒ ài wǒ de jiā)
I love my family!
Hug yourself!
Teaching Pacing
0-10: Introduce "Ài" (Love) with the heart hand motion.
10-25: Line-by-line repetition of the lyrics with the melody.
25-40: Full song performance with motions.
Performance Tip
Encourage students to sing "Bàba" in a deep voice and "Māma" in a high voice to reinforce the gender distinctions and add musical variety!
Award Certificates at the end!
