City Navigator Slides City Navigator
Mastering Street Signs & Directions
Intermediate Mandarin Level 7
You Are Here... Now What?
Imagine you just stepped out of a subway station in the heart of Beijing.
"Which way is North? Where is the main road?"
Mission 1:
Identify your surroundings using environmental print before your phone battery dies.
长安街
CHANG'AN JIE
西 东
01 Directional Anchors
北
Běi
North
南
Nán
South
东
Dōng
East
西
Xī
West
Pro Tip:
Most Chinese city grids are oriented along these four cardinal directions. Street signs will often tell you which direction you are walking toward.
02 The Anatomy of a Road
街
Jiē (Street)
Usually busy, commercial, or historic thoroughfares.
路
Lù (Road)
General term for roads connecting different districts.
大道
Dàdào (Avenue)
Large, multi-lane grand avenues or boulevards.
Analysis Task
南京东路
NANJING DONG LU
Can you translate the three parts?
Nanjing + East + Road
03 Decoding Complex Signs
Sometimes signs contain more than just names. Look for:
入口 (Rùkǒu)
Entrance (In-Gate)
出口 (Chūkǒu)
Exit (Out-Gate)
地铁 (Dìtiě)
Subway / Metro
What does this sign mean?
禁止停车
Hint: 'Jìnzhǐ' (Prohibit) + 'Tíngchē' (Park Car)
Direction Detective Worksheet Direction Detective
Intermediate Mandarin: Environmental Print Analysis
NAME:
DATE:
Your Mission: You are exploring a new city. Using only the characters you've learned, decode the following signs and map markers to navigate from the Subway Station to the Grand Library.
Part 1: Directional Compass
Write the Pinyin and English meaning for each cardinal direction character.
北
南
东
西
Part 2: Analyzing Real Signs
王府井大街
西 东
1. Translate the sign above into English:
2. If you want to walk East (东), which way should you go?
出口 EXIT
地铁 STATION
3. Identify the characters for 'Exit' and 'Subway':
Exit:
Subway:
Part 3: Map Challenge
地铁站 (Metro Station)
图书馆 (Library)
中山路 (Zhongshan Road)
北
Based on the map above, answer the following:
1. To get from the Metro Station to the Library, in which general cardinal direction are you traveling?
2. If you are standing on 中山路 (Zhongshan Road) and looking North, which building is to your Left (西)?
Navigation Teacher Guide Teacher Resource
City Navigator Facilitation Guide
Lesson 1: Navigating Street Signs and Directions
Lesson Objectives
Identify cardinal directions (North, South, East, West) in characters.
Differentiate between road types (Street, Road, Avenue).
Recognize high-frequency survival signage (Exit, Entrance, Subway).
Apply environmental literacy to navigate a simulated map.
Instructional Steps
01
The "Dropped In" Hook (10 mins)
Use the slide deck or a live view of Google Street View (Beijing or Shanghai). Ask students: "If your phone died right now, how would you know which way to walk to find the nearest metro station?" Focus on visual landmarks and the blue/green street signs.
02
Character Anchoring (15 mins)
Introduce the 4 cardinal directions. Mnemonic Tip: North (北) looks like two people sitting back-to-back because they are cold; South (南) has a 'roof' like a warm house. Practice drawing these with correct stroke order.
03
Sign Analysis & Decoding (20 mins)
Distribute the Direction Detective Worksheet . Walk through the anatomy of the Wangfujing sign together. Point out that road names often follow a logic: [Area Name] + [Direction] + [Road Type].
Check for Understanding
Why are most street signs in China blue and white? (Blue = West-East roads, Green = North-South roads in some cities like Beijing).
How can identifying the character '口' (mouth/opening) help you find the way out of a station?
Quick Answer Key
Worksheet Part 1:
北: Běi (North)
南: Nán (South)
东: Dōng (East)
西: Xī (West)
Worksheet Part 2/3:
Wangfujing Dajie: Wangfujing Main Street
Exit: 出口 | Subway: 地铁
General direction to Library: Southeast
Menu Master Slides Menu Master
Decoding the Secrets of the Chinese Kitchen
Lesson 2 Intermediate Mandarin
The Mystery Meal Challenge
You enter a local eatery. There are no pictures. Your phone is out of service.
Your Constraints:
No Spicy Food (不辣)
Vegetarian Friendly (素)
No Peanuts (无花生)
菜单 MENU
1. 宫保鸡丁 ¥28
2. 蒜蓉西兰花 ¥18
3. 鱼香肉丝 ¥32
01 Meat & Protein
鸡
Jī
Chicken
肉
Ròu
Pork / Meat
(Usually Pork if unspecified)
牛
Niú
Beef
02 The "Action" Characters
炒
Chǎo
Stir-Fried
Notice the 火 (fire) radical!
蒸
Zhēng
Steamed
Check out the steam dots at the bottom.
烤
Kǎo
Roasted / Grilled
Example:
烤鸭 (Kǎoyā)
Roasted Duck
03 Flavors & Warning Signs
辣
Là (Spicy)
不辣 (Bù là) = Not Spicy!
素
Sù (Vegetarian)
素食 (Sùshí) = Veggie Dish
Can you find the "Radical" for Fire in 辣 ?
It's in 'Chǎo' (炒) instead!
Mystery Meal Challenge Worksheet MYSTERY MEAL CHALLENGE
Survival Chinese: Menu Deciphering Task
STUDENT: ____________________
THE SCENARIO
You are at a local restaurant in Chengdu. You have three specific constraints: 1. You cannot eat anything SPICY (辣). 2. You want at least one dish with CHICKEN (鸡). 3. You must order one VEGETARIAN dish (素).
肉类 & 禽类 Meat & Poultry
1. 宫保鸡丁
Spicy!
¥32
2. 蒜香排骨
Garlic Pork Ribs
¥48
3. 炒牛肉丝
Stir-fried Beef
¥45
4. 白切鸡
Non-spicy
¥38
素菜 & 主食 Veg & Staples
5. 麻婆豆腐
Very Spicy!!
¥22
6. 清炒西兰花
Fresh Veggie
¥18
7. 蒸米饭
Steamed Rice
¥3
8. 虎皮青椒
Spicy Peppers
¥20
Your Order Form
THE NON-SPICY CHICKEN DISH (Number & Name):
THE VEGETARIAN DISH (Number & Name):
REASON FOR CHOICE 1 (Key Characters found):
REASON FOR CHOICE 2 (Key Characters found):
Decoding the Menu Structure
Translate '炒':
Translate '蒸':
Translate '肉':
Flavor Finder Cheat Sheet Flavor Finder Cheat Sheet
Proteins (肉类)
鸡
Jī
Chicken
牛
Niú
Beef
肉
Ròu
Pork / Meat
鱼
Yú
Fish
虾
Xiā
Shrimp
蛋
Dàn
Egg
Methods (做法)
炒
Chǎo (Stir-fried)
Fire radical 火 on the left
蒸
Zhēng (Steamed)
Steam dots 灬 at the bottom
烤
Kǎo (Grilled/Roasted)
Common in 'Kǎoyā' (Roasted Duck)
炸
Zhá (Deep-fried)
Often for snacks like fried chicken
辣
LÀ / SPICY
Essential Phrases:
不辣 (Bù là) - Not Spicy / No chili
微辣 (Wēi là) - Mildly Spicy
素食 (Sù shí) - Vegetarian Food
无花生 (Wú huāshēng) - No Peanuts
Keep this guide handy during the Mystery Meal Challenge!
Script Decoder Slides Script Decoder
Navigating Stylized Fonts & Handwriting
Lesson 3 Intermediate Mandarin
Recognize this?
In the real world, characters don't look like Textbook Fonts.
They are stretched, swirled, and simplified in logos and advertising.
Challenge:
Find the "Skeleton" of the character beneath the art.
可口可乐
Kě kǒu kě lè
01 The Character Skeleton
Look for the "Ductus"
The Ductus is the sequence and path of the strokes. Even if a brush stroke is thick or thin, the basic structure remains.
Proportions Matter
The relative size of the components (top vs bottom, left vs right) stays the same across most fonts.
永
Standard
永
Calligraphic
The character 永 (Yǒng - Forever) contains all 8 basic brush strokes!
02 Stylized Ad Fonts
出口
Neon Style
Strokes become glowing tubes.
大
Bubble Style
Strokes become rounded and "fat".
未来
Futuristic Style
Strokes are ultra-thin and sharp.
Strategy for Decoding:
1 Find the Radicals
2 Count the Strokes
3 Check the Context
03 Handwritten Notes
Level: Advanced
你好,明天见!
"Handwriting often connects strokes (Xíngshū style), making characters look continuous."
Wait, what changed?
Strokes are rounded and often blurred together.
The 'Hook' (Gōu) becomes more pronounced.
Small details like dots (Diǎn) may be simplified to lines.
Skeleton Sketcher Worksheet Skeleton Sketcher
Mastering Visual Adaptability
AGENT NAME:
MISSION 03: FONT DECODING
In calligraphy and advertising, characters are often distorted for artistic effect. Your task is to identify the Skeleton —the basic structure—of the stylized characters below and map them to their standard form.
Part 1: The Matching Challenge
Stylized Script
火
北京
你好
Standard Equivalent (Write Below)
Write Standard Character Here
Write Standard Character Here
Write Standard Character Here
Part 2: Skeleton Reconstruction
Below is a highly artistic logo for a "Tea House" (茶馆). Identify the key strokes and draw the simplified "skeleton" version to prove you can read it.
Artistic Logo
茶馆
Stylized 'Cháguǎn'
Your Skeleton Sketch
Draw the basic character structure above.
Analysis Reflection
What was the hardest part about identifying '茶' (Tea) in the artistic logo? Which specific radical did you use to help you?
Digital Explorer Slides Digital Explorer
Navigating Apps & Modern Interfaces
Lesson 4 Intermediate Mandarin
China's Digital World
Most interactions in modern China happen on a smartphone. From paying for snacks to hailing a taxi.
Essential Skills:
Recognizing UI Buttons
Typing via Pinyin
Navigating App Menus
搜索
微信
支付宝
最新通知...
01 The Universal UI Icons
发送
Fāsòng
Send
保存
Bǎocún
Save
删除
Shānchú
Delete
设置
Shèzhì
Settings
搜索
Sōusuǒ
Search
登录
Dēnglù
Login
02 Pinyin Input Power
How do you write characters on a screen without a brush?
Most people use Pinyin Input . You type the sounds, and the app suggests the characters.
Example Process:
nihao
1. 你好
2. 拟好
Typing Strategies
1
Type the whole word/phrase, not just one syllable. It narrows down the options!
2
Look for the correct tone-less pinyin. The input system doesn't need tone marks.
3
For 'ü' (like in nǚ), use the 'v' key on your keyboard.
App Treasure Hunt
On your worksheet, you will find a simulated app interface. Your goal is to find the hidden "Gold Coin" by following these instructions:
1
Go to 设置 (Settings) and find the Account menu.
2
Use the 搜索 (Search) function to look for "Gifts".
3
Hit 发送 (Send) on the correct icon to win!
4
Don't accidentally hit 删除 (Delete)!
Interface Icon Worksheet Interface Icon Challenge
Digital Literacy: Navigating Chinese Apps
SESSION: 04_UI_LAB
ID: ______________
01 Match the Button to its Action
发送
保存
设置
删除
Delete / Remove
Send / Dispatch
Save / Keep
Settings / Config
02 The Treasure Hunt Simulation
Look at the mock interface below. Circle the correct areas based on the instructions.
12:00
微信 (WeChat)
搜索 (Search)
妈妈 (Mom)
你吃饭了吗?
订阅号 (Subs)
最新消息...
微信
通讯录
发现
我 (Me)
Mission Instructions:
Circle the 搜索 (Search) bar in RED.
Find where you would go to change your personal settings (Hint: 我 (Me) tab). Circle it in BLUE.
Find the character for Mom in the chat list. Write it here: ________________
Pinyin Power Practice Sheet Pinyin Power
Input Methods & Character Selection Practice
Task 1: The Typing Logic
When you type pinyin without tone marks, several characters might appear. Circle the correct character from the list that matches the context.
YOU TYPE: ni hao
Desired meaning: "Hello"
A. 你好
B. 拟好
YOU TYPE: bei jing
Desired meaning: "Beijing City"
A. 背景
B. 北京
YOU TYPE: nv er
Desired meaning: "Daughter"
A. 女儿
B. 怒而
Task 2: Input Prep
To type these words on a phone, what would you enter on the keyboard? (Remember the 'v' rule for ü!)
谢谢
绿色
再见
南京
Pro Typing Tip
When typing, why is it better to type xiexie all at once instead of just xie?
Survival Guide Project Guide Survival Guide CAPSTONE PROJECT
Lesson 5: Synthesizing Environmental Print Knowledge
Due Date
CLASS-VII
The Project Mission
You are an international travel consultant. Your job is to create a one-page "Survival Pamphlet" for a first-time traveler visiting China. This guide must help them navigate from the airport, find food, and use digital services without knowing the language fluently.
Guide Requirements:
3 Street Signs: Correctly labeled with directions.
5 Food Keywords: Including meat types and "Not Spicy".
3 Digital Buttons: Labeled for app navigation.
Mnemonics: Helpful visual aids for difficult characters.
Scoring Guide
Character Accuracy 25 pts
Visual Clarity 25 pts
Survival Utility 30 pts
Annotations 20 pts
Total: 100
Warm-up: Sign Redesign
Below is a confusing, handwritten sign from a local market. It says "Today's Special: Steamed Pork". Redesign it to be clear and helpful for a traveler using your skills from this unit.
Confusing Original
今日特色:蒸肉
(Messy handwriting, hard to read radicals)
Your Redesign
Include clear characters and one English label.
Travel Guide Blueprint
Section 1: Navigation Characters
Section 2: Food & Safety
Section 3: Digital Interface
Sketch of Page Layout
Travel Mastery Rubric Capstone Mastery Rubric
Interpreting Authentic Texts & Environmental Print
SCORE: _____ / 100
Criteria Mastery (25) Proficient (20) Developing (15) Character Accuracy All characters (navigation, food, digital) are written with correct radicals and stroke logic. No errors. Characters are recognizable with minor stroke order or radical size issues. 1-2 errors. Frequent errors in characters; some are unreadable or contain incorrect radicals. Content Survival Depth Guide covers airport, dining, and digital needs with high-utility vocabulary. Guide covers most scenarios but lacks specific detail (e.g., missing dietary warnings). Guide only covers one or two basic topics. Many survival essentials are missing. Visual Design & Clarity Layout is clean and easy to navigate in a rush. Uses colors/icons effectively to separate topics. Layout is organized but text is cluttered or icons are not clearly linked to characters. Layout is disorganized. Very difficult for a traveler to use quickly. No clear hierarchy. Annotations & Mnemonics Highly creative visual aids/notes that help a non-speaker remember the characters. Includes basic pinyin and English meanings, but memory aids are generic. Missing pinyin or English labels for several characters. No memory aids provided.
Instructional Feedback
Character Logic
Real-World Use
Visual Hierarchy