Abstract

This study addresses the disconnect between traditional culture learning and students 'daily lives in third-grade Chinese language education at Macau primary schools. Using the "Festivals in My Hometown" unit as a framework, we developed a "Life Scenario Reconstruction" teaching model. Through three phases— "perception of local culture, connection with life experiences, and creative expression" —the abstract concept of "festival culture" was transformed into interactive classroom activities. Employing action research methodology, we meticulously documented the implementation of "context introduction, task exploration, and outcome transfer" during teaching processes. Teaching effectiveness was validated through student work analysis and classroom observation records. Results demonstrated that this model significantly enhanced students' cultural identity, shifting their language expression from generalized descriptions to detailed portrayals. The study provides a "small yet beautiful" teaching innovation model for frontline educators and offers concrete pathways for integrating regional culture into Chinese language classrooms.

Keywords: life situation reconstruction; primary school Chinese; hometown festival; Macao local culture; teaching case

1. Introduction

1.1 Research Background

Macau, a historic and cultural city nestled along the South China Sea coast, resembles a weighty ancient text where each page bears unique folk traditions. The thunderous gongs and incense-filled rituals of "Nezha's Birthday" and the devout prayers and boat parades of "Mazu's Birthday" are deeply rooted in local culture, serving as vital emotional anchors for Macau's people. Yet in today's third-grade Chinese language classes, students 'understanding of these "local" festivals often remains at the level of a brief "I've heard of it" in textbooks, like a veil that keeps them from grasping the vibrant cultural essence and heartfelt warmth behind these celebrations.

The Chinese language unit "Festivals in My Hometown" aims to help students "experience traditional customs and gather life experiences," fostering their appreciation and love for local culture. However, in conventional teaching methods, teachers often stand at the podium, eloquently explaining the origins and details of festivals, while students mechanically jot down key phrases in their notebooks. This one-way approach—where teachers lecture on customs and students take notes—resembles sowing seeds on parched soil. It fails to ignite genuine emotional resonance with local festivals, let alone allowing students to truly "immerse" themselves in the festivities and experience their charm.

1.2 Research Significance

This case study meticulously designs and implements "life scenarios" to provide Macau Chinese language teachers with a practical teaching template. Serving as a bridge, it connects Macau's rich local festival resources with teaching methods in urgent need of improvement, effectively addressing the current gap of "having resources but lacking methods" in local festival education. By transforming abstract festival knowledge into vivid, tangible life scenarios, students can immerse themselves in simulated festival experiences, feeling the unique atmosphere through multiple senses—visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile. This approach subtly deepens their understanding and appreciation of local culture, reviving the dormant festival traditions in children's hearts and rekindling their vitality.

2. Study Design

2.1 Study Subjects

Class 2, Grade 3 at a primary school in Macau has 30 students, including 22 born in Macau and 8 migrant children (parents are mainland workers in Macau).

2.2 Teaching Objectives

Knowledge and Skills: Accurately describe the customs of at least two traditional festivals in Macau, and write a scene of a festival using the 'general-to-specific structure'.

Methods: Through field observation, family interview, creative expression and other activities, learn to find materials from life.

Emotional attitude: Develop interest in Macau's local culture and actively learn about family traditions.

2.3 Research Methods

Action research method: A complete 2-hour (80-minute) teaching process was recorded, followed by three rounds of post-class reflection and adjustments.

The work analysis method: compare the students 'holiday theme composition before and after the teaching (such as "My Family's Spring Festival" vs "Nezha's Birthday in Macau").

3. Teaching Case Practice

3.1 First Lesson: Contextual Introduction – Awakening Life Experiences (40 minutes)

Pre-class preparation (3 days in advance)

Training  aid ：

Multimedia production: Create a 1-minute video showcasing Macau's three traditional festivals (Spring Festival, Nezha Festival, and Mazu Festival), featuring iconic scenes like dragon dances, the making of Ping' an Bao (traditional food), and incense offerings at the Mazu Temple.

Physical props: wooden Ping 'an Bao mold, golden Huichun (inscribed with "Da Ji" and "Ping' an"), traditional candies (almond cookies and cured meat).

Learning Unit: Design a 'Festival Exploration Card' (with two sections: 'Festivals I Know' and 'Festivals I Want to Know', including a blank space for drawing).

Educational Survey: The homeroom teacher first gathered students' family backgrounds (e.g., participation in local festivals), then distributed a "Macau Festival Mini-Questionnaire" to eight migrant children individually. The questionnaire included multiple-choice items such as: "Which of these festival decorations have you seen? A. Dragon Dance B. Christmas Tree."

Teaching Session 1: Five-Sense Awakening · Immersive Scenario Activation (10 minutes)

Teacher: (The classroom lights dim as a short video plays, the screen freezes on a close-up of a dragon dance with intensifying gongs and drums) "Class, now close your eyes and listen carefully—what sound is this? Can you imagine what's playing before your eyes?" (Pause for 5 seconds)

Student 1: (raising hand) "It's the drumming! I think I saw a golden dragon darting through the crowd!"

Teacher: (Opening the physical props box, pulling out the dragon dance toy model) "Exactly! This is the most vibrant 'dragon dance parade' during Macau's Nezha Festival. Look, how many scales does this dragon have? (Guide students to observe) And what color are its eyes?"

Student 2: "The scales are red and golden, and the eyes are black, like two glass beads!"

Teacher: (Distributing traditional sweets) "Now, please try this almond cake and think: During the festival, besides what we see and hear, what other flavors can we 'taste' and what scents can we 'smell'?" (While students taste the cake, a recording of the crunching sound of Mazu's birthday sweet bun is played.)

Student 3: "The almond cookies are sweet and a bit crispy! I can smell the aroma of Grandma's homemade cookies!"

Teacher: (writes on the board: "Five Senses Technique": seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching) "By incorporating these sensory experiences into your writing, readers will feel as though they've personally experienced the festival!"

Teaching Session 2: Family Interview · Life Experience Connection (20 minutes)

Task 1: "Festival Tree" Co-creation (Individual + Group)

Students receive a 'Festival Exploration Card' and independently complete the section 'Festivals I Know' (with illustrations or text). They then work in groups of four to display their cards on the 'Festival Tree' board on the classroom's back wall.

Student 4 (a migrant child): (drawing: a red 'Fu' character) 'I only know that the Fu character is pasted during the Spring Festival, but is the Spring  Festival in Macau different from that in my hometown?'

Teacher: (crouching down to discuss with the group) "What a brilliant question! Who can help him solve it?"

Student 5 (a local Macau resident): 'The character for "Fu" (blessing) in Macau is gold, and it's pasted upside down on the main gate to symbolize "blessings coming!" My dad always pastes it every year!'

Task 2: "Family Festival Story" Sharing Session

Invite three students (two local students and one migrant child) to the stage to describe 'how families celebrate festivals' in three sentences. The teacher will record key phrases in real time and post them on the 'Golden Sentence Wall' on the blackboard.

Student 6: 'Last year on Mazu's birthday, my grandfather and I visited the Mazu Temple. He bought a peace charm and told me to make a wish before eating it. He said the wish would come true!'

Teacher: (follow-up question) "Grandpa said what should we pay attention to when making wishes? What does your safety pouch look like?" (guiding students to add details)

Student 6: "Close your eyes and join your hands together! The safety package is round with a little red dot on top, like a smiling face!"

Teaching Session 3: Cultural Awareness · Local Festival Science Outreach (10 minutes)

The presentation of the self-produced PowerPoint 'Macau Festival Mini-Class' highlights the origins of 'Nezha's Birthday '(18th day of the 5th lunar month) and' Mazu's Birthday' (23rd day of the 3rd lunar month), featuring a side-by-side comparison of vintage photos (1980s Macau festival scenes) with contemporary depictions.

Teacher: "Why does Macau have so many unique festivals?" (Explaining in child-friendly terms, considering Macau's history of blending Eastern and Western cultures: "Just like our class has classmates from different regions, Macau's festivals are also 'good friends' celebrating together!")

Assign post-class tasks: Interview one family member (parents or grandparents) and document how they celebrated holidays in their childhood. Complete the Family Holiday Interview Form (including four sections: time, location, activities, and most memorable event).

3.2 Second Class Session: Task Exploration – Deepening Contextual Experience (40 minutes)

Pre-class preparation (1 day in advance)

Group materials package:

Performance group: Dragon body props (red crepe paper and bamboo pole), candy props (colorful foam balls), and children's toy versions of gongs and drums.

Artists' kit: A3 paper, colored pencils, and festive stickers (including dragons, lucky bags, and lanterns).

Writing group: "Five-Sense Description Framework Cards" (containing sentence patterns like "I see ____ as ____" and "I hear ____ as if ____"), along with a sample excerpt (a teacher-written segment titled "Macau Spring Festival").

Venue setup: Clear the classroom center and use colorful ribbons to demarcate the "performance zone" and "display zone". Post "Writing Inspiration Station" on the wall, featuring a metaphorical vocabulary such as "like a rainbow" and "like a drum".

Teaching Session 1: Role-Playing & Scene Reconstruction with Detail Observation (15 minutes)

Group task assignment (students choose their own roles):

Performance Team (8 members): Two members hold the dragon's head, three hold the dragon's body, two scatter candies, and one beats gongs and drums, recreating the 'Nezha's Birthday Parade 'scene (Teacher's simple action guide: The dragon's head should' raise, lower, and shake its head, 'and say' Congratulations on getting rich' while scattering candies).

Observation group (12 participants): 2 recorded the "performance actions" of the performance group, 3 documented the "audience reactions", 4 captured the "on-site sounds", and 3 noted the "prop colors/shapes".

The interview panel (10 members) acted as 'young reporters' and interviewed the 'actor' after the performance: 'Did your hands ache when you held the dragon's body? Why did you sprinkle candies?'

Implementation process:

The performance group rehearsed for 5 minutes before the official performance, while the observation group filled out the Observation Record Form during the observation.

Student 7 (Observation Group): 'As the dragon body sways, the crepe paper rises like waves, and the candies fall to the ground with a' crunch-crunch 'sound!'

Student 8 (Interviewer): "Why did you choose to perform in red?"

Student 9 (Performance Group): "The teacher said red symbolizes joy, just like wearing red clothes during the Spring Festival!"

Teaching Session 2: Tiered Writing · Creative Expression with Scaffolded Support (20 minutes)

Basic Level (for students with weaker writing skills):

Provide a sentence completion template: "Today we celebrated ____ (a festival). I saw ____ and heard ____; I felt ____."

Student 10 (a migrant worker's child): "Today we performed the Nezha Festival. I saw the golden dragon and heard the rhythmic drumbeats—it was so exciting!"

Upgrade to Advanced (for intermediate students):

Use the 'Five-Sense Description Scaffold Card' to describe at least three sensory experiences, including one metaphorical sentence.

Student 11: 'Nezha's dragon scales shimmered like tiny mirrors, blinding the eyes. The drumbeats thundered 'thud thud thud,' and my heart raced like a little drum!'

Advanced Level (for high-achieving students):

Write a holiday story of me and my family with the help of the Family Holiday Interview Form.

Student 12: 'When Grandma taught me to make Ping' an bao (a traditional Chinese sweet), her hands were covered with flour, as if she wore white gloves. She said, "When making it, think of happy things, so that those who eat it will be happy." I secretly hid a candy in the dough, hoping that those who eat it will find sweetness in their hearts!'

Teacher-guided instruction: Focus on migrant children, using questions to guide details: "When you interviewed your mother, did she say anything that left a deep impression on you?"  "When your grandmother made the peace packet, did the flour get on her hair?"

Teaching Session 3: Outcome Presentation · Diverse Evaluation and Experience Summary (5 minutes)

The 'Festival Mini Theater' featured the performance group's showcase, with other students holding up their writing excerpts or artwork while reading aloud quietly.

During the peer review session, each participant writes down their favorite quote on a sticky note and pastes it on a classmate's work (for example:' The metaphor "dragon scales like a small mirror" is absolutely brilliant!').

Teacher's summary: "Today we not only celebrated the festival, but also learned to capture its essence, sounds, and colors in our essays. When you get home, share your story with your family—they'll be so proud of you!"

Research Findings and Analysis

4.1 Comparison of Student Works (Before and After Teaching)

4.2 Teacher Reflection

Learning from our successes: Through scenario-based design, we've mastered the art of the "small-scale approach" strategy. Take the "Safe Package Making" activity: We captured the warm sensation of fingertips kneading dough, the snow-like texture of glutinous rice flour settling in palms, and children's meticulous wrapping of fillings into wrappers – movements as deliberate as tending to a treasured heirloom. Similarly, in dragon dance instruction, we avoided abstract descriptions of majesty. Instead, we started with basic movements like "raising the dragon's head" and "swinging its tail," helping children experience the coordination of arm muscles and body movements. As colorful dragons came to life under their hands, their scales shimmering with sunlight, the children's eyes sparkled with excitement and pride. This tangible immersion transformed learning from abstract concepts into a vivid, hands-on experience.

Improvement Direction: To address cultural adaptation challenges for migrant children, we recognize the importance of cultural groundwork. In the future, we will create specially curated Macau festival-themed videos featuring vibrant scenes—lion dance parades with thunderous gongs, fireworks lighting up the night sky, along with locals 'genuine smiles and detailed explanations of traditional customs. Through this immersive audio-visual experience, children can visualize Macau's festive atmosphere before entering classrooms, building foundational cultural awareness. This approach helps them better engage in subsequent teaching activities, reduces cultural barriers, and allows every child to enjoy learning in a familiar environment.

5. Conclusion and Recommendations

5.1 Conclusion

The "Life Scenario Reconstruction" methodology, through its closed-loop design of "awakening experiences—exploring experiences—creative output," effectively addresses the issue of "content hollowing out" in Chinese language teaching, making students 'language expression more vivid and emotionally resonant. Students are no longer passive recipients of knowledge but active observers and experiencers of life. During the "awakening experiences" phase, their eyes sparkle with the light of memories, their fingertips seem to touch the warmth of the past, and their hearts surge with genuine emotional waves. This teaching model is like giving wings to students' language, enabling them to soar freely across the vast expanse of life. With the most sincere emotions and vivid details, they weave magnificent chapters filled with imagery and emotional warmth, completely breaking free from the previous predicament of "empty words" in Chinese learning. This truly makes Chinese a bridge connecting hearts and life.

5.2 Recommendations

Resource development: Teachers can collaborate with parents to collect "old family holiday photos" and establish a "holiday cultural archive" for the class.

Interdisciplinary Extension: Collaborate with art classes to create "Festival Handwritten Newspapers," and with music classes to learn "Macau Festival Nursery Rhymes," deepening cultural experiences.

References

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