There is a fire in each one's heart,

The passers-by only see a smoke.

but there would be one,

who can see the fire?

there she comes and accompany with me.

-Van Gogh

Biographies allows students to better understand the thoughts and behaviors of the characters in the relevant historical context, triggering deep thought and inspiring. How to get students to carefully read the intensive text? The Chinese language teacher of Kaiwen Academy found an innovative approach.

In May, the Chinese teacher Zhang Kun of grade 6 recommended the biography for student to read. She required the students to adapt the biographies into picture books so that children aged 6 to 7 can read and understand. This is not only conducive to students acquiring new things, but also improving their ability to express, reproduce and apply knowledge.

The students produced vivid and detailed hand-painted books by gouache, marker, needle pen, color pencil, watercolor pen and other tools. In the hand-painted books, they presented their own interpretations on the life experiences and thoughts of the characters. The historical figures is vividly revealed on the papers, and the funny and witty pictures guide the readers to know the extraordinary life of the characters.

 “More and more, I believe, to create the good price is: hard work, disappointment, and perseverance.”

-Van Gogh

Van Gogh, hand painted by Shao Lingzhu

 “Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything good in the world.

——Helen Keller “Three Days to See”

Helen Keller, hand painted by Zhao Nanchen

 “I thought one should have the attitude of ‘what do you care what other people think, I said’ we should listen to other people’s opinions and take them into account. Then, if they don’t make sense and we think they’re wrong, then that’s that “

-Richard P. Feynman  “What Do You Care What Other People Think?”

Richard P. Feynman, hand painted by Liu Ruisi

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry .

                                                                                               -Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn, hand-painted by Liu Shuwei

“One Book one Month” is a regular event in the Chinese teaching of sixth grade in Kaiwen Academy. The teacher assigns students a type of book for read each month.

Students are required to complete the reading within one month and feedback accordingly. In the traditional teaching mode of reading, students often fall into blind selection facing a long bibliography, while the reading type recommendation provides a clear direction for students' reading and builds a correct reading framework.

Through such activities, students can quickly find the reading direction and type that they are interested, and teachers can provide better guidance for students with different interest. At the same time, in order to allow students to consciously  and intensively read, teachers will arrange different feedback tasks each time. The forms of feedback are also diverse, including PPT display, handwritten copy, hand-drawn version, and grid 9 comics. This will not only conducive to effectively read, but also improve the students’ capability of summarization and generalization as well as writing, handwriting, and painting.