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Mandarin Days — 星期

Fifth graders learn the days of the week in Mandarin — and discover a clever pattern: the days are just 星期 (xīngqī - week) plus a number! 星期一 (week-one) is Monday, 星期二 is Tuesday, and so on.

Grade 5Xīngqī45 minutes1 class periodACTFL / CommunicativeExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name the days.
  • ✓See the week + number pattern.
  • ✓Order the days.
  • ✓Talk about the week.
Essential Question

What day is it? In Mandarin, the days are just “week + number” — so easy! Can you put the school days in order?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Days

Project this and have students put the Mandarin school days in order, 星期一 to 星期五.

📅 Put the days in order — Monday to Friday!Try it
Tap 星期一 first!
The Lesson · Communicative Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Week + Number

5 min

In Mandarin, days are just “week + number” — can you order the school days?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask today’s day.
  • Show 星期一 = week-one.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share.
  • Notice.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Xīngqī

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Present 星期一 to 星期五.
  • Note 星期 + number.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Note it.
  • Repeat.
3

Practice — Order Them

12 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Days.
  • Put them in order.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
4

Speak — Speak

11 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say today’s day.
  • Say tomorrow’s.
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a day.
  • Explain the pattern.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Novice-Mid).

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand days.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: name days.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to the calendar.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.2

Compare day-naming systems.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Day picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “今天是 ___.”
  • Use a weekly calendar.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with 星期一 and 星期五.
  • Order two at a time.
  • Repeat aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add 星期六 and 星期日.
  • Say your favorite day.
  • Make a schedule.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 📅A weekly calendar
  • 💻Order the Days
  • 🗣️Audio
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

星期 (xīngqī)week星期一 (xīngqī yī)Monday星期二 (xīngqī èr)Tuesday星期三 (xīngqī sān)Wednesday星期四 (xīngqī sì)Thursday星期五 (xīngqī wǔ)Friday星期六 (xīngqī liù)Saturday星期日 (xīngqī rì)Sunday
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is Monday in Mandarin?
星期一 (Xīngqī yī) — literally “week-one”!
QUESTION 2
What does “星期三 (xīngqī sān)” mean?
Wednesday.
QUESTION 3
How are Mandarin weekdays built?
星期 (week) plus a number.

Reflect: 星期.

Have students name the school days in Mandarin in order, 星期一 to 星期五. A printable days sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Mandarin Days (Xīngqī)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Mandarin Days (Xīngqī)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Mandarin Days (Xīngqī)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: 星期 (xīngqī), 星期一 (xīngqī yī), 星期三 (xīngqī sān), 星期二 (xīngqī èr), 星期五 (xīngqī wǔ), 星期六 (xīngqī liù), 星期四 (xīngqī sì), 星期日 (xīngqī rì)
  1. Friday
  2. Tuesday
  3. Saturday
  4. Monday
  5. week
  6. Thursday
  7. Wednesday
  8. Sunday

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is Monday in Mandarin?
  2. What does “星期三 (xīngqī sān)” mean?
  3. How are Mandarin weekdays built?
Answer key — Part A: 1) 星期五 (xīngqī wǔ) · 2) 星期二 (xīngqī èr) · 3) 星期六 (xīngqī liù) · 4) 星期一 (xīngqī yī) · 5) 星期 (xīngqī) · 6) 星期四 (xīngqī sì) · 7) 星期三 (xīngqī sān) · 8) 星期日 (xīngqī rì)
Part B: 1) 星期一 (Xīngqī yī) — literally “week-one”! 2) Wednesday. 3) 星期 (week) plus a number.