Primary Chinese | Comparing two poems lesson plan (for tutors)

Primary Chinese | Comparing two poems lesson plan (for tutors) | One scene, two moods

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

A comparison question is not about sameness, it is about difference. Both poems write the moon; one means reunion, one means exile. This lesson puts both poems on one table with three columns.

Objectives — Students can: (1) fill a comparison table across three dimensions: scene, figure, feeling; (2) show that one scene can carry opposite feelings; (3) quote a line for every claim; (4) finish 2 comparisons in 20 minutes, 44 percent of the lesson.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Three steps	How do you find title, scene and feeling?	From the earlier chapters
Comparison words	How do same, opposite and different work?	Direction must be stated
Table habits	One item per cell, is that right?	One per cell makes comparison easy

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-5 min	One demo comparison	Two moon poems side by side	Students name the first difference
5-9 min	Dimension 1: scenes	Three scenes left, three right	Three per column
9-13 min	Dimension 2: figures	Anyone there, doing what	Write the verbs
13-17 min	Dimension 3: feeling	Same scene, same feeling?	One written judgement
17-37 min	Two comparisons	2 pairs at 10 minutes	20 minutes
37-45 min	Summary and exit check	Model the same-or-opposite answer	Three answer, the rest check

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Scene table: three each, before any comparing

Students compare before they finish reading, so neither poem lands. Read separately: circle three scenes in the left poem, three in the right, and only then compare.
Shared scenes matter most: both poems have a moon, but one is at a window and one on a river. The position differs, so the feeling differs.

Ask students to fill both columns with three scenes before they are allowed to compare.

Scene 2: Figures: presence or absence sets the viewpoint

Some poems have someone doing something (watching, sitting, asking); others have only scenery. With a figure, the reader steps into that person. Without one, the reader stands outside.
Ask: are you beside the poet, or far away? The answer decides how the feeling question is written.

Note: the figure need not be “I”; it can be a fisherman, a traveller, a servant boy.

Scene 3: Same or opposite: one scene, two moods

Both poems write autumn; one is harvest, one is parting. Teach one sentence pattern: “Both poems write ___, but the left is ___ and the right is ___, because the left has the line ___.”
The pattern is not an answer to memorise; it forces a quotation every time. Without the quotation, the answer is unfinished.

Ask students which character carries the opposite. If they cannot point at it, they have not found it.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Fill the table	Scene, figure, feeling columns	Read separately, then fill	Every column quoted
Shared images	Scenes in both poems	Circle shared nouns	Explain the position
Judge the feeling	Same or opposite	Use the sentence pattern	One quotation required
Short comparison	One difference in 100 words	Difference first, then proof	Not just “both are scenery”

Sanity check (teach this): Check the arithmetic: 3 dimensions times 4 minutes is 12 minutes of modelling; 2 pairs times 10 minutes is 20 minutes, 44 percent of the lesson, leaving 3 minutes for the summary (12 plus 20 plus 5 plus 5 plus 3 is 45). Ten minutes per pair is five minutes a poem, matching the pace of the single-poem chapter.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Fill a comparison table for two moon poems	Moon, window, river; watching, sitting	All three columns filled
Name a shared image and its position	Moon: at the window, on the river	Position explained
Answer same-or-opposite with the pattern	Both autumn, one glad, one grieving	Quotation included

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Only sameness	“Both write scenery” and stop	“Sameness is free; the marks are in the difference.”
No quotation	The right poem feels sad, no line given	“Which character made you feel that?”
Mixing the poems	Left poem scenes in the right column	“One column per poem; do not stir them.”
Vague feeling	Just happy or unhappy	“Which happy: reunion, or letting go?”

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

P5 Chinese practice paper — Comparison table for two poems
P6 Chinese practice paper — 100-word comparison answer
Primary Chinese chapter index — All chapters

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
Name the three comparison dimensions.	Scene, figure, feeling	Missing one means redo
Can one scene carry opposite feelings?	Yes, with a quoted line	Saying no means redo
What must a comparison answer include?	A quotation from the poem	None means rewrite

09 Tutor FAQ

What if neither poem is understood?

Write three scenes each first; scenes are always readable, feelings come later.

How long should the answer be?

Eighty to a hundred and twenty words: one difference, one quotation.

Can paraphrase replace a quotation?

No. A quotation is evidence; paraphrase is explanation.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.