Primary Chinese: Still and Moving Description (Tutor Lesson Plan)

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

Pupils write dead scenes because every sentence is frozen. This lesson makes them pause for three still sentences, then press play for three moving sentences, and the same scene gains time.

Objectives — By the end pupils can: (1) write three still sentences covering shape, colour and position with no verbs; (2) write three moving sentences on the same scene, each with one precise verb; (3) join the two halves with a time word so before and after are clear; (4) complete 3 passages independently in 18 minutes (40 per cent of the lesson).

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

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

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Spatial order	How many sentences per layer?	Two each, previous chapter
Verbs	Which moves faster, walk or dart?	Dart is quicker
Time words	What do suddenly, then and soon do?	They push time forward

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-4 min	Hook: two seconds apart	Same picture, before and after the wind	Name three changes
4-10 min	Act 1: freeze for stillness	Model shape, colour, position	Three sentences, no verbs
10-16 min	Act 2: press play	Add one verb per sentence, all different	Three moving sentences
16-34 min	Three timed passages (18 min)	3 passages x 6 minutes	Three still, three moving
34-40 min	Share and compare	Read two paragraphs, ask which verb is strongest	Name the precise verb
40-45 min	Exit check	Three oral questions	Add one moving sentence if wrong

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Freeze for stillness: shape, colour, position

Tell pupils to imagine pressing pause. Stillness covers three things only: shape, colour, position, one sentence each, and no verb may appear.
Model: The lotus leaf lies flat on the water. A bead of water sits in its centre. The bead shines like glass. Nothing moves.

Pupils must: circle every verb after writing. Any circle means a rewrite, because a still paragraph has no action.

Scene 2: Press play: one verb per sentence, no repeats

Now play the scene: wind arrives, the bead rolls, the leaf flips. Three sentences, one verb each, and the three verbs must differ, each chosen for accuracy.
Model: The wind passes and the bead rolls to the edge. The leaf flips upward. The bead drops back into the pond and rings out a circle.

Reminder: short verbs win. Move always loses to roll.

Scene 3: Join with time: one connector between still and moving

The two halves need a joint or they stay unrelated. One time phrase: suddenly, a gust passed, soon after.
It usually opens the fourth sentence, and a few characters are enough to give before and after.

Pupils must say: which word tells me the scene starts moving here? If they cannot, the joint is missing.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Remove verbs	Strip verbs from a still paragraph	Scan sentence by sentence	Three sentences, zero verbs
Upgrade verbs	Replace move with a precise verb	Ask speed and direction	Roll, flip, drop
Add a time word	Insert a connector between still and moving	Suddenly or a gust passed	Clear before and after
Still and moving pair	Three still, three moving on one scene	Freeze then play	Six sentences, one scene

Sanity check (teach this): Check the numbers: 3 still plus 3 moving = 6 sentences, modelling 12 minutes (two acts of 6), timed practice 18 minutes (40 per cent) for 3 passages at 6 minutes, which fits six sentences plus one verb revision. The 6 minutes of sharing cover two paragraphs and a summary.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Write three still sentences	Shape, colour, position, no verbs	A verb slipped in
Write three moving sentences	Roll, flip, drop, all different	The word move repeated
Add a connector	A gust passed before sentence four	No clear before and after

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Verbs in the still half	The leaf sways on the water	Sway is movement. The still half does not sway.
One verb everywhere	Move and go for every action	Give me a shorter, more exact verb.
No joint	Leaf described, then suddenly wind	Add four characters: a gust passed.
Overloaded moving sentence	Five actions in one sentence	One action per sentence so the reader can follow.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

P5 Chinese paper — Writing: six sentences, three still and three moving
P6 Chinese paper — Writing: add a time connector and circle the verbs
Primary Chinese chapter index — All chapters

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
What is banned in the still half?	Verbs	Any verb is rewritten
What is the rule for moving sentences?	One verb each, no repeats	Repeats lose marks
What joins still and moving?	A time word	No joint means two halves

09 Tutor FAQ

What if pupils cannot find three still sentences?

Switch from a scene to a single object; a small object divides easily into shape, colour and position.

Should the word count be fixed?

No. Fix the sentence count; six concrete sentences naturally reach about one hundred characters.

May verbs repeat?

Not within one paragraph. A repeat means the action was not seen clearly, so choose a shorter verb.

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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.