





Welcome to the FREE Beyond the Panda online learning resources exploring China, its language, culture, geography, giant pandas and other Chinese wildlife. Beyond the Panda is also a science specialist Confucius Classroom and all materials link to Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes in science, topical science, social studies, language and literacy.
For other free language resources in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and Gaelic, please see 'Science in the Language Class'
free courses and sessions available:
Although the sections in Beyond the Panda are organised in packs, mostly aimed at specific year groups, the games and activities can be used across all age levels. To help navigate to resources that will link to various language topics, please look at the Planning & Learning section.
A comparison project between China and Scotland aimed at P4-P7 level which looks at the similarities and differences between the habitats and animals of each country. The game also includes cultural items from China and Scotland.
Partnered with JASS, this can fulfil part of the 'Me and My World' section. This can further involve actions to help save endangered animals, for example: making bird feeders, bug hotels, raising money for RZSS projects in the wild.
The resources are available in two formats:
Click on the items in the contents lists below.
Although topic is aimed at upper primary level, the following 3 games could be introduced to lower primary:
This project is supported by the Junior Award Scheme for Schools - JASS and can be used as part of the scheme.
These are character recognition activity stories. It is not expected that the children will understand the full Chinese sentences. The story books contain large pictures to help the children either count the items or see the colours. The number and colour cards are for the children to point to the correct characters and it is suggested that each child have a card while the story is being read.
Colour Story
This pack covers a range of activities to learn about the giant panda, simple classification of vertebrate animals and to reinforce Mandarin numbers and colours.
Resources are available in different formats:
The P1-P3 pack consists of:
This pack covers a range of activities to learn about the giant panda, including the history of giant panda conservation, classification of vertebrate animals, habitats and regions of China.
Resources are available in different formats:
The P4-P7 pack consists of:
This pack covers a broad range of activities in science, art, history and culture.
The S1-S2 pack consist of:
This is an advanced endangered species pack which includes a Mandarin case study for qualification level.
The Secondary Endangered Species pack consists of:
Teacher training video on how to play
These packs have similar content to the P1-P3 (Level 1) and P4-P7 (Level 2) panda packs but have been designed as individual pupil workbooks instead of the group game activities which were in the panda packs. The panda folder is designed to be printed in booklet format, providing a double page spread for the maps and diagrams. If you cannot print in booklet format, the double spread pages are also provided as full pictures.
The resources are available in two formats:
Click on the items in the contents lists below.
See P4-P7 course
Beyond the Panda offers a 5 week progressive programme for upper primary level which may also be of interest to lower secondary. The programme consists of four weeks live virtual sessions and one in-person outreach visit. Available throughout Scotland and north of England.
Check the CfE links and a list of key objectives. Please contact srobb@rzss.org.uk for
booking and further details.
Partnered with and
to enable safe delivery of our programme through established educational platforms. For Scotland through the schools Glow network. For other areas, delivered via Vscene.
Sound files are from native Chinese teachers through our partners at
Follow-on resources for this course are listed below. You may also want to look at the other sections in Beyond the Panda for additional material.
You can refer to the planning and learning section which provides links to games for the different language and science related topics.
This session will include a comparison of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in China and Scotland.
For a game about Chinese endangered species and lots more information see the Eco-Learning section.
The session starts with a Chinese tea ceremony and there is a surprising connection to the giant panda!
Links to other culture games:
A panda history
A follow on from this session is to play the panda history board game. The game looks at the history of the giant panda from discovery in 1869 to the arrival of giant pandas at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo in 2011. Many different topics are covered including learning about differences in opinions and conservation research over history and the importance of zoos today.
Countries & Nationalities
This session, as part of the 5 week course, is the in-person outreach visit. Activities In the outreach are different to those used in the virtual sessions and to those available on this website. This provides an opportunity to reinforce the learning with different methods but there will also be a chance to investigate the skulls and some other interesting items seen in the virtual sessions. Details of the outreach will be sent on booking the course.
Also see the China/Scotland section.
The quiz has questions from all the sessions relating to the science. There is a + sign to enlarge some of the pictures.
Introduction is an online book to read and listen to the Mandarin introduction learned from this course along with a matching game. Introduction sound files also available for download.
StampIT has a 'Language of Stamps' series. Within this there are many Mandarin language activities and games.
There is also a language competition in partnership with RZSS.
Curriculum for Excellence:
Zoo Fun with Mandarin is our FREE family Mandarin language course.
This unique course introduces you and your family to the Mandarin language and Chinese characters. Work through the presentations and videos.
From time to time, there may be in-person sessions and virtual sessions available The next availability is an in-person session at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo on Saturday 6th August 2022. Full details will be posted in due course. Any questions and further information contact srobb@rzss.org.uk
Additional resources
Remember from session 1 (Characters), the ancient characters were drawings and even the simplest of them had much more meaning behind them.
Work through the following presentations (in order) to learn more about the links from the ancient drawings to the modern simplified characters.
A fun matching game looking at ancient and modern simplified Chinese characters. There are four sets which are identical but with different colours should you wish to split the class into different groups.
Either download and print the card version or play the interactive game:
Collating together some of the facts which can be learnt through the panda packs and other resources on this website.
StampIT also provides resources to assist with the Mandarin language. Visit their Mandarin section. There is also a RZSS and StampIT China language competition.
The Spanish sound files are from students at Musselburgh Grammar, East Lothian, Scotland. The students have also designed a fantastic game about a tour around RZSS Edinburgh Zoo - ¡Bienvenidos al zoo de Edimburgo! and the Mandarin version 欢迎来到爱丁堡动物园。
There is limited availability for a free live virtual session or an outreach visit related to these resources - contact srobb@rzss.org.uk The resources and sessions are aimed at upper primary level but also useful for lower secondary. See CfE links
For other Spanish resources please see RZSS Science in the Language Class
The materials are available in two formats with both Mandarin and Spanish versions where appropriate:
Click on the + sign to hear the name in Mandarin and Spanish along with some facts about the animals.
1. giant panda habitat game
2. giant anteater habitat game
3. Habitat, distribution and range maps
4. ¡Bienvenidos al zoo de Edimburgo!
This game was designed by the 2021-2022 S4 Spanish Employability Group, Musselburgh Grammar School, East Lothian, Scotland.
5. 欢迎来到爱丁堡动物园
Mandarin version of the Musselburgh Grammar School game.
It is best if you work through all the other activities before taking this quiz.
Sounds are incorporated in the various online games where appropriate.
The files below contain a complete set of the sound files.
Also see colour games in the Giants section (Mandarin & Spanish)
Also see the Eco-Learning section
The interactive online activities include sound files from native Chinese speakers. There are also sound files to download which you can find in the relevant sections.
Also see Giants which has both Mandarin and Spanish activities related to the giant panda and the giant anteater.
There are workbooks available in sections China/Scotland and Panda Folders.
The 'More games & resources' section can also have miscellaneous games like dinosaur bingo!
There
are many different threats facing animals across the world. For example:
habitat loss, over-hunting, pollution, invasive species, illegal pet trade,
over-exploitation and hybridisation. Climate
change is
also a main threat to all animals. Habitat loss, pollution, over-exploitation are
main contributors to climate change.
Various resources have been collated from Beyond the Panda to create a series of lessons around Chinese endangered species, mainly focusing on four threats: habitat loss, over-hunting, pollution and climate change.
This programme is part of the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools Eco-Learning Programme (ELP). The programme is a partnership between CISS, Keep Scotland Beautiful and RZSS Beyond the Panda. A detailed pack will be available from CISS in due course.
This game focuses on four Chinese endangered animals and their four main threats: giant panda and habitat loss; Amur tiger and over-hunting; Steller's sea eagle and pollution; bharal and climate change.
For further information about the threats facing the animals within the endangered game:
A comparison project between China and Scotland which looks at the similarities and differences between the habitats and animals of each country.
The resources are available in two formats.
The Mandarin language often uses words that simply describe the meaning. Sometimes it can be a useful way to learn Mandarin words by recognising each individual character and its meaning.
The earliest form of Chinese writing is from around 4000 years ago. Simple drawings were found on animal bones. The Chinese characters have changed over time but we can sometimes use the ancient drawings to help us see pictures within the modern characters.
It is best to work through the habitats presentation before attempting the threats presentation.
Work through this presentation before you do the threats presentation.
Work through this presentation after you have done the habitats presentation. There is some knowledge from the habitats presentation that you need to know to complete the threats activities.
Conservation related words and their definitions along with the Mandarin translations and sound files.
Additional teaching notes on Chinese characters.
“This was a highly valuable and enjoyable experience for our Senior pupils. It was fantastic to give them an opportunity to put their language skills into practice and see how languages can benefit them in the world of work. Pupils loved using their language skills to learn about other countries, cultures and animals across the globe. This opportunity gave pupils the chance to work together as a team, gain experience of the world of work and combine what they are doing across a range of subjects. I have seen how much my pupils' confidence has increased from doing this, which has consequently increased in uptake as pupils who didn't think about a career in languages have found that it opens other doors.” Ms Coats, Musselburgh Grammar.
Excellent opportunity for an employability group. If you have a French or Mandarin group of students who would like to take part in this over 2022-2023, ask them to think of innovative ways to complete the following sentence: "We would like to take part in this opportunity because..."
Any questions and replies to srobb@rzss.org.uk by end August 2022. Please state which language. For this year, only French and Mandarin considered. Judges will decide on the best answers and the chosen classes will be contacted in September 2022 with further details.