RZSS: Beyond the Panda

Beyond the Panda
Beyond the Panda

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.

With thanks to our friends:
- free virtual sessions also available Contact srobb@rzss.org.uk for details

China/Scotland Pack

*Virtual session available linked to this topic

A comparison project of China and Scotland, 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. Linked virtual session is available. Please email srobb@rzss.org.uk for details.

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.
[Professionally printed packs are available to purchase at cost price.]

The China/Scotland pack is aimed at P4-P7 and consists of:
- pupil workbook File
- China habitat map File
- Scotland habitat map File
- gameboard File
- game cards File
- how to play File
- answer booklet File
- Chinese animals fact files
- China/Scotland sound files Folder
- Chinese and Scottish animals online book
  
  Habitats of China and Scotland online book
  
  Culture and legends online book
- It is advisable to download the following habitat sound files & cards after the 'China/Scotland' virtual session. The context of these sound files & habitat cards are covered in the virtual session. These are for follow-on work. To book the virtual session, email srobb@rzss.org.uk
- habitat sound files Folder
- habitat cards - virtual session File
- ANSWERS - habitat cards File
- This project is supported by the Junior Award Scheme for Schools - JASS and can be used as part of the scheme.
Nursery Resources

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.

Number Story
P1 - P3 Panda Pack

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. Some of the boards within this pack have been split into two. This is to enable printing at A3 (or A4) but to create an A2 (or A3) poster by joining the two sections. For these files there is also the option to download the single page picture.
The P1-P3 pack consists of:
P4 - P7 Panda Pack

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. Some of the boards within this pack have been split into two. This is to enable printing at A3 (or A4) but to create an A2 (or A3) poster by joining the two sections. For these files there is also the option to download the single page picture.
The P4-P7 pack consists of:
S1 - S2 Panda Pack

This pack covers a broad range of activities in science, art, history and culture.
The S1-S2 pack consist of:
Secondary Endangered Species

This is an advanced endangered species pack which includes a Mandarin case study for qualification level.
The Secondary Endangered Species pack consists of:
Panda Folders

*Virtual sessions available linked to this topic

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. Virtual sessions are available linked to both levels. Please email srobb@rzss.org.uk for details.
[Professionally printed booklets are available to purchase at cost price.]
- Panda Folders Level 1
- panda folder 1 File
- panda workbook 1 File
- panda workbook 1 - ANSWERS File
- panda habitat game (full picture) File
- Chinese animals (full picture) File
- panda senses (full picture) File
- level 1 sound files Folder
- A virtual session entitled 'I can see, hear, smell, taste & touch' is available. With exciting props, Sandie will demonstrate the parts of the body we use for our senses and we will learn how to say and recognise the characters for these in Mandarin Chinese. Discover the giant panda senses and which ones are very important for survival.
- giant panda senses matching game (linked to virtual session)
- giant panda body parts sound files (linked to virtual session)
- Panda Folders Level 2
- panda folder 2 File
- panda workbook 2 File
- panda workbook 2 - ANSWERS File
- panda game (full picture) File
- giant panda life-cylce (full picture) File
- level 2 sound files Folder
- China habitat map - current distribution (full pictures)
- China habitat map - historic distribution (full pictures)
- The following are interactive presentations. They include quizzes, drag and drop activities and fill in the blanks. They are useful as revision and follow-on work to the virtual session - The giant panda. If you are interested in the virtual session contact srobb@rzss.org.uk
  
  The giant panda's hand
  
  The giant panda's teeth
  
  Bamboo & the giant panda's distribution
  
  The giant panda and babies
- This set of sound files is specifically related to the 'The giant panda P4-P7' virtual session. The context of these sound files are covered in the virtual session. For a more general set of sound files linked to the panda folders see 'level 2 sound files' listed above.
- sound files linked to 'The giant panda' virtual session Folder
Online expert sessions

*Virtual sessions now available Please contact srobb@rzss.org.uk for details.

The following online books link to the P4-P7 China/Scotland pack. A virtual session is available for this topic:
- Chinese and Scottish animals Book
- Habitats of China and Scotland Book
- Culture and legends Book
- The following are interactive presentations linking to P4-P7 panda packs and Level 2 panda folders. They include some quizzes, drag and drop activities and fill in the blanks. A virtual session is also available for this topic.
- The giant panda's hand Interactive Content
- The giant panda's teeth Interactive Content
- Bamboo & the giant panda's distribution Interactive Content
- The giant panda and babies Interactive Content
- The following are an online book version of the Nursery number and colour stories:
- Number story Book
- Colour story Book
- The following online books link to the P4-P7 Chinese Endangered Species game:
- Chinese endangered animals Book
- Threats Book
- The following is an online book linking to a P4-P7 China's animals and habitats session:
- China, its habitats and some animals that live in them Book
- China's animals and habitats online game - an interactive online game
Zoo Fun with Mandarin

Zoo Fun with Mandarin is our family and community course. Currently outreach sessions and sessions which were held at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park are postponed. However there are still lots of fun resources. These resources are also suitable for schools to use.

Introduction to Mandarin

There are PowerPoint with sound files included and pdf versions with separate sound files in case you don't have PowerPoint or if you find the Chinese characters do not work properly on your system.
Additional Resources

The additional resources section has a number of resources which are useful for all age groups and they also cover a wide range of subjects.

Sichuan booklets
- Sichuan tea ceremony booklet File
- Sichuan tea ceremony photo gallery Page
- Sichuan face changing booklet File
- Ancient character game
  
  A fun matching game looking at ancient and modern simplified Chinese characters. There are four sets which are identical but with the different colours are provided should you wish to split the class into different groups.
- ancient characters game (red set) File
- ancient characters game (blue set) File
- ancient characters game (green set) File
- ancient characters game (yellow set) File
- Chinese building blocks & radicals
- character building blocks - notes File
- Chinese building blocks set 1 File
- Chinese building blocks set 2 File
- Dinosaur bingo game
- dinosaur bingo cards File
- dinosaur bingo calling cards File
- dinosaur bingo game translations File
- P4-P7 Endangered Species Game
- P4-P7 endangered species gameboard File
- animal distribution maps File
- P4-P7 endangered species - how to play & answers File
- P4-P7 endangered species sound files Folder
- Chinese endangered species online book
  
  Threats online book
- Giant panda fact file
  
  Collating together some of the facts which can be learnt through the panda packs and other resources on this website.
- The giant panda fact file Page
- Sandie's visit to Chengdu - photo gallery
- Chengdu Panda Research Centre Page
- More pandas Page
- Dujiangyan Panda Valley Page
- Sichuan Opera Page
- Sugar Painting Page
- RZSS has also partnered with StampIT to produce a Mandarin language game and a China language competition. Links take you to StampIT's website to download the files.