Continuing with the oracy skills in English last week, the children in Year 5 learned a new story for Chinese New Year, The Willow Pattern Story. The children gathered together on cushions to listen to each other tell the story. It is a tale of an old Mandarin in China many years ago and his daughter, Koong Shee. He keeps her hidden away in his Pagoda, but she falls in love with the servant, Chang. The Mandarin is angry and arranges a marriage with an old merchant, but on the wedding day Chang and Koong Shes run away together.  

Each group told the story to the rest of the class from memory and used the images from a Willow Pattern plate to help. Images such as a pagoda, a fence, willow tree, boat and figures on a bridge are all from key moments in the story.

Later, the children began to write their version of the story from the perspective of the Mandarin, Chang or Koong Shee.