From Favorites to Graphs: A Chinese Immersion Classroom Project for Kids
Looking for a fun way to combine math, Mandarin Chinese learning, and classroom community building? This hands-on project is one of my favorite beginning-of-the-year activities for young learners because it builds language, math skills, and classroom connections all at once.
Step 1: Complete a “Favorites” Survey in Chinese
To begin the project, each student fills out a simple questionnaire about their favorite things in Chinese. They can also draw and color pictures to support their writing, making the activity more interactive and engaging.
The survey includes topics that kids naturally love talking about, such as:
Favorite color 最喜欢的颜色
Favorite animal 最喜欢的动物
Favorite food 最喜欢的食物
Favorite fruit 最喜欢的水果
Favorite dessert 最喜欢的甜点
Favorite sport 最喜欢的运动
👉 To help you bring this project into your classroom, the free templates are waiting for you at the end of this post.
Step 2: Gather Class Data Through Mandarin Interviews
After completing their own surveys, students walk around the classroom and interview classmates in Chinese. This gives them authentic speaking and listening practice while helping them build connections with one another.
Students practice asking questions like:
你最喜欢什么颜色？
你最喜欢的水果是什么？
Students answer questions using complete sentences in Chinese like:
我最喜欢的颜色是……
我最喜欢的食物是……
Because the conversations are centered around topics students genuinely care about, participation feels natural and fun, making it a perfect activity for students to get to know each other at the beginning of the school year.
Step 3: Create Graphs and Posters in Chinese
Next comes the math component! Students worked in groups organize the survey results into colorful graphs and final poster projects. They counted responses, compared numbers, and used symbols, labels, and drawings to visually represent the information.
Students also wrote simple observations and conclusions in Chinese, such as:
很多人喜欢冰淇淋。
最多人喜欢披萨。
喜欢寿司的人比喜欢面条的人少。
This hands-on activity helps students practice organizing and analyzing data, strengthen counting and number sense, compare quantities, and use Chinese vocabulary in a meaningful context. The final posters are a fun combination of math, language, and creativity!
Step 4: Present Results in Mandarin Chinese
To finish the project, students present their graphs to the whole class. They explain the results, share interesting discoveries, and practice speaking Mandarin with an audience.
This final presentation helps them build confidence speaking Mandarin, use academic vocabulary in a natural way, and learn how to clearly explain data.
Most importantly, students are using Chinese with a real purpose: to communicate ideas, ask questions, and connect with others.
Grab the FREE Chinese Survey Printable ✨
Want to try this project in your own classroom? This free “Favorites” survey printable is available in both Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
Click on the image to download the free printables so your students can start collecting data and creating their own graphs right away!
