Elementary School in Taiwan: Overview of Classes and Textbooks Used

The following is an outline of what kids in grades 1-6 study.  The numbers next to each subject indicate the number of classes per week.  A (T) next to a subject indicates that the homeroom teacher is responsible for that class.  An (S) indicates that a subject teacher is responsible for it.  For example, (T-2) means that the homeroom teacher teaches that class twice a week.

Links below indicate that I have translated (parts of) that textbook into English, or in the case of English textbooks, that I have provided a synopsis.  上 is the book for the first semester, 下 is the book for the second semester.  If 上 or 下 are absent, it means that there is no textbook for that subject.

Individual (public) schools will vary, but not by much.  The curriculum is standardized by the government, and there is very little wiggle room for individual schools.

Grade 1

Integrated Activity 綜合 (T-2) 上   下
Math 數學 (T-3) 上   下
Chinese 國語 (T-5) 上   下
"Life" 生活 (T-4) 上   下
Reading 閱讀 (T-1)
Free Period 彈性 (T-2)
PE 體育 (S-2) 上   下
Taiwanese 本土語言 (S-1) 上   下
"Living Arts" 生活美勞 (S-2) 上   下
Health 健康 (T-1) 上   下

The textbook used for "Life" and "Living Arts" is the same, as is the textbook for Health and PE.

Aboriginal and Hakka students usually opt out of the Taiwanese class in favor of their native languages.

Grade 2

Integrated Activity 綜合 (S-2) 上   下
Math 數學 (T-3) 上   下
Chinese 國語 (T-5) 上   下
"Life" 生活 (T-4) 上   下
Reading 閱讀 (T-1)
Free Period 彈性 (T-2)
PE 體育 (S-2) 上   下
Taiwanese 本土語言 (S-1) 上   下
"Living Arts" 生活美勞 (S-2) 上   下
Health 健康 (T-1) 上   下

The textbook used for "Life" and "Living Arts" is the same, as is the textbook for Health and PE.

Grade 3

國語 Chinese (T-5) 上    下
數學 Math (T-3)上   下
音樂 Music (S-1) 上   下
社會 Social Studies (S-3) 上    下
美勞 Art (S-2) 上   下
英語 English (S-2) 1, 2
彈性 Free Period (T-1)
體育 PE (S-2) 上   下
自然 (Natural) Science (S-3)上   下
生活美語 Conversational English (S-1)
電腦 Computers (S-1)
本土語言 Taiwanese (S-1)上   下
綜合 Integrated Activity (T-3)
健康 Health (S-1)上   下

The textbook used for Music and Art is the same, as is the textbook for Health and PE.

In our school, the homeroom teacher is sometimes responsible for Health class.

Conversational English is my class.  

Grade 4

國語 Chinese (T-5) 上   下
數學 Math (T-3)上   下
音樂 Music (S-1) 上   下
社會 Social Studies (S-3) 上   下
美勞 Art (S-2) 上   下
英語 English (S-2) 3, 4
彈性 Free Period (T-1)
體育 PE (S-2) 上   下
自然 (Natural) Science (S-3)上   下
生活美語 Conversational English (S-1)
電腦 Computers (S-1)
本土語言 Taiwanese (S-1)上   下
綜合 Integrated Activity (T-3)
健康 Health (S-1)上   下

The textbook used for Music and Art is the same, as is the textbook for Health and PE.

Grade 5

國語 Chinese (T-5) 上   下
數學 Math (T-4)上   下
音樂 Music (S-1) 上   下
社會 Social Studies (S-3) 上   下
美勞 Art (S-2) 上   下
英語 English (S-2) 5, 6
彈性 Free Period (T-2)
體育 PE (S-2) 上   下
自然 (Natural) Science (S-3)上   下
生活美語 Conversational English (S-1)
電腦 Computers (S-1)
本土語言 Taiwanese (S-1)上   下
綜合 Integrated Activity (T-3)
健康 Health (S-1)上   下
閱讀 Reading(T-1)

The textbook used for Music and Art is the same, as is the textbook for Health and PE.

Grade 6 

國語 Chinese (T-5) 上   下
數學 Math (T-4)上   下
音樂 Music (S-1) 上   下
社會 Social Studies (S-3) 上   下
美勞 Art (S-2) 上   下
英語 English (S-2) 7, 8
彈性 Free Period (T-2)
體育 PE (S-2) 上   下
自然 (Natural) Science (S-3)上   下
生活美語 Conversational English (S-1)
電腦 Computers (S-1)
本土語言 Taiwanese (S-1)上   下
綜合 Integrated Activity (T-3)
健康 Health (S-1)上   下
閱讀 Reading (T-1)

The textbook used for Music and Art is the same, as is the textbook for Health and PE.

Chinese 國語 1 第一課跟第二課 Lessons One and Two 下 Second Semester

For a general overview of these textbooks and how they're used in Taiwanese elementary schools, refer to Elementary School in Taiwan: Overview of Classes and Textbooks Used. 

第一單元: 春天 Unit 1: Spring

Squirrel: 春天快來了吧! Spring is almost here!
Squirrel: 春天到了嗎? Is spring here yet?
Bird: 是呀! Yes!
Squirrel: 真好!  我可以和大家見面了. Great! I can see everyone.
Bee: 我要多採一些花蜜. I want to collect more nectar.
Fairy: 我要努力練舞. I want to practice dancing more.
Squirrel: 我要... I want...

一 1北風 The North Wind

北風ㄏㄨㄏㄨㄏㄨ, The north wind [goes] "hoo hoo hoo"
一下子跑到東, 一下跑到西. One minute running to the east, one minute running to the west.
白天, 小松鼠在玩球, In the day, the little squirrel is playing ball,
北風大聲的說: "給我! 給我! 我們一起玩!" The north wind loudly says: "Give me!  Give me!  Let's play together!"
晚上, 北風輕輕的說故事給小松鼠聽. In the evening, the north wind softly tells the squirrel a story.
春天來了, 北風說: Spring is here, says the north wind:
"小松鼠再見, 在見了!" "Goodbye little squirrel, goodbye!"

語文焦點  Language Focus 一 1

我會寫字 (數字為扣除部首後筆畫數 / 總筆畫數) I can recognize words (number is the number of strokes minus the radical / total number of strokes)

[These are the characters/vocabulary that students would practice in their writing books at home.  Radicals and the above-mentioned number of strokes are placed next to each character.]

1.北 north 2. 風 wind 3. 白 white 4. 松 pine 5. 玩 play 6. 給 give 7. 晚 late 8. 輕 light 9. 故 old/past* 10. 事 thing/event 11. 聽 hear/listen 12. 春 spring

*First graders wouldn't think of it this way though.  故 would go with 事, making 故事 (story).  That would be all they needed to know!

我會認字 I Can Recognize Words

晚 / 星 late / star: 夜晚的星星最明亮. The stars are brightest at night.

故 / 放 past / put: 他把故事書放在桌子上. He put the story book back on the table.

聽 / 聲 hear / sound: 我聽到北風ㄏㄨㄏㄨ的聲音. I hear the north wind go "hoo hoo."


我會念 I Can Read

愛玩的北風, 一下子跑到東, 一下子跑到西. The playful north wind, one minute running to the east, one minute running to the west.
可愛的松鼠, 一下子爬上來, 一下子爬下去. The cute squirrel, one minute climbing up, one minute climbing down.
小木偶的鼻子, 一下子變長, 一下子變短. The little puppet's nose, one minute growing long, one minute growing short.
今天的天氣, 一下子出太陽, 一下子下大雨, 好奇怪! Today's weather, one minute the sun comes out, one minute it's raining, [it's] so strange!

說一說 Say It

[The sentences/phrases in this section are not arranged from top to bottom.  The first sentence is in the middle, with arrows pointing outward to the others.]

小小樹葉像條船, 隨波漂流到處玩. The little leaf is like a boat, floating and playing everywhere.
漂到東, 看到一朵紅睡蓮. It floats east, and sees a red sleeping lotus flower.
漂到北, 你猜它會遇到誰? It floats north, guess who it bumps into?
漂到西, 遇到一隻小蝌蚪. It floats west, and bumps into a tadpole.
漂到南, 看到一根長竹竿. It floats south, and sees a long bamboo pole.

二 Two 春天來了 Spring Arrives

花園裡, In the garden,
花開了, The flowers open,
草綠了, The plants are green,
媽媽說: "春天來了." Mother says: "Spring is here."

弟弟問媽媽: Little brother asks mother:
"春天是誰? "Who is Spring?
他是坐車來的, Is she coming in a car,
還是走路來的?" Or walking over?

媽媽笑著說: Mother laughs and says:
"花開了, "The flowers open,
草綠了, The plants are green,
天氣暖和了, The weather is warm,
就是春天來了." This is what spring means."

語文焦點  Language Focus 一 2

我會寫字 (數字為扣除部首後筆畫數 / 總筆畫數) I can recognize words (number is the number of strokes minus the radical / total number of strokes)

[These are the characters/vocabulary that students would practice in their writing books at home.  Radicals and the above-mentioned number of strokes are placed next to each character.]

1.園 yard 2.草 plant 3.綠 green 4.弟 brother 5.問 ask 6.誰 who 7.他 he 8.車 car 9.還 still 10.走 walk/move 11.著 to continue to do (used with verbs) 12.氣 spirit/breath/air

我會認字 I Can Recognize Words

門 door + 口 opening/intersection = 問 ask    問題 question    請問 request/excuse me

艹 plant + 早 early = 草 plant    草地 grassland    花草 flowering plants

亻person/people + 也 also = 他 he/him    他們 them    其他 other

汽 gas/steam + 米 rice = 氣 air/breath/spirit    天氣 weather    空氣 air

我會念 I Can Read

[introduces two ways of pronouncing the character 和, namely "han" with the descending tone (i.e. "and"), and "hwo" with the sharp tone (as in "nuan hwo" or "warm")]

花開了.  The flower opens.

草綠了. The plant sprouts/becomes green.

太陽出來了. The sun has come out.

春天來了.  Spring is here.

北風走了.  The north wind goes/leaves.

讀一讀, 想一想 Read and Think About

弟弟問: "外婆是坐車來的, 還是走路來的?"  Little brother asks: "Is grandma coming by car or walking?"

小白兔問: "今天是星期六, 還是星期日?"  The little white bunny asks: "Is today Saturday or Sunday?"

生活 "Life" 1 第一單元跟第二單元 Unit One and Unit Two 上 First Semester

For a general overview of these textbooks and how they're used in Taiwanese elementary schools, refer to Elementary School in Taiwan: Overview of Classes and Textbooks Used.

The "Life" textbook is the precursor to both Social Studies and (Natural) Science, which elementary school students study in grade 3.  This textbook is also used (or at least mentioned) in their "Living Arts" class.

This format used is more like that of a picture book.  The "Girl 1," "Boy 1," etc. refers to the text found in word balloons.

第一單元: 開學了 Unit 1: School Starts

開學了 School Starts

這是我們的學校, 我們可以在這裡學習和遊戲.  This is our school, we can learn and play here.

1. 到學校 Arriving at School

上小學了, 新學校有什麼不一樣嗎? [You've] started elementary school, is there anything different about your new school?

Girl 1: 你在哪一班? What class are you in?

Boy 1: 哇!  好大呵!  Wa!  So big!

Girl 2 and Boy 2: 老師早! Good morning teacher!

Boy 3: 一年級和幼稚園還有哪些不一樣呢?  What other differences are there between first grade and kindergarten?

2. 下課了 Break Time

下課時間大家都在做什麼呢? What is everyone doing during break time?

Girl 1: 你怎麼了? Are you ok?

Boy 1: 我想媽媽. I miss my mother.

Girl 2: 老師你好忙呵! Teacher you are so busy!

Girl 3: 啊! Ah!

Boy 2: 我洗好了! I'm finished washing!

Boy 3: 有人受傷了, 怎麼辦呢? Someone is hurt, what can we do?

Boy 4: 好多人在活動, 怎麼才能避免受傷呢? So many people are moving around, how can we keep people from getting hurt?

Girl 4: 姐姐, 放學後一起回家呵! Big sister, let's go home together after school!

Boy 4: 下課時, 大家可以做自己想做的事, 真開心! During break time everyone can do what they like.  [We are] very happy!

3. 認識新同學 Making New Friends

班上有好多同學,要怎麼認識他們呢? There are many classmates [in your class], how can you get to know them?

Boy 1: 一起去玩好嗎? Do you want to play together?

Girl 1: 謝謝! Thanks!

猜拳歌 Paper, Scissors, Stone Song

孫素意 Suen Su-Yi 詞 Words

作曲者不詳 Music Unknown

小朋友我們行個禮, Kids line up,
握握手呀來猜拳, Shake hands "ah!" and try to guess,
石碰怕呀看誰贏, The rock hits "pa ya!" see who wins,
輸了就要跟我走. The loser needs to walk with me.

Boy 1: 你記得和哪些同學猜過拳嗎? Which classmates did you remember to play [sing] with?

跟著大鼓, 小鼓的聲音踏踏步.  Step in time with the sound of the big drum and the small drum.

Girl 1: 我好想認識更多同學! I would love to know even more classmates!

要怎麼認識新朋友呢? How can you make a new friend?

找一找, 誰和你喜歡的事物一樣呢?  Look around.  Who likes the same things as you?

Boy 1: 我是李小明, 我和你一樣愛吃西瓜.  I'm Li Shiao-ming.  I like watermelon, same as you.

你可以試試看 You Can Try It

1. 把8開圖畫紙對摺成兩面畫紙. Take size 8 construction paper and fold it in half.

2. 先在其中一面畫出自己喜歡的活動. On one half draw activities you like.

3. 然後在另一面畫出喜歡的事物. Afterward, draw things you like on the other half.

Girl 1: 完成了! Finished!

你認識了幾個新朋友?  想和他們一起去做什麼呢? How many new friends have you made?  What do you want to do with them?

我的朋友在哪裡 Where is My Friend?

林福欲 Lin Fu-yu 填詞 Lyrics

美國民歌 American Folk Song

一二三四五六七, One two three four five six seven,
 我的朋友在哪裡? Where is my friend?
在這裡, 在這裡, Here, here,
我的朋友在這裡. My friend is here.
啦啦啦啦啦啦啦, La la la la la la la,
同唱歌來同遊戲. Sing and play together.
笑嘻嘻, 多甜蜜, Laughter is very sweet,
我的朋友就是你. My friend is you.

Boy 1: 我好喜歡天天和新朋友一起玩! I love to play with my new friends every day!

第二單元: 校園大發現 Unit 2: Discovering the School Campus

校園就像一座大寶藏, 等著我們去發現呵!  你準備好要出發了嗎?  The school campus is like a treasure, waiting for you to find it!  Are you ready to go outside?

1. 說說學校的事 Talking About School

你曾經去過校園裡的哪些地方呢?  發現過特別的事情嗎? Which places in the school have you been to?  What have you discovered?

Girl 1: 你是在哪裡發現這朵花的?  Where did you find this flower?

Girl 2: 我也想去那裡看一看!  帶我去! I also want to go there and see!  Take me there!

2. 一起去探索 Exploring Together

聽過同學的分享後, 你最想去校園哪些地方呢?  大家一起去探索吧!  After hearing what your classmates have shared, what places in the school would you like to visit?  Let's explore together!

Boy 1: 老師們在辦公室裡做什麼事呢? What do the teachers do in the office?

Boy 2: 您好! Hello sir!

教師辦公室 Teacher's Office

健康中心 Health Center

Girl 1: 我上次受傷就是來這裡擦藥的. Last time I was hurt I came here to have ointment rubbed on it.

Boy 3: 健康中心有一種特別的味道... The health center has a special smell...

Boy 4 [in wheelchair]: 這裡讓我上學和回家都很方便. This place makes it convenient for me to go back and forth from school.

無障礙坡道 Handicapped-Accessible Ramp

圖書館 Library

Girl 2: 大家在這裡做什麼呢? What is everyone doing in here?

Boy 5: 想一想, 上下樓梯時要注意什麼呢? Think about it, when going up and down the stairs what should we be careful of?

電腦教室 Computer Room

Girl 3: 哥哥說我們三年級就可以來這裡上課了! My big brother says that when we're in third grade we can attend class here!

到戶外去探索看看吧! Go outside and explore!

Boy 1: 我最喜歡玩溜滑梯! My favorite place to play is the slide!

Girl 1 [pointing under the slide]: 那裡是我的秘密基地. That's my secret place.

遊戲器材區 Playground

Boy 2: 戶外空間真大, 別人都在做什麼呢? It's so big outside, what is everyone else doing?

Boy 3: 怎樣玩遊戲才安全? How can we use the play equipment safely?

Girl 2: 明天我也要帶球來玩! Tomorrow I also want to bring a ball to play with!

Boy 4 [hanging on the chin-up bar]: 開心的玩一下吧! Let me play with this a second!

操場 Athletic Field

Boy 5 [gesturing to a series of children playing charades]: 別人在做什麼呢?  我們來模仿看看. What are other people doing? Let's try to act it out.

Girl 3: 除了用看的, 還可以怎樣探索校園呢? Aside from seeing, how else can we explore the school?

生態池 Ecological Pond

Girl 4: 我就是在這裡撿到這朵花的! I picked this flower here!

Boy 6 [holding a tree]: 摸起來粗粗的! It feels rough!

Boy 7: 你聽到什麼聲音? What do you hear?

Girl 5: 有好多小動物! There are so many small animals!

小麻雀 Little Sparrow

馮輝岳 Feng Huei-yue 詞 Lyrics

蔡鴻宜 Tsai Hong-yi 曲 Music

小麻雀唧唧喳, 一隻在唱歌, Little sparrow "ji ji ja," one sings a song,
一隻學說話, 唧唧喳唧唧喳, One learns to talk, "ji ji ja ji ji ja,"
下來吧!  下來陪我玩泥沙. Come down! Play in the sand with me.

Boy 8: 跟著小麻雀一起跳一跳吧! Jump along with the little sparrow!

到校園裡找一找掉落在地上的樹葉, 果實或花朵, 用它們來排成一幅圖畫.  Look for fallen leaves, fruit, or flowers around campus.  Arrange them to make a picture.

Boy 8: 圖畫完成後, 拍照做紀念, 記得要把樹葉, 果實或花朵放回去呵! After you've finished your picture, take a picture as a memento.  Remember to put the leaves, fruit, and flowers back!

你還想去哪些地方探索?  和誰一起去?  去做什麼呢? What other places would you like to explore?  Who do you want to go with?  What will you do there?

Boy 9: 我們找另一條路回教室吧! Let's go back to class another way!

Girl 6: 你知道學校的兔子養在哪裡嗎? Do you know where the school rabbit is?

Boy 10: 我知道!  我帶妳去! I know!  I will take you!

Boy 11: 下課時, 你要不要跟我去大樹下玩? During break time, do you want to play with me under the big tree?

3. 校園裡最喜歡的地方 [Your] Favorite Place in School

你最喜歡校園哪個地方呢?  What's your favorite place in school?

Girl 1: 我喜歡大樹下. I like it best under the big tree.

Boy 1: 我喜歡圖書館. I like the library the most.

Boy 2 [holding his picture]: 這是我用樹葉拼成的. I made this out of leaves.

你可以試試看 You Can Try It

1. 撕一撕色紙, 看一看像校園中的哪一個景物? Tear up colored paper, see what things in the school it resembles.

2. 在色紙背面四周塗上膠水. Spread glue on the other side of the paper.

3. 黏在圖畫紙上, 再用粉蠟筆完成作品. Glue it onto construction paper, use crayons to finish the picture.

Girl 1: 完成了! I finished!

生活 "Life" 1 第一單元 Unit One 下 Second Semester

For a general overview of these textbooks and how they're used in Taiwanese elementary schools, refer to Elementary School in Taiwan: Overview of Classes and Textbooks Used.

The "Life" textbook is the precursor to both Social Studies and (Natural) Science, which elementary school students study in grade 3.  This textbook is also used (or at least mentioned) in their "Living Arts" class.

第一單元: 開學相見歡 Unit 1: Meeting Once Again at the Start of the Semester

真正高興見到你,
I'm truly happy to see you,
互道寒假生活趣,
To share my winter vacation fun,
大家相見真歡喜,
Everyone likes to see each other,
迎接快樂新學期.
And to welcome the happy new semester.

1. 開學了 School Has Started

開學了, 看到同學真高興, 一起來唱 "歡迎歌", 歡迎好久不見的同學.  School has started, it is a happy thing to see classmates.  Let's sing the "Welcome Song" together to welcome back the classmates we haven't seen for a long time.

演唱 Song

[sheet music and lyrics for song]

唱唱歌, 拍拍手, 更能增加熱鬧的氣氛, 讓我們一起跟著音樂拍手, 當看到 [symbol for clapping] 就要拍3下.  Sing the song, clap your hands, make some noise.  Let's clap along with the music.  When you see the symbol for clapping, clap three times.

節奏練習 Noisemaker Practice

[sheet music and lyrics for song]

寒假過後, 第一天見面, 你和同學聊些什麼?  After winter vacation, what do you and your classmate talk about?

Girl 1: 過年的時候, 我們全家一起大掃除.  During Chinese New Year our whole family did some spring cleaning together.

Boy 1: 你的頭髮剪短了.  Your hair is shorter.

Girl 2: 我回外婆家住了好幾天.

Boy 3: 小琪好像長高了.  I think Shiao Chi is taller.

Girl 3: 我們全家一起出國去玩.  Our whole family went abroad.

Girl 4: 過年的時候, 有好多人來我們家玩.  During Chinese New Year many people came to visit our home.

寒假時你做了哪些有趣的事情?  你有什麼新體驗?  What interesting things did you do during winter vacation?  What new experiences did you have?

Boy 1: 我學會吹笛子, 我想吹一首歌曲給同學聽.  I learned how to play the flute.  I want to play a song for my classmates.

Girl 1: 我要和同學分享我到花蓮玩的照片.  I want to show my classmates pictures of our trip to Hualien.

Boy 2: 我讀了一本有趣的故事書, 我要分享我的讀書心得.  I read an interesting storybook.  I want to share my impressions with the class.

Girl 2: 我要表演打陀螺給同學看.  I want to show my classmates how I play with my top.

Boy 3: 奶奶教我做燈籠, 我學會用簡單的材料做燈籠.  Grandmother taught me how to make lanterns.  I can use simple materials to make them.

把你的寒假生活畫下來, 並且和同學分享.  Draw what you did during winter vacation and share with your classmates.

寒假生活畫作  Winter Vacation Pictures

Picture 1: 寒假時, 爸爸帶我去動物園玩. During winter vacation my father took me to the zoo.

Picture 2: 寒假時, 我們全家去廟裡拜拜.  During winter vacation our whole family went to the temple to pray.

Picture 3: 寒假時, 我們回外婆家過年, 還和表哥一起放鞭炮.  During winter vacation we went back to my grandmother's house for Chinese New Year.  I lit fireworks with my uncle.

Picture 4: 我和家人在寒假時去放天燈.  I raised lanterns with my family during Chinese New Year.

2. 迎接家長日 The School Open House

在新學期剛開始時, 學校要舉辦家長日, 讓我們一起討論, 如何迎接即將到來的家長日.  At the start of a new semester the school holds an open house.  Let's talk about how to welcome visitors to this open house.

Boy 1: 要把教室打掃得更乾淨.  We should clean the classroom thoroughly.

Girl 1: 可以布置教室, 讓教室變得更漂亮.  We can decorate the classroom to make it more beautiful.

Girl 2: 我要做好多盒子裝點心.  I want to make many paper boxes to hold the snacks.

Girl 3: 可以自己製作邀請卡.  We can make our own invitation cards.

Boy 2: 我也可以幫忙倒水.  I can help pour the water.

Girl 4: 要準備點心.  We should prepare snacks.

Boy 3: 我想要在家長日來學校幫忙.  I want to help during the open house.

說一說, 可以做些什麼事情來歡迎我們的來賓呢?  Discuss: what can we do to welcome our guests?

[chart follows, discussing ways in which we might welcome the visitors]

在布置教室之前, 讓我們先來打掃教室.  Before we decorate the classroom, let's clean up.

Girl 1: 我要把地掃乾淨.  I want to sweep the floor very clean.

Girl 2: 窗戶擦乾淨之後, 就可以貼上美麗的花邊.  After we wipe the windows clean we can stick pretty flowers on them.

Girl 3: 櫃子裡的書要放整齊.  The books in the bookcase need to be organized.

演唱歌曲 "打掃除" 感受歡詞中分工合作的精神.  Perform the song "Sweeping" to encourage cooperation.

演唱 Song

[sheet music and lyrics for song]

把 "打掃除" 的歌詞配上節奏念念看, 你也可以做個RAP小歌王啊!  Use noisemakers to accompany the lyrics to "Sweeping."  You can also rap along!

[sheet music and lyrics for song]

教室整理乾淨之後, 讓我們設計一張邀請卡邀請家長, 並做環保紙盒來裝美味的點心.  After the classroom has been cleaned we can make invitation cards to welcome the parents, and also make paper boxes to hold the snacks.

[diagram with prompts for making card]

Elephant: 做好的邀請卡要記得送給家長呵!  After finishing your invitation card remember to give it to your parents!

環保點心盒 Environmentally-Friendly Snack Box

[diagram for making origami box]

Boy 1: 可以用一張長方形的紙摺成紙盒.  You can fold a rectangular piece of paper to make a paper box.

Girl 1: 可以做更大的盤子裝更多的點心.  You can make a bigger plate to hold more snacks.

我們一起想一想, 這學期要選什麼主題來布置教室?  Let's think about it together - what theme will we use to decorate the class this semester?

小花園主題 Flower Garden Theme

1. 我利用色紙剪出窗花.  I will use colored paper to cut out snowflakes.

2. 我會利用拼貼的方式做出花朵.  I can put the pieces together to make a flower.

3. 我可以利用對折的方式剪出好多草地.  I can cut folded-over paper to make a lot of grass.

4. 我想畫在圖畫紙上再剪下來.  I want to cut the construction paper.

Girl 1: 可以把教室布置成小花園.  我喜歡小花和小草.  We can decorate the classroom like a flower garden.  I like little flowers and grass.

海低世界主題 Undersea Theme

Boy 1: 可以把教室布置成繽紛的海低世界.  我喜歡海裡面的小動物.  We can decorate the classroom like an underwater world.  I like the little animals in the ocean.

Elephant: 說一說, 你還有什麼更好的點子呢?  Discuss: what other, better ideas do you have?

大家一起布置教室, 利用花邊與自己的作品, 分工合作把教室變漂亮.  Everyone decorates the classroom together, using lace and our own artwork.  We work together to make the classroom beautiful.

Girl 1: 小心不要貼歪了.  Be careful to stick it on straight.

Girl 2: 我用粉彩紙拼貼成一朵花.  I will use origami paper to make a flower.

Boy 1: 我把瓢蟲塗上美麗的顏色.  I'm sticking a ladybug on the beautiful paper.

Boy 2: 我用色紙剪出各種的造形.  I cut many shapes out of the colored paper.

Boy 3: 我們一起把作品貼上去.  Let's stick the artwork up together.

Boy 4: 把剪好的圖案貼上去.  Stick on the pictures we cut out.

Elephant: 在布置的過程中有什麼值得與大家分享的事情呢?  What would you like to share about decorating the class?

準備工作都完成了, 接下來要怎麼歡迎來參加家長日的來賓呢?  The work of preparation is finished, and the only thing left is to think about how we will welcome our guests to the open house.

Parent 1: 你好.  Hello.

Girl 1: 請進.  Please enter.

Boy 1: 歡迎參觀我們的教室.  Welcome to our classroom.

利用家長日, 讓家長看看我們的創意與學習成果.  Use the open house to show parents our artwork and what we study.

Girl 1: 這是我們的作品.  I made this.

Parent 2: 畫得好棒啊!  It's so beautifully drawn!

Parent 3: 這些花邊的設計真特別.  These lace decorations are very special.

生活 "Life" 2 第一單元 Unit One 上 First Semester

For a general overview of these textbooks and how they're used in Taiwanese elementary schools, refer to Elementary School in Taiwan: Overview of Classes and Textbooks Used.

The "Life" textbook is the precursor to both Social Studies and (Natural) Science, which elementary school students study in grade 3.  This textbook is also used (or at least mentioned) in their "Living Arts" class.

第一單元 Unit One: 和樂在一班 Happy in Class Together

小小班級故事多,
A tiny class with many stories,
你幫我來我幫你,
You help me and I help you,
分工合作好快樂!
To share the chores is joyful!
和樂相處在一班.
We get along with each other in class.

1. 我願為大家服務  I Am Ready to Help Everyone

開學了, 見到好久不見的同學, 你想和大家分享那些事情呢?  School has started.  As you see classmates after a long time apart, what kind of things would you like to share with everyone?

Boy 1: 我會騎腳踏車了.  I can ride a bike.

Boy 2: 我去宜蘭童玩藝術節玩, 好好玩呵!  I went to the Yilan Children's Arts Festival.  It was very fun!

Boy 3: 放假時, 哥哥教我拖地, 我已經學會怎麼把地拖乾淨, 所以這學期的打掃工作, 我可以幫忙拖地呵!  During vacation my big brother taught me how to mop the floor.  I can now mop the floor, so during cleaning time this semester I can help with the mopping!

Girl 1: 暑假中, 我看了很多書, 認識更多字了, 這學期我要當閱讀小天使, 讀故事給大家聽.  During summer vacation I read many books and learned many new words.  This semester I want to be the "reading angel" and read many stories to everyone.

仔細觀察班上的同學, 他們做事的能力和一年級有什麼不一樣?  Take a careful look at your classmates.  How is their ability to do things different from first graders?

Boy 1: 雅利常主動把歪掉的桌子排好, 他會把桌子排得很整齊.  Ya-li moves the crooked desks back into their rows.  She's able to make the desks very straight.

Boy 1: 芳芳認得好多字, 他最喜歡讀故事書給大家聽.  Fang-fang knows many words.  She loves to read stories to the class.

Girl 1: 哲明每次看到地板髒了, 他會馬上動手把地板拖乾淨, 他最喜歡拖地了.  Je-ming quickly mops the floor clean every time he sees that it's dirty.  He loves to mop the floor.

Girl 1: 彥豪常主動幫老師整理作業簿, 他好會整理東西呵!  Yan-hao usually helps the teacher organize the workbooks.  She is good at organizing things!

大家都長大了, 會做更多的事.  想一想, 班級裡有哪些事需要大家互相幫忙?  你能做什麼呢?  Everyone has grown bigger and can do many more things.  Think about what class chores require everyone's cooperation.  What can you do?

Girl 1: 我不想當清潔長, 因為我不會垃圾分類.  I don't want to be the "cleaning captain" because I can't separate the garbage from the recycling.

Boy 1: 每個人都有不同的才能, 可以為大家服務呵!  Every person has different abilities that they can use to help everyone else!

Girl 2: 我認得所有同學的名字, 可以幫忙發簿子, 我想做排長.  I know all of my classmates' names.  I can help hand back the workbooks.  I want to be the "row leader."

Girl 3: 我喜歡幫老師收教具, 我可以當什麼長呢?  I like to help teacher prepare for her lessons.  What can I be captain of?

班級裡, 有沒有大家都不想做的事情?  為什麼?  大家都不想做時, 要怎麼辦?  Is there any type of class chore that no one wants to do?  Why?  What can we do when nobody wants to do a certain chore?

Girl 4: 我也想下課出去玩, 我們可不可以輪流做圖書長?  I also want to go outside and play during break, can we take turns being class librarian?

Boy 2: 我也不想做清潔長, 但是每個人都可以學學看怎麼當清潔長, 做好垃圾分類.  I also don't want to be the "cleaning captain," but everyone can learn to be the "cleaning captain" and learn how to separate the garbage from the recycling.

Boy 3: 當圖書長, 下課常常要留下來整理圖書, 不能出去玩, 我不想做圖書長.  When you're the class librarian you usually need to stay after class to organize the books.  You can't go out to play.  I don't want to be the class librarian.

幫大家做事時, 你曾遇到什麼問題?  和同學討論, 這些問題要怎麼解決呢?  When you help the class with its chores what kind of problems do you encounter?  Talk about it with your classmates.  How can we solve these problems?

[Boy 1 is passing back workbooks and rudely throws Girl 2's book on her desk.]

Girl 1: 嚇我一跳!  You scared me!

Girl 2: 啊!  Ah!

Girl 2: 你丟到我了好痛!  You hit me [with the book] and it hurt a lot!

Girl 1: 他不是故意的.  He didn't mean to do it.

Boy 1: 對不起!  以後我會把簿子輕輕放在桌上.  Sorry!  From now on I'll place the workbooks on the desk lightly.

Boy 2: 你丟錯了, 要重丟!  You threw it away in the wrong place.  You need to throw it away again!

Girl 3: 真的嗎?  Really?

Girl 3: 我不知道要丟哪裡?  I don't know where to throw it?

Boy 3: 我來教你, 這是紙, 要丟在紙類回收箱.  I can teach you.  This is paper.  You need to throw it in the box for paper.

Boy 4: 還有哪些情況呢?  What other situations arise?

和同學發生誤會時, 把自己的感受和困難說出來.  自己錯了, 要馬上道歉; 同學錯了, 要原諒對方, 大家才能和平相處!  When misunderstandings arise between you and your classmates, tell them how you feel and what difficulties you are having.  If you have done something wrong, apologize right away.  If your classmate has done something wrong, you need to forgive them.  [In this way] everyone can coexist peacefully!

2. 大家都是好朋友 Everyone is Good Friends

同學一起玩遊戲, 可以讓感情更好.  想一想, 大家可以一起玩哪些遊戲呢?  Playing games together can improve the feeling between classmates.  Think over what games we can play together.

Boy 1: 一二三木頭人, 大家都會玩.  Everyone can play freeze tag.

Boy 2: "紅綠燈" 可以讓所有的人都玩在一起.  Everyone can play Red Light/Green Light together.

Girl 1: 還有什麼遊戲呢?  What other games are there?

一起唱 "兔子舞" 隨著歌曲來跳舞!  Sing the "Rabbit Dance" song together.  Dance along with the song!

[Words and music to the "Rabbit Dance" song follows]

再玩玩 "過關" 的遊戲, 要怎麼合作才會成功呢?  Play the "obstacle course" game.  How can you work together to play it?

[Students play a game wherein one of them is blindfolded, and two classmates hold the blindfolded student's hand while he/she attempts to move around a makeshift obstacle course.]

Girl 1: 腳抬高, 慢慢的跨過去.  Lift up your foot, slowly move it over.

Boy 1: 哇!  什麼也看不見.  Wa!  I can't see anything.

Girl 2: 放心, 我會帶你過關.  Don't worry.  I will help you around the obstacles.

Boy 2: 我們試了很多次, 終於過關了!  We tried many times before finally completing the course!

在遊戲的過程中, 有沒有遇到問題呢?  你可以怎麼應用學到的方法來解決?  While playing games have you encountered any problems?  How can you use what you've learned to solve these problems?

發現問題  A problem is encountered

Girl 1: 為什麼大家都不跟我玩?  Why doesn't anyone play with me?

勇敢說出自己的期望  Bravely state your position

Girl 2: 我們不知道你也要玩.  We didn't know you wanted to play.

Girl 1: 好!  我要勇敢的跟大家說, 我也要玩.  Ok!  I will bravely tell everyone that I also want to play.

Boy 1: 你要跟大家說, 你也想玩.  You need to tell everyone that you also want to play.

了解和傾聽同學的想法  Hear and think about your classmates' opinions

Boy 1: 我們常常玩鬼抓人, 那你喜歡玩什麼?  We usually play tag.  What do you like to play?

Girl 1: 玩拍球.  Volleyball.

提出大家都能接受的方法  Suggest a solution that everyone can accept

Girl 2: 拍球好玩嗎?  Is volleyball fun?

Girl 1: 很好玩, 我可以教你們玩.  It's very fun, I can teach you.

Girl 3: 好啊!  我們來玩玩看.  Great!  Let's try to play it!

和同學相處時, 你還遇到過那些問題?  和同學一起用手偶演出來.  When you're working with your classmates in a group what other problems have you encountered?  Use puppets to perform [these situations].

Boy 1: 雅婷忘記帶蠟筆, 他沒問我, 就把我的蠟筆拿走了.  我跟他說, 要先問我願不願意借他.  Ya-ting forgot to bring crayons.  He took my crayons without asking me.  I told him he should ask if it's ok before taking them.

Boy 2: 我們要做1個男娃娃和1個女娃娃, 才能演戲.  We need to make one boy puppet and one girl puppet and then we can perform.

Girl 1: 只要2個娃娃嗎?  要不要再做1個手偶演老師?  We only need two puppets?  What about a puppet for the teacher?

Girl 2: 要用什麼材料做手偶呢?  What should we use to make the puppets?

你可以試試看  You Can Try It

[Directions for making puppets follows.]

[Students perform their skits.]

Girl 1: 我忘記帶蠟筆, 請問你可以借我嗎?  I forgot my crayons, can I please borrow yours?

Girl 2: 你畫畫都很用力, 會不會弄斷我的蠟筆?  Every time you draw you push on the crayons very hard, won't you break the crayons?

Boy 1: 你要輕輕的畫, 我的蠟筆借你.  You need to press down lightly as you draw.  I will loan you my crayons.

Girl 3 [in audience]: 我終於知道為什麼上次我拿亦豪的橡皮擦時, 他很生氣.  I finally understand why Yi-hao was angry the last time I borrowed his eraser.

Girl 4: 都沒有人和我一組玩過關遊戲.....  Nobody played the obstacle course game with me...

Girl 5: 別難過, 我們陪你再玩一次!  Don't be sad, we will play with you!

Boy 2 [in audience]: 這一組表演得好精采!  下次分組玩遊戲時, 我也要主動幫忙沒有分別組的同學.  This group delivered a great performance!  Next time we separate into groups for games, I also want to help classmates who don't have a group.

同學這麼多要如何和大家變成好朋友呢?  With so many classmates how can we all become friends?

Girl 1: 時常面帶笑容.  Always wear a smile.

Girl 2: 和大家一起活動.  Everybody does things together.

Boy 1: 還要多為別人著想呵!  We also need to be considerate to others!

Boy 2: 一邊唱歌, 一邊律動玩遊戲.  Sing and play the game.

大家都是好朋友 Everyone is Good Friends

[Words and music follow.]

[Musical exercise, following a tempo with noisemakers]

生活 "Life" 2 第一單元 Unit One 下 Second Semester

For a general overview of these textbooks and how they're used in Taiwanese elementary schools, refer to Elementary School in Taiwan: Overview of Classes and Textbooks Used.

The "Life" textbook is the precursor to both Social Studies and (Natural) Science, which elementary school students study in grade 3.  This textbook is also used (or at least mentioned) in their "Living Arts" class.

一 Unit One: 開學了 The Semester Starts

1: 整理教室環境 Putting the Area Around the Classroom in Order

開學了, 大家一起來整理教室, 才能有一個乾淨的學習環境.  The semester has started, and everyone needs to put the classroom in order so that we can have a clean place to learn.

整理教室時要注意哪些事情呢?  When you're putting the classroom in order what things should you be aware of?

[Instructions on how to sweep, mop, wash the windows, and organize your desk follow.]

讓我們演唱這首 "大掃除", 感受另一種掃地的氣氛.  Let's perform the song "Clean Up" and create a different atmosphere.

[Song music and lyrics follow.]

把 "大掃除" 的歌詞配上節奏唸唸看, 你也可以做個RAP歌王啊!  Try to sing the words to "Clean Up" along with the rhythm.  You can also rap along!

[Simplified version of song music and lyrics follows.]

如果把自創的歌詞配上另一種節奏, 是不是又有不同的感覺呢?  If we make up our own lyrics to match the rhythm, does it change the feeling [of the song]?

2: 布置教室 Decorating the Classroom

教室變乾淨了, 動手布置教室, 讓它更美麗!  想一想, 有哪些地方需要布置呢?  The classroom is clean now, time to decorate the classroom and make it even more beautiful.  Think about what areas need to be decorated.

大家一起討論, 要用什麼方式布置呢?  In what ways can we decorate the classroom?  Discuss.

[Examples follow.]

大家一起來製作布置教室的東西.  Everyone make things to decorate the classroom.

[Instructions for how to make paper snowflakes and flowers follow.]

還可以直接畫在圖畫紙在剪下來, 就可以布置教室了.  You can also draw on construction paper and cut out your pictures to decorate the classroom.

布置教室時要做哪些事情?  要怎麼分工呢?  What are things you need to do when you decorate the classroom?  How can you split up the work?

3: 選出為班上服務的人

除了整理和布置教室的工作之外, 班上還有許多工作, 需要大家一起來完成.  Aside from decorating the classroom, there are many chores to do in class.  [These chores] require everyone's cooperation if they are to be completed.

如果有幹部帶領, 班上各項工作的進行會更順利.  想一想, 怎樣的同學適合擔任幹部呢?  If chores are assigned they will be more easily completed.  Think it over: which classmates would be best suited to which chores?

[Examples of school chores follows.]

讓我們用投票的方式, 選出班級幹部.  Let's cast votes to decide which chores everyone is assigned to.

Social Studies 社會 3, First Semester 上, Unit 1 第一單元

The Chinese text below was taken from the textbook published by Kang Shuan 康軒文教事業.

一 One :我的家庭 My Family

家庭是我們成長的地方.  家人照顧我們, 滿足我們日常生活的需要, 並教導我們做人做事的道理.  家人間也要互相觀壞, 並珍惜彼此相處的時光.  Our family is the place where we all grow up.  Our family takes care of us and fulfills our daily needs.  Our family teaches us how to be good people and do good things.  Family members should care about each other, and treasure the time they spend together.

第一課 Lesson One: 我們的姓名 Our Names

姓名的功用 The Uses of Names

姓名是我們的代表, 有了姓名, 才可以讓別人知道如何稱呼我們.  Our name represents us.  When we have a name, people know what to call us.

姓名的來源與意義 The Origin and Meaning of Names

姓名可以分為 "姓" 和 "名字".  "姓" 是依據父母的性, "名字" 則是父母或長輩仔細考慮以後, 為孩子取的.  取名字的方法有很多種, 有的根據家人的期望, 有的考慮性別不同等等.  每個名字都有它的意義.  Names can be divided into "family names" and "given names."  A "family name" is taken from one's parents, and a "given name" is chosen for a child by his or her parents and extended family after careful consideration.  There are many ways of choosing a name.  Some names reflect a family's expectations, while others have to do with sexual differences.  Every name has its own meaning.

原住民的命名方式和漢人不同, 有的原住民族並沒有性, 而是沿用長輩的名字; 有的依照族中勇士或擅長織布者的名字為孩子命名.  The way in which aboriginal people choose names is different from Chinese people.  Some tribes do not use family names, bur rather pass given names on from extended family members.  The members of some tribes take their names from honored warriors or weavers.*

不論是用甚麼方法取的名字, 都含有家人對我們的期待和祝福, 期待我們長大成為有用的人, 祝福我們能平安快樂的成長.  No matter how a name was chosen, all names represent the hopes and dreams of our family members, and represent the wish that we grow up to be healthy and productive people.

所以, 要珍惜自己的性名, 也要尊重別人的姓名.  For this reason you should treasure your name, and respect the names of others.

第二課 Lesson Two: 家庭的生活 Family Life

家庭的照顧與關壞 Care and Concern for One's Family

家庭是我們成長的地方.  家人辛苦照顧我們的飲食起居, 送我們到學校讀書; 當我們生病時, 帶我們去看醫生, 用心照顧.  在家人的細心的愛護下, 我們才能平安長大.  Our family is where we grow up.  Our family members work hard to provide us with food and shelter, and they take us to school to study.  When we are sick they take us to see the doctor, and they nurse us back to health.  We can only grow up safely under our family's loving care.

快樂時, 我們可以和家人一起分享喜悅.  悲傷時, 也能夠獲得家人的安慰和鼓勵.  When we are happy, we can share our happiness with family members.  When we are hurt, we can also receive their consolation and encouragement.

家庭的教育 Family Education

從小家人就教導我們養成良好的生活習慣, 並學習做人做事的道理, 期待我們成為懂事的孩子.  From a young age our family members try to teach us how to cultivate good habits, and how to be the good type of person that understanding children grow up to be.

在家中, 我們除了接受家人的教導之外, 也要和家人共同分擔家務, 為家庭盡一份心力.  At home, aside from instruction we receive from our family members, we can also do our share of the housework, and put forth more effort for the family.

家庭的收入與支出 A Family's Income and Expenses

家人要工作賺錢, 才能讓家庭有收入.  而家庭生活中的食, 衣, 住, 行, 育, 樂, 樣樣都需要花費, 這些花費要靠家庭的收入來支付.  所以, 我們要學習善用這些收入, 節省不必要的支出, 並且養成儲蓄的習慣.  Family members must work to earn money so that the family can have income.  Providing the family with food, clothes, a home, travel, education, entertainment and other things costs money, and a family must pay for these things from its income.  For this reason we should learn how to use our money wisely, avoid unnecessary expenses, and encourage the habit of saving money.

儲蓄的好處 The Value of Saving Money

儲蓄的好處有很多, 例如: 當家人生病住院急需用錢時, 便可以利用儲蓄的存款來支付.  如果我們想要購買價格較高的物品時, 也可以透過儲蓄的方式來累積金錢.  There are many advantages to saving money, for example: when a family member is hospitalized and needs money in an emergency, you can use the money saved to pay the required sum.  When we want to buy goods of higher quality, we can also use our savings to pay the extra money such goods will require.

保護自己的方法 How to Protect Yourself

在家庭中, 我們接受家人的照顧與保護, 但是如果有人以暴力的方式傷害我們, 侵犯我們的身體, 或是剝奪我們受教育的權利時, 可以勇敢告訴師長, 或撥打 "113全國婦幼保護專線", 尋求他人的協助.  In a family we receive the care and protection of our family members.  But if people use violence to hurt us, violate our bodies, or impinge upon our right to an education, it's ok to (bravely) tell your teacher, or call the "113 National Women's and Children's Protection Line" to ask for others' assistance.

*This said, of course it's 2018 and members of various tribes wouldn't be able to function in modern Taiwanese society without a fixed Chinese name.  For this reason most aboriginal kids have TWO names, their Chinese name and their tribal name.

The "weavers" reference in the above paragraph might strike some Western readers as strange, but many tribes have important traditions with regard to making cloth.

Social Studies 社會 3, Second Semester 下, Unit 1 第一單元

The Chinese text below was taken from the textbook published by Kang Shuan 康軒文教事業.

一 Unit 1: 家鄉的生活 Hometown Life

家鄉的生活, 需要你我一起關心.  住家和附近的鄰里, 是家鄉居民日常生活的中心.  讓我們一步一腳印, 從鄰, 村里, 鄉鎮市區生活來認識家鄉.  We should all care about our hometown life.  Our homes and neighborhoods are where most of us spend our time.  Let's take a closer look at our neighborhoods, villages, townships, municipalities, cities, and zones as a way of understanding our hometowns.

第1課 Lesson 1: 敦親睦鄰

認識我們的家鄉 Getting to Know Our Hometown

每個人都有一個居住的地方.  用來稱呼這些居住地方的單位, 有鄰, 有村, 里, 有鄉, 鎮, 市, 區.  這些單位的範圍, 就是我們主要的活動場所, 也就是我們的家鄉.  要認識我們的家鄉, 可以先從鄰開始.  Every person has a place where they live.  These places where we live are called neighborhoods, villages, zones*, townships, municipalities, cities, and districts.  These places are where most of the important things in our lives happen, and they are also our hometowns.  If you want to understand our hometowns, you can start from our neighborhoods.

鄰的組成 Composition of a Neighborhood

"鄰" 是有許多相連或相近的住戶所組成.  這些相連或相近的住戶, 就是我們的鄰居.  為了能和鄰居彼此融洽相處, 應該養成各種良好的生活習慣.  平常碰面時, 要親切問好; 日常居家活動, 不要製造噪音, 破壞鄰居安寧等.  A "neighborhood" is the people that live with us or live close to us.  These people [that live with us or close to us] are our neighbors.  In order to have good relationships with our neighbors, we should cultivate good habits.  When we meet neighbors, we should greet them properly.  When we are doing things at home, we should try not to make too much noise and disturb our neighbors.

與鄰居相處 Getting Along with Neighbors

當生活上需要幫助, 或遇到緊急事故時, 我們和鄰居可以互相協助, 彼此幫忙.  遠親不如近鄰, 就是這個意思.  因此, 守望相助, 敦親睦鄰, 可以讓我們生活得更愉快.  When we need help or we're in danger, we can get help from our neighbors.  We should help each other, for this is the meaning of [the saying] "neighbors close at hand are better than distant relatives."  For this reason we look out for each other as if we were family.  This makes our lives happier.

日常生活中, 我們也有可能會遇到不容易相處的鄰居.  有的是缺乏公德心, 有的則是自私自利, 這種鄰居往往會降低大家的生活品質.  因此, 要如何與他們相處, 也是我們應該學習的課題.  In our daily lives there is the possibility of running into neighbors that are difficult to get along with.  Some people lack compassion, while others are very selfish.  These types of people reduce the quality of everyone's lives.  For this reason getting along [with these types of people] is a problem that we should learn how to deal with.

第2課 Lesson 2: 村里生活 Village Life

村里的組成 Composition of a Village

村里是由許多鄰組成的行政單位, 與居民關係密切.  通常村里設有辦公處, 居民遇到大小事情, 可以找村長, 里長商量或幫忙.  A village has many administrative divisions, and [these administrative divisions] play an important role in people's lives.  Most villages have a village office, so that when people have issues they can visit the head of their village or zone to discuss things or get help.

村里內, 居民們常有接觸的機會, 感情比較親近.  所以, 維護村里的安全與環境衛生, 是每個村里民應該做的事.  In a village people often have opportunities to work together, and their relationships are more cordial.  For this reason, villagers must work together to ensure the safety and hygiene of their village.

保障村里安全 Ensuring Village Safety

保障村里的安全, 平時要加強防盜救災, 守望相助的工作.  例如: 陰暗角落容易發生危險, 應裝設照明設施; 防火巷要保持暢通, 不堆放物品; 颱風豪雨來臨之前, 危險地區居民要及時疏散.  村里居民也可以成立巡守隊, 共同維護村里安全.  People must work together to ensure the safety of their village by suppressing crime, and by improving access to emergency services.  For example, they can install lighting in dark areas, clear fire lanes of debris, and evacuate dangerous areas before typhoon rains arrive.  Villagers can also form community safety teams as a means of working together to ensure village safety.

維護村里環境 Protecting the Village Environment

村里環境的維護, 除了居民平日對居家周圍環境的整理外, 村里有時也會訂定清潔日, 大家一起動手清掃, 維護公共區域的整潔.  例如: 疏通村里水溝, 撲滅蟑螂老鼠, 清除巷弄垃圾等.  Aside from villagers cleaning the areas around their houses on a daily basis, the upkeep of a village's environment can also involve a set clean-up day in which all of the villagers work together to maintain the cleanliness of public areas.  For example: cleaning up the village gutters, exterminating cockroaches, mice, and other vermin, and clearing garbage from lanes and alleys.

參與村里活動 Taking Part in Village Activities

大家共同參與村里活動及建設, 不但可以提升生活品質, 也可以增進居民之間的情感, 培養愛護村里的情感, 更能夠創造出優質的生活環境.  When everyone takes part in village activities and building projects, it not only raises everyone's quality of life, but also promotes good feeling between residents and a proprietary feeling toward one's village.  It helps create the best living environment for everyone.

第3課 Lesson 3: 鄉鎮市區生活

鄉鎮市區的組成 Composition of Townships, Municipalities, Cities, and Districts

鄉鎮市區是由許多村里組成的行政單位, 包含的範圍及服務的項目比村里還要廣, 和居民的生活關係相當密切.  Townships, municipalities, cities, and districts are administrative divisions comprised of many villages [or zones].  This means that the range of services they provide is much bigger, and that these services are very important in residents' lives.

行政機構與居民的關係 The Relationship Between Administrative Divisions and Residents

在鄉鎮市區中, 可以看到許多和居民生活關係密切的行政機構, 例如公所, 戶政事務所, 衛生所等, 為居民提供各項服務.  In townships, municipalities, cities, and districts you can see many administrative divisions that are intimately connected to residents' lives.  For example offices, the household administration office, the department of hygiene, and other services residents need.

在日常生活中, 清運垃圾, 清掃道路, 環境消毒, 資源回收等環境問題, 可以請清潔隊來處理.  有關老人和小孩的疫苗注射等, 則是衛生所的服務項目.  With regard to daily needs, cleaning up garbage, keeping roads clean, cleansing the environment of pollutants, recycling, and other environmental problems are the responsibility of the cleaning teams.  Vaccinations for older and younger residents is the responsibility of the department of hygiene.

維護治安, 打擊犯罪, 是警察機關的任務.  發生天然災害時, 公所, 警察和消防單位, 都有救災的責任.  Keeping the peace and fighting crime is the police department's responsibility.  If a natural disaster occurs the [township or municipality] office, the police, and the fire department are all charged with assisting people.

行政機構的責任與人民的權利 The Responsibilities of Administrative Divisions and People's Rights**

家鄉中的各種行政機構, 要善盡責任, 盡心盡力為人民服務.  如果沒有依法執行各種公務, 則可能會損害人民的權益.  此時, 人民有權要求政府改善或賠償.  Every type of administrative division in our hometowns must fulfill its responsibilities and provide services to the utmost of its ability.  If it fails to provide promised services it impinges upon people's right [to such services].  In such a situation people have a right to request that their government either improve or offer compensation.

為了讓家鄉更美好, 居民也可以主動表達意見, 向行政機構提出建議或解決問題的方法, 共同提升大家的生活品質.  As a way of making our hometowns the best they can be, people should make their thoughts on how to solve [community] problems known to [the relevant] administrative divisions.  This will improve the quality of everyone's life.

*Some of these divisions aren't used in many English-speaking countries.  I've translated 里 as "zone," even though 區 could just as easily be "zone."  I tend to translate 鄉 as "township" and 鎮 as "municipality," though some people do the reverse.  In general terms, Taiwan is divided into cities and counties.  The cities are divided into districts (or zones), and the counties are divided into cities, townships, and municipalities.  Villages and "zones" (里) are smaller divisions within cities, townships, and municipalities.  Many kids (and even adults) in cities couldn't tell you what "zone" (里) they live in.

**Can I say something here?  A lot of people like to complain about Taiwan's educational system, but I think it does a great job of teaching people about representative democracy.  Sure, improvements could be made, but the schools here do a better job of creating informed, participating citizens than my own country does.