EdUHK Publishes “From Appreciation of Classical Chinese Poetry to Moral and Affective Education”

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) today (22 June) published From Appreciation of Classical Chinese Poetry to Moral and Affective Education, a collection of classical Chinese poetry on traditional Chinese virtues. Copies of the book will be distributed for free to all schools, universities and public libraries.
     

The collection is the outcome of ‘From Appreciation of Classical Chinese Poetry to Moral and Affective Education’, a two-year project supported by a HK$1.45 million grant from the Quality Education Fund starting in 2020. Aiming to promote moral and affective values in classical Chinese poems, the project was led by the research team of the Department of Chinese Language Studies (CHL) at EdUHK and in collaboration with the School of Chinese of The University of Hong Kong and the International Classics Culture Association. 

The teaching materials were divided into eight core units, tailored for classroom teaching and non-formal learning activities, and self-learning of students during the period of class suspension. After experimental teaching at 28 partnering local secondary schools, the team fine-tuned the materials according to feedback from teachers, students and parents, and published the book through The Commercial Press.

The book features illustrations, poetry recordings in Cantonese and Putonghua, content analysis and translation of the classical poems. Each core unit contains five chapters, covering “Story”, “Poem”, “Explanation”, “Translation”, “Appreciation”, “Moral Education”, “Writing”, “Knowledge” and “Reflection”. The goal is to enrich students’ knowledge of classical poems, and help them reflect on the application of traditional virtues in modern society.

Teaching materials aside, the team also organised public lectures and workshops for teachers and students to foster students’ character building and their appreciation of Chinese literature. 

Professor (Practice) of CHL and project director Professor Si Chung-mou said, “Positive values and virtues in Chinese culture, such as respect, honesty, diligence, perseverance, modesty and courtesy, are essential qualities that our next generation should learn. By connecting classical literature and values, together with the students’ application in their daily lives, we believe the teaching materials could effectively support the learning and teaching of the subject of Chinese language.” He also recommended students recite the poetry as it can help them nurture positive values and attitudes, while deepening their understanding of Chinese classics. 

The e-book and the learning materials are now available on the project website and mobile app. For more details, please visit https://www.eduhk.hk/poetry/ or scan the following QR codes:

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