are required to compare Chinese and English poems or other
literature on similar themes. “Once, we used English and Chinese
poems to study cultural interpretations of insects and to help
students appreciate them culturally and temporally. So we used
On the Grasshopper and Cricket by John Keats, The Summer
Day by Mary Oliver, It’s That Cricket by Liu Shahe, Zhongsi
(long-horned grasshoppers) and Qi Yue (July) from The Book
of Odes and Hymns,” says Ms. Song. From a daily curricular
perspective, Director of Libraries, Kenneth Kozel, notes that
the libraries staff work closely with teachers to incorporate the
Chinese Thread consciously and innovatively whenever and
wherever possible.
Experiencing Knowledge in Practice
The culmination of education is in practice – the use of
knowledge, not only its reproduction but also, sometimes,
production and innovation. This is a philosophy that underlies
Chinese education, and it goes, “Walk ten thousand miles, read
ten thousand books.” So it is important for students to see
knowledge in practice. The Keystone Middle School Library
organizes trips that not only embody the Chinese Thread, but
also align with the curriculum in an effort to cultivate students’
critical thinking and creativity. Such trips foster a deeper
understanding of China, and make students think about how to
act on behalf of China in the future.
One such trip was to the Liyuan Library in Wisdom Valley,
Huairou, where students experienced the blending of
community, Chinese culture and nature. The library also makes
good use of local resources to serve the community. Another
trip took students to the Guanfu Museum and 798 Art District,
where students were required to study the art exhibits closely.
They learned to appreciate the development of the arts in China
through the details, and to recognize the fusion of arts from
all over the world. “I was most impressed with one secondary
school student, Evelyn Huang, who wrote a story based on one
of the paintings that caught her attention. It was the story of how
jeans, from the world beyond China, ended up in a market in
rural China and excited the local women into wanting to wear
them,” remembers Ms. Song.
So if “you are what you wear,” as the old adage goes, then
Keystone’s graduates proudly wear this magical, never-fading
gown woven with the Chinese Thread. It will be like a tartan
pattern that distinguishes Keystone graduates wherever they
may roam.
Primary school students enjoy a
book in the library
www.keystoneacademy.cn
49