Today's Assignment:

Check your enVisions page for your assignment for today!

• School:

  • Most schools in China run from about 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., including a two-hour break for lunch. Uniforms are typically required.

  • Besides subjects such as language and math, schools teach moral education-values and attitudes that are believed to be important for all citizens.

• Play:

  • Tiaoqi (Chinese checkers) and Xiangqi (Chinese chess) are favorite board games.

  • Soccer and basketball are popular, as is ping-pong, which requires little playing space in this crowded nation.

• Family:

  • About half of city children in China—closer to three-quarters in Beijing, the capital—live mainly with their grandparents while their parents work.

  • Since 1979, China has had a “one-child policy.” Most families are allowed to have only one child, or risk paying steep fines to the government.

• Signature foods:

  • Congee, a soupy rice porridge that may be eaten at any time of day; it often includes fish, yams or beans

  • Jiaozi, dumplings filled with meat, fish or vegetables; they may be steamed boiled or fried

• Interesting animals:

  • The baiji, a freshwater dolphin about 8 feet long, including its narrow, pencil-like beak

  • The white-lipped deer, a 500-pound animal with large hooves that help it navigate its mountain habitat

• Did you know? China has the largest population of any nation, with about 1.3 billion people. One in five people in the world is Chinese!