The morning sunlight streamed into the village school, dappling the pile of donated books and pens, as if bathing them in a glow of hope. Lin Yue stood at the classroom door, looking at these hard-won resources, feeling both gratified and melancholic. She was gratified by the enthusiastic support of the villagers and educated youth, but melancholic because these resources were far from sufficient for the children's learning needs, especially in terms of teaching materials, which remained severely lacking.
Lin Yue wore a light blue cotton shirt with the cuffs slightly rolled up. She habitually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes revealing a determined look. She knew she couldn't just wait for more resources to come to her; under these limited conditions, she had to find a way to make her own teaching aids so that the children could better understand the knowledge.
Chen Yu walked into the classroom and saw Lin Yue looking thoughtful. He gently patted her shoulder. "Yue'er, what are you thinking about? Are you worried about the teaching materials?" Chen Yu's voice was gentle and deep, filled with concern. He was wearing a dark gray coarse cloth shirt today, with some wood shavings on it, which he had picked up while helping to organize supplies in the warehouse yesterday. His eyes were full of understanding for Lin Yue; he knew her dedication and worries about educational reform.
Lin Yue turned to look at Chen Yu, her brows furrowing slightly. "Yes, we have too few teaching aids, making it too difficult for the children to learn. We need to make some ourselves, but where do we begin?" A hint of anxiety flickered in her eyes, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.
At this moment, Zhang Feng, Li Jing, Wang Qiang, and other educated youths also arrived at the classroom. Zhang Feng pushed up his glasses, looked at everyone, and said, "I think we can start with simple math manipulatives, like an abacus. We can make one using some twigs and pebbles." Zhang Feng's eyes were bright; he could always quickly find a solution to a problem, and the eyes behind his glasses shone with wisdom.
Li Jing nodded in agreement: "That's a good idea. We can also make some flashcards, using scrap paper will do. I can draw the cards nicely to attract the children's attention." Li Jing's face was full of enthusiasm. Her two braids swayed slightly as she spoke, and her eyes were full of love for the children. She wore a plain-colored floral top, making her look fresh and energetic.
Wang Qiang paced around the classroom, and after a moment's thought, said, "We also need some teaching aids related to natural science. For example, we can make a simple waterwheel model to help the children understand the power of water. This might require some wooden boards and bamboo tubes; we need to figure out how to find the materials." Wang Qiang was a burly man with a loud voice, and his determined gaze showed his serious attitude towards making teaching aids.
Hearing everyone's ideas, Lin Yue's eyes flashed with excitement: "Okay, then let's divide the work. Zhang Feng, you and a few other educated youths will be responsible for making abacuses and other math teaching aids. Li Jing, you and the female educated youths will make flashcards. Wang Qiang, you and I will go find materials to make a waterwheel model. Chen Yu, see if you can coordinate and prepare some tools, such as scissors and rope." Lin Yue arranged everything methodically, her eyes rekindling with hope, as if she could already see the children learning using these teaching aids.
Everyone immediately sprang into action. Zhang Feng led several educated youths to the schoolyard and began collecting tree branches. As he selected suitable branches, he said to the educated youths beside him, "We need to find branches of similar thickness so that the counter will be neat and beautiful." He bent over, carefully selecting the branches, beads of sweat gradually appearing on his forehead, but his eyes remained focused.
One of the educated youths smiled and said, "Zhang Feng, you're so thoughtful. These branches will definitely become useful teaching aids after we've worked with them." He held up a branch, gesturing with it, his eyes full of anticipation.
Zhang Feng smiled and replied, "Of course, this is related to the children's learning, so we have to do our best." They brought the collected branches back to the classroom and began to tie them together with rope in a certain pattern to make the frame of the counter.
Li Jing and the other female educated youths were busy at a large table in the classroom. They cut scrap paper into cards of the same size, and Li Jing, holding a paintbrush, began to draw and write on the cards. "We need to write the words bigger and clearer so the children can understand them," Li Jing said as she wrote carefully, her strokes delicate, each character neat and tidy. She drew simple and cute pictures on the cards, such as the sun, flowers, and small animals, echoing the words and making the cards lively and interesting.
Looking at the cards drawn by Li Jing, a female educated youth exclaimed, "Li Jing, you draw so well! These cards will surely be loved by the children." She picked up a literacy card with a picture of a little rabbit and smiled.
Li Jing said with a smile, "I hope the children will like it. We want to make learning fun so that they will be more motivated."
Meanwhile, Lin Yue and Wang Qiang were searching the village for materials to make a waterwheel model. They arrived at the old carpenter's workshop, which was filled with the aroma of wood. The old carpenter was intently carving a piece of wood. Upon seeing Lin Yue and Wang Qiang, he stopped what he was doing. "You've come! I heard you're looking for materials to make a waterwheel model?" The old carpenter's voice was hoarse and magnetic. His face was covered with wrinkles, the marks of time, each wrinkle seemingly telling a story of his love for wood.
Lin Yue nodded and said, "Grandpa, yes. Do you have any suitable wooden planks and bamboo tubes here? We want to make a waterwheel model for the children so they can learn about natural science." Her eyes were filled with anticipation as she looked at the old carpenter.
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