We are currently studying ancient Chinese history and the literature companion is the Analects of Confucius. In pondering how to teach the Analects, I remembered the old Charlie Chan movie series. CC uses many aphorisms or maxims, some of which are Confucius quotes. I showed the film Charlie Chan in Paris. Students had a worksheet with his aphorisms used in that movie and were required to listen for and check off the sayings and then create their own aphorisms. I didn't expect such great aphorisms from the students, but they were funny, sometimes profound and allowed students to explore another writing genre. And they loved Charlie Chan. I found a great website that has all the aphorisms listed from each movie. It also included ratings on each movie. I checked the movie out from the library. The website is:
The aphorisms were supposed to be original, so if you recognize one...oops! Still working on plagiarism. Here are a few:
"A turtle on ice can go fast." HH
"Time like brain-always ticking." TR
"Without balance man will fall." KR
"Entertainment is a want, not a need." EB
"Eventually you have to take your high heels off..." I read two of these, so I'm not sure if this is original.
"Using unclear words is like getting lost in a straight hallway." JN
"What is drama without girl/boy?" SV
"Nobody can force you to do anything except your mom." TH
"The wish is not always the star." IV
"There is no roof until there are walls." JW
"Cat have nine lives, dog one." JS
"Good ramen make happy tummy." MW
"Thoughts often grow like ivy." ML
"49 is the new 20."
"Right hands live longer than left hands." VH
"A man may only wear a speedo if he makes it look good." NB
"Lie is like tear. At first too small to see. Then it becomes visible as more lies form." DW
"A good question has many answers." JI
"Before you can touch the sky, you must gather many ladders."CB
"Even the biggest fires go out eventually." DG
"To kill two birds with one stone requires time and practice." CL
