By all intents and purposes, it is quiet unbelievable to fathom the concept of China’s the decline in fertility or by demographers standards as “Ultra Low” when their population amounts to ¼ of the worlds population.  Low fertility is an ongoing issue in all of East Asia , not only in China.  The stable fertility rate is said to be 2.1 – however the rates have fallen to their “ultra low” status throughout East Asia.  As stated in the article, “Demographic trends like this are often thought to be irreversible, implying that East Asia will be stuck in an endless cycle of decline”- yet history proves that a stabilization in population growth is possible.  During the industrialization era in Europe, the birth rate increased to a stabilization within about a century.   This can happen in East Asia- however, culture is changing in the way that people are marrying later in in life and there is a general family culture shift.

One of the most effective strategies in teaching English Learners and individuals with special needs is activating background information about the content you are teaching.  In creating lessons about East Asia for my students my mind tries to grapple with any sort of ‘background knowledge’ my students might share with East Asia, and the answer is very clear to see and undeniable to claim- we are connected to east Asia because we all share the fact that we have technology created and products manufactured in East Asians countries.  Technology and manufacturing- easy in connect to something tangible and that directly affects my students.  We view CNN/student news on a daily basis, and that too is a great way to deliver current visuals about East Asia- although the content reported on might be difficult to digest for my students.  Once the ‘door has been cracked’ to ideas about East Asian culture, economy and politics I am faced with the task of teaching the importance East Asia has on their lives in so many ways. 

A common trend in all five articles is that changes are occuring and necessary in East Asia. The lower fertlity rate, environmental crisis, and aging population are creating a cultural shift in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. Governments are encouraging more childbirth. In order to facilitate this, services for childcare are more available to allow women to work and raise children. Women no longer have to choose career or children. In addition, fathers are more willing and expected to participate with housework and child rearing  (Banyan). In the article about environmental crisis in China, the conditions became so dire that civilians took the roles of monitoring industries by reporting their activities through an app. The wave of participants regulating businesses is a new occurence in a country like China where citizens historically refrained from activism. The article about bride schools in Vietnam was particularly interesting because it covers how two countries and cultures meld through mail order marriage. Two complete strangers have to learn each other's language and customs. Two countries that had little social interaction before are now joining in accelerated relationships toward marriage. All of these topics are ones I would discuss with my students, especially the one on the environmental crisis. I would use it to encourage my students to find solutions to local environmental issues through active community impact.

This article makes the interesting statement that Asia, as a whole, is second to the continent of Africa in the number of "absolutely poor" people.  It doesn't qualify which countries are highest in poverty levels (I would guess India, Cambodia, and North Korea would be worse than China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, but it doesn't say).  And apparently the aging population in Asia due to reproduction rates less than 2.1 is linked to the poverty.  It is described as "getting old before getting rich."  If increasing the birth rate improves the Asian economy, that is an interesting new goal.  Hopefully the Asian countries will find a balance, because their national health affects the rest of the world in today's global economy!

I had no idea that the United States produces 10% of the world’s ginseng or that the state of Wisconsin is such a major grower of the herb! My curiosity led me to explore the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin webpage.  I discovered that American ginseng is different from Chinese ginseng.  If you want to learn more about American ginseng, the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin posted a video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0nLPjEGiN8&feature=youtu.be. According to the video, Wisconsin has been growing ginseng for over 100 years and that over 95% of ginseng grown in the United States comes from this state!  They also have an official seal to certify the quality of ginseng.  I checked out the distributers and found out that Costco carries products made from ginseng grown in Wisconsin: https://popus.com.  Has anyone tried ginseng root tea?

Also, check out this interesting article: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/watch-ginseng-exports-to-china-and-this-wisconsin-county-to-read-trumps-2020-tea-leaves.

Students can create a “Did You Know?” fun fact about a state. 

Japanese consumption of rice has dropped 20% in twenty years.  This article sought to pinpoint the reasons for the decline.  In addition to an aging population who eats less in general, the younger members of society seem to prefer wheat products.  Combined with a lower demand for rice-based sake (down 33%), rice farmers are finding their prices dropping.  Many would drop out of farming rice, but mechanization has allowed many older farmers to continue.  Government tariffs on foreign rice keeps Japanese rice economically viable for the short term, but there is still a "pay not to plant rice" program for some farmers (I am reminded of the 80's dairy buy outs in the USA to help prop up small farms in the Northeastern USA - paying farmers NOT to produce milk to keep the price up for the farmers who were producing).  What is the role of government in helping farmers?  When should markets be allowed to function unimpeded and when should safe-guards be put into place for those who have invested highly in machinery specific to their farming?  Good questions for some middle schoolers and high schoolers to wrestle with (not to mention a few Senators and Representatives in Washington).  

The article "Bride School: Where South Korea's mail-order brides learn their trade" stuck out to me the most from the assigned readings. It's a fascinating issue, which I can see being used in a classroom in myriad ways. Even the headline, with its use of 'trade' creates much to analyze. Topics involving love or romance are generally high-engagement for students, and as such this article could be used as a launch into a look at different cultural marriage practices and traditions. It could also be used to explore topics such as economics, class, and colonization. A ready class discussion or debate would be whether or not students think this exchange is fair. There are many points to be found for both sides.