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AnonymousI thought I had learned the Chinese philosophies well enough to take part in a debate.
Some of the questions that Mr. Dube threw at us made me doubt if I want to become a politician in Chinese government.
AnonymousIs there a lesson plan that is developed that would be similar to our debate that we could use with our students? I think that interaction gave me so much more clarity in regards to the variations of the philosophies than I have understood before, I think a similar activity would help my students as well. Any comments/ ideas would be much appreciated. Also Clay, could you post the questions you posed to our groups?
AnonymousI also found a site that has some nice info on Daoism, a good overivew that is helpful to most age groups. There are also some good links to learn more about the various aspects and rituals. From the Yin/Yang symbol to Tai Chi..
Taoist site
AnonymousI agree about the debate being extremely helpful. I knew the information pretty much on each philosophy but the questions Clay asked really made me think about them. That's real "critical thinking" skills I'm talking about! Made me realize that I need to do more of this sort of (modified) interaction in my classroom. So yes please....any 7th grade history teachers out there that can think of a good lesson plan to use this type of debate (in an easier form) in the China and/or Japan units please let me know. I'll put my thinking cap on also........
Karen
AnonymousOne of the world's great Taoist masters isn't Chinese at all. In fact, he’s a cuddly, calm, and reflective bear. After last week’s brief discussion about the morals behind children’s literature, I got to thinking about one of my favorite childhood characters – the great Winnie-the-Pooh. This bear is the epitome of Taoism! Did you know that one of the basic principles of Taoism is P'U? P'U represents the “Uncarved Block,” the idea that things in their original simplicity contain their own natural power. Unfortunately, this power is easily spoiled and lost when that simplicity is changed. Winnie-the-Pooh, however, has this simple way about him. He embodies a similarity that is strangely close to the Chinese principles of Taoism.
The 'Tao of Pooh' is an extraordinary book that explains Taoism through Winnie-the-Pooh’s character and explains Winnie the Pooh by Taoism. The book, written by Benjamin Hoff, is an amazing play off the great children’s storyteller A. A. Milne. I personally believe that it provides a wonderful introduction to Taoism using a household character that we all love. It is a heartwarming bedtime read that that will make you want to appreciate simplicity and get in tune with your inner self. The anecdotes were captivating, but I personally loved the following quote:
The wise are not learned; the learned are not wise.
I highly recommend that you get this book. You and your children (student’s) will LOVE it!
AnonymousIn my last post, I recommended the Tao of Pooh. While I haven’t read this yet, I’ve come across another great book for you – The Te of Piglet (also written by Benjamin Hoff). In this piece of literature, Hoff examines the concept of Te, the Chinese word meaning ‘power’ or ‘virtue.’ More explicitly, he examines te through little Piglet. Again, he uses Milne’s stories as a tool to explain Taoism is a way that’s accessible to Westerners. If you happen to check it out before I update you on its usefulness, let me know what you think.
AnonymousHow nice!
I wonder if the similarity of names is simply a coincidence, or Benjamin Hoff tried to relate the ideas because PU and Pooh sounded the same to him and just caught his attention!
AnonymousHoff chose Pooh because of P'u, the idea of the uncarved block. It's strange that A.A. Milne chose Pooh as the bear's name. Some may think that it's a coincidence, but Milne has said that he didn't write the Pooh-books for children in the first place...INTERESTING!
AnonymousIf you think about it, you can almost always trace every aspect of our way of life back to Chinese philosophy these days. I was thinking if each character in Winnie-the-Pooh represents each string of the philosophy.
clay dubeHi Folks,
Our Mohist crew did an admirable job in the debate a few weeks ago, but I know they were disheartened by the relative disappearance of the teaching from China. Don't fret, when Mo Zi Gong Lue (Master Mo's Attack Strategy -- I think they are calling it Mozi Raider in English) starring Hong Kong heart throb Andy Lau hits the screen next year, you'll be delighted to be so well versed in its teachings.
A link:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/25/content_2874228.htm
AnonymousHi there,
Has any one had a chance to read/look at the two books Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet? I was going to go to a book store this weekend but realized that this weekend was not the time to be near any shopping center unless it was an extreme emergency or I really, really needed those bargins! Anyway, I will be teaching the China unit to my 7th graders in January and wonder if these books are appropriate for this age group. Of course, I also need to find out from my students if Winnie the Pooh is a character they can identify with bearing in mind my
students are all ELL and have very low reading skills.
Karen
clay dubeSome may find the Amazon.com customer reviews of this work of interest:
AnonymousI never went in depth with my 6th graders about the philosophy of Taosim. Partially because I didn't feel I understood enough about it, and partially because I knew they would re-experience China in 7th. A good website to check out is Mr. Donn's Ancient History Page. Once you get there go to the China page and then click on the lesson Confucianism, Taoism & Winne the Pooh, Buddhism This is a good student friendly overview to get you started.
The Link:http://members.aol.com/MrDonnHistory/K12east.html#Top
[Edit by="fisakson on Nov 27, 3:25:52 PM"][/Edit]
AnonymousI just went to this website and it is perfect for my students. I have 10 computers in my classroom so this is a website I would refer them to for group research, especially when we do our Powerpoint projects. I may also use information from this site for my information too.
I've come to realize the best resources always come from other teachers....
Thanks again
Karen
AnonymousI'm with you Karen...this site is great. It is written where my class can work with it without a great deal of modifications. Thanks again...
Arthur