Curriculum ideas

[cgao]

We will discuss the curriculum requirements for the study tour during the orientation on Saturday. You will then be able to brainstorm and comment on each other's ideas in this thread.

[Gabriel Valdez]

I teach Modern World Cultures - most of the country does Ancient Civ for 6th grade. One of the things I'm playing with is using food as culture. I currently have the students research various countries and we invite the community to the school 2x a year for these presentations. I'm thinking about doing: geography, culture, and history through food based on the regions that we go to. We would examine various maps, climate, resources, agriculture and more. I would find videos, make videos, bring menus and pictures - for this unit and integrate history as waves and waves of cultural diffusion came to China and how China spread as well. 

[Barbara Miller]

 In my application, I mapped out a curriculum idea that involves understanding the impact of historical context in texts. My classes have read ancient Chinese works and memoirs from the Cultural Revolution era, but nothing contemporary.  My idea is to create text sets with contemporary Chinese music videos, advertisements, propoganda posters, etc. to pair with ancient texts and have students identify the values inherent in them.  My students would be looking for examples of ancient Chinese values and culture still evident in today's China and seen in the architecture, music, billboards, etc. that I capture in photos.  They would make and justify predictions about the values that would be most lasting and why. Ultimately,  they would assemble their own text sets about American or other cultures to look for those strong or residual cultural values. 

Even though  I still like this idea, I want to be open to the experiences we have and inspiriations of the moment.

[Dawn Linden-Wright]

What a great idea Barbara can't wait to see what you come up with!

[Jon Doll]

            This lesson idea was inspired by Barbara Miller’s post about Beijing in which she talked about Beijing’s disappearing hutong’s. Hutong’s are neighborhoods that evolved around the narrow streets that connected traditional siheyuan’s, or enclosed housing complexes with a square central courtyard. Hutongs were first established in the Yuan dynasty (1206–1341) and then expanded in the Ming (1368–1628) and Qing (1644–1908) dynasties. The oldest surviving one is Sanmiaojie Hutong and is over 900 years old!

            Teaching history involves examining themes of continuity and change. These old neighborhoods present us with a human-scale window into the past that allows us to answer questions about how people have lived over many centuries. Although efforts have been made to preserve these important places of habitation, they have fallen victim to urban renewal in the recent past and there is no guarantee that they will not someday be knocked down to make way for modern developments.  Beijing’s famous hutongs could be the subject of a lesson that focuses on the need to preserve the continuity of culture in the face of forces for change.

            So important are the hutongs to the culture of Beijing that there have been many operas, plays and films about them. Lao She, one of 20th century China's greatest novelists and playwrights, is responsible for one such homily. His "Teahouse" is set in what is often the focal point of a hutong community and brings together several characters from the old streets of Beijing to discuss the problems of traditional society. A more modern love song for the hutongs is Zhang Yang's film "Shower" (1999) about a traditional bath house where men from the community gather to drink tea, receive massages, fight crickets and escape their marital problems. The film laments the loss of such old ways of life as the hutongs are being knocked down to make way for modern apartment blocks.

            The survival of these Chinese neighborhoods could be compared to Napoleon III’s dramatic remaking of Paris in the mid-1800s. Baron Haussmann erased much of the city’s medieval past to create the grand boulevards that Paris is known for today. Charles Baudelaire witnessed these changes and wrote the poem "The Swan" in response. Édouard Manet's famous painting A Bar at the Folies-Bergère was a meditation on the social displacement created by Haussmann’s destruction of the old city.

            Closer to home, the mid-19^th century push to remake American cities in the image of the automobile is blamed for destroying neighborhoods, architectural treasures, and engendering the historic preservation movement as a response. Central to this story is urban master-builder Robert Moses, who forever changed the face of New York City, and whose outsized influence on urban planning affected cities across the country. His critics claim that his policies displaced hundreds of thousands of residents, uprooted traditional neighborhoods, and precipitated the decline of public transport through disinvestment and neglect. Chief among these was the urban activist Jane Jacobs, whose book The Death and Life of Great American Cities was instrumental in turning opinion against Moses.  

 

 

[clay dube]

I think that looking at changing urban landscapes and populations is a great idea and fits one of the tour themes well. I highly recommend reading the books Jon's mentioned or watching the films! Our challenge in Beijing, though, is that we'll have no time to explore neighborhoods as we might want to do. But we'll pass by some and will likely eat at a restaurant situated beside one hutong area. A great book about hutong life is Michael Meyer's The Last Days of Old Beijing. Here's an interview he did with us on it: https://china.usc.edu/michael-meyer-discusses-last-days-old-beijing-life-vanishing-backstreets-city-transformed .

We'll have more time in three other fast changing mainland cities: Xi'an, Chengdu, and Kunming.

 

[clay dube]

I think this is a terrific idea. There are pictures to take and sometimes you may be able to buy propaganda items (including calendars, posters, and more). Looking for the values they promote and particularly where such values echo those from earlier eras is a worthwhile effort. Recent Chinese leaders have emphasized drawing on Chinese tradition more fully. Xi recently cited the appearance of early Chinese philosophers such as Lao Zi, Confucius, Han Fei, and Mozi as examples of Chinese innovation. One place to see this promoted is in caring for the elderly and being helpful to one's parents at home.

[clay dube]

The surest way to reach people is through food. One of the most important ideas you should gain from this trip is the diversity of China. You can start now to research the dietary norms of the various regions we'll visit. Looking at the interplay between historic agricultural strengths and cuisine is a good idea. Look for the place of food in various holidays and rituals.

[Gabriel Valdez]

I teach 6th grade so the kids are always curious about the interplay of cultural universals and given that they have some modicum of "base knowledge" in terms of what they think is "Chinese" food will be the preview/hook. Having them dig deeper into the culture, geography, climate and other nuances so they have a deeper understanding of Brillat - Savarin is the angle that I'm going for. Additionally, it will tie into our year long research projects. 

[Barbara Miller]

Thanks, Clay!  I will certainly leave space in my luggage for these types of materials that connect the past and the present... and maybe even the future of China's innovations in caring for people.  Perhaps we can learn from this attitude.

[Stephanie Kroop]

It seems like my teaching assignment for next year will likely focus more so on 10th grade regular Modern World History. I am thinking about doing a multi-day curriculum project on ONE of the following topics, depending on what connections I can make during the study tour.

1) Age of Exploration: Ming China https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ming-dynasty-Chinese-history

In starting to research this more--as it is NOT currently a large part of my curriculum--I found that this website may have some interesting information related to the theme of our trip being focused on connections.

2) Modernization and Imperialism in China

3) China under Mao Zedong (analyzing perspectives)

-Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution

-Protest in Tiananmen Square

[Anthony Rodriguez]

Lesson Objective:

Read excerpts from Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en and identify plot elements within the story which fit the definition of the hero, the anti hero, the “epic journey” and Joseph Campbell’s  “hero cycle”. Compare and contrast the characters of Tripitaka and Wukong and what function each character serves in the story. Identify the Buddhist themes and ideals in each selection (context provided  by pre reading activities).

Summary:

Monkey, the hero of Journey to the West, is a popular figure of East Asian literature, opera, children’s books and cartoons, and television. Monkey is beloved for his martial prowess and supernatural powers, but it’s his rebel spirit, his complete fearlessness, his wiliness, and his devotion as a friend that make him the quintessential sidekick. In Journey to the West, the monk Xuanzang (Tripitaka) needs Monkey and his other disciples (they all need each other) to reach the goal. The novel falls into two main parts. Chapters 1-12 include Monkey’s history; the conversion of Monkey, Friar Sand, Pig and the White Dragon Horse to Buddhism by Guanyin and their promises to wait for the monk and accompany him on the journey. This first part also contains background on the Tang Emperor Taizong and his selection of Xuanzang (Tripitaka) to undertake the pilgrimage. Chapters 13-100 present the journey to the Western Paradise and obtainment of the scriptures. Master and disciples undergo the necessary 81 trials, which include numerous encounters with wild beasts, supernatural monsters, and demons, as well as with various good and evil humans. They defeat the demons, often with supernatural help, and help to restore order in human societies. In the final three chapters, the pilgrims present the scriptures to Emperor Taizong and return to the Western Paradise for their rewards. 

 *The version being used for classroom selections is the Anthony Yu  abridged version of this story all page numbers cited will correspond with that version*

Historical/Literary Context:

            Authorship of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West  has not been established 100% in any one person's credit, but most scholars accept attribution of the popular 100-chapter version to Wu Cheng’en (c.1500-c.1582), who wrote during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 C.E.). The novel was popularized in English through the abridged version published as Monkey in 1943.  Anthony C. Yu took many many years to produce an unabridged, four-volume, 1,873-page English version of the monk’s mythological narrative titled “The Journey to the West.” The fruit of that endeavor was what Prof. David Lattimore of Brown University called “one of the great ventures of our time in humanistic translation and publication.” Professor Yu spent seven years on the first volume, which was published in 1977. He finished the other three volumes in 1984, completed an abridged version titled “The Monkey and the Monk” in 2006 and published an updated translation in 2012.The epic saga was first published in 1592.  The novels quest lasted 16 years. The novel reworks and expands on folk tales and dramatic episodes that sprang up around the Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang (596-664 C.E.) to India to bring the original Buddhist scriptures back to China. Xuanzang’s sixteen-year trip (629-645 C.E.) and his subsequent life-long dedication to translating the scriptures from Sanskrit into Chinese made him a legend in his own time. Unlike the fictional monk, the historical Xuanzang left China without the Emperor’s permission, but was honored on his return. In the fantastic and mystical stories developed about him, he collected a company of non-human immortal disciples, provided by the Bodhisattva Guanyin, to help on his journey. Monkey first appears as an escort during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 C.E.). Wu Cheng’en, in his masterful reworking of the folk materials, brings the disciple Monkey — the real hero of the novel — to the forefront, with the first seven chapters devoted to his biography.

Class Period #1 Initial Read:

(“The Six Bandits Episode” reading will be assigned for homework the night before)

Re-Read homework assigned reading, Two Column Notes:  Two-column notes can provide an excellent outline for use as a writing tool. The student can use the notes as an outline for a summary by turning main ideas into topic sentences and adding key details as supports. (It is important to note at this point the necessity of paraphrasing.) Also, the notes can later be used as a study sheet. For example, the students can fold their paper, turn the main ideas into questions, and then use the main ideas to recall the details as well as use the details to generate the main ideas. (30 min)

(individually answer discussion questions outlined above)

With discussion questions, Think Pair Share: A collaborative learning strategy in which students work together to solve a problem or answer a question about an assigned reading. This technique requires students to think individually about a topic or answer to a question; and share ideas with classmates. Discussing an answer with a partner serves to maximize participation, focus attention and engage students in comprehending the reading material.  (20 min)

Save the Last Word: Pass out index cards or slips of paper to each student, one card for each quote they have found.  On one side of the card, ask students to write down the statements from the text.  On the other side, instruct them to write any comments or feelings about their statements. Divide the class into groups of 3-5 students. All students in the group are allowed to share one of their quote cards. The first student reads one of their quotes to the group and shows where to locate it in the text.  However, the student isn’t allowed to make any comments about his or her quote until the other members of the group give their reactions.  Therefore, the student gets the last word in the discussion of the statement. (25 min)

Framed Paragraph:  Framed paragraphs are pre-writing tools that help students write well-developed paragraphs. They are skeleton formats containing information about the main ideas and transition words that guide the organization and the development of supportive details. Framed paragraphs offer a structure for students to use as they begin to write paragraphs and essays. (15 min)

Class Period #2 Initial Read:

(“The Golden Headband Episode” reading will be assigned for homework the night before)

Re-Read homework assigned reading, Two Column Notes:  Two-column notes can provide an excellent outline for use as a writing tool. The student can use the notes as an outline for a summary by turning main ideas into topic sentences and adding key details as supports. (It is important to note at this point the necessity of paraphrasing.) Also, the notes can later be used as a study sheet. For example, the students can fold their paper, turn the main ideas into questions, and then use the main ideas to recall the details as well as use the details to generate the main ideas. (30 min)

(individually answer discussion questions outlined above)

With discussion questions, Think Pair Share: A collaborative learning strategy in which students work together to solve a problem or answer a question about an assigned reading. This technique requires students to think individually about a topic or answer to a question; and share ideas with classmates. Discussing an answer with a partner serves to maximize participation, focus attention and engage students in comprehending the reading material.  (20 min)

Save the Last Word: Pass out index cards or slips of paper to each student, one card for each quote they have found.  On one side of the card, ask students to write down the statements from the text.  On the other side, instruct them to write any comments or feelings about their statements. Divide the class into groups of 3-5 students. All students in the group are allowed to share one of their quote cards. The first student reads one of their quotes to the group and shows where to locate it in the text.  However, the student isn’t allowed to make any comments about his or her quote until the other members of the group give their reactions.  Therefore, the student gets the last word in the discussion of the statement. (25 min)

Framed Paragraph:  Framed paragraphs are pre-writing tools that help students write well-developed paragraphs. They are skeleton formats containing information about the main ideas and transition words that guide the organization and the development of supportive details. Framed paragraphs offer a structure for students to use as they begin to write paragraphs and essays. (15 min)

Writing Prompt (for homework, rough draft due next monday)

Read the assigned excerpts from Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en and identify plot elements within the story which fit the definition of the hero, the anti hero, the “epic journey” and Joseph Campbell’s  “hero cycle”. Compare and contrast the characters of Tripitaka and Wukong and what function each character serves in the story. Three paragraphs minimum, must include strong thesis and conclusion. 

Connections to other works

The Allegorical Journey in The Odyssey by Homer and The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

The journeys in The Odyssey contribute to both the plot, character development and the literary suspense experienced by the reader. The journeys of both Odysseus and Telemachus correspond with growth and changes in their character. During his journey, Odysseus acts in a bold and arrogant manner, which interferes with his homecoming. Odysseus’ growth is illustrated by contrasting his earlier impulsiveness with the cautious and humble manner in which he returns home disguised as a beggar, bullied by the suitors, standing “firm as a rock” Odysseus’ journey home is also a source of pleasurable literary suspense. Unlike The Odyssey, the major journey in The Canterbury Tales is used primarily as a literary device that brings together a disparate group of travellers with a common purpose, allowing Chaucer to engage in a broad social commentary. The General Prologue introduces the book as a whole, in addition to the array of diverse characters who narrate the subsequent tales, “some nine and twenty in a company / Of sundry folk happening then to fall / In fellowship”. These characters are representative of the three estates: military, clergy and peasantry and The General Prologue is a satire  that is able to criticise the abuses that occur within these estates. The pilgrimage undertaken by these characters is not particularly significant to the book’s plot, but it is a useful technique for setting up the varied stories that make up The Canterbury Tales. The character development of Odysseus and the narrative fashion of the religious pilgrimage in The Canterbury Tales relate to the themes and structure of The Monkey and the Monk. Both Tripitaka and Wukong can be impulsive and self defeating at times but rise to the occasion of survival and enlightenment  much like Odysseus. The actual religious journey and the tongue in cheek observations made about social mechanics and the satire of the classes within them tie The Canterbury Tales and Journey to the West together thematically. Together, the two stories connect very strongly to Journey to the West's themes, premise, setting and character dynamic.

 

[Amanda Smith]

I’m currently working on the district level developing program and resources that can be used in multiple schools. Next year, I will be developing a new program that supports the study of East Asia and Africa in seventh grade social studies classes. The program is a partnership between the school system and the Michael Carlos Museum at Emory University, which has an extensive collection of artwork from all over the world. The concept is to create escape room style experiences where students learn about East Asian and African culture by solving puzzles made from reproductions of artwork in the museum’s collection.

My responsibility is to develop the educational resources that will be shared with students as they prepare and then reflect on this experience.  On the study trip, I will be looking for primary sources that help students explore Chinese culture. I’m thinking about collecting artifacts like local newspapers, currency, propaganda posters, etc. to put into a traveling trunk. The trunk would be sent to schools before attending the program, so students can experience solving an escape room like puzzle before going on the field trip to experience the escape rooms.

I have started thinking about items that I could collect but I will need people to offer suggestions when we see things during the trip.

[Barbara Miller]

Unexpectedly, I will be teaching American Literature and Composition to juniors again next year, after a hiatus of three years.  During the past two weeks while I was enjoying a Baltic cruise, I gained a new visual appreciation of the differences between an monarchy and a democracy.  Seeing the gilded opulence of numerouse palaces in Russia and Denmark, only 20 miles or so distance apart to reflect a day's travel time, and how those palaces stood in stark contrast from the lives of the commoners, whose lives and work created the wealth of the royalty, made me rethink how I might introduce my colonial literature unit.  Many of the palaces and sites associated with the Chinese emperors could easily be included in this visual camparison/contrast exercise.

[Cynthia Lehr]

Great idea to incorporate into an escape room/breakout box activity. I have used those types of activities with my classes and have supplies to do the escape room--so I'd love to help give (and get) ideas for a Chinese-culture escape room activity.

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