pre-2011 elementary school ideas

[Anonymous]

This website is all about china (history, art, architecture, religion, etc. ) in a very kid-friendly format. If you were comparing cultures, you could use the same website and access its Greek, Egypt, or West Indian pages. Confusing words are underlined and clickable. These links give you more info. about those concepts. A great starting website.

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/china/index.htm

[Anonymous]

I have done a lesson with my ceramic students where we make ceramic stamps. For my asia unit with my basic art class I am creating a unit where we study Asia through landscape painting, calligraphy, and stamp making. I have attached a handout for making the ceramic stamps for all those interested in using this in your classroom.

Get the Word Document for the Handout Here[Edit by="oiwuagwu on Apr 29, 1:06:08 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

I thought you might like to pass this information on to some of your art students to motivate them when making pottery. An article today mentioned that Vegas hotel mogul Steve Wynn paid $10.1 million for a Chinese vase that came from the Ming Dynasty. The pearl shaped vase is decorated with a peony scroll? and was auctioned at Christies. Maybe one of your students vases that looks like a Ming type might draw at least a couple thousand in the future.

[Anonymous]

Here is a comparative lesson plan on religion

[Anonymous]

A simple outline and timeline on China is affixed

[Anonymous]

Role Playing and Simulation

To begin modules in International Relations, I assign students nations and ask them to a Country Profile. If the module is dealing with AIDs, then the student would do a profile on their country, and their nation’s policy on AIDs. Role playing and simulation are an integral and fun way to learn about nations.

[Anonymous]

Several years ago, I directed a small group of youngsters in an opener show at our local college. I purchased a two-volume video resource compiled by filmstrip creator, Dr. Dwayne Merry on "Traditional Japan." Dr. Merry is a professor of anthropology and archaeology. He has conducted extensive research and has written books for U.N.E. S. C. O. He and his fluent Japanese-speaking wife travel the countryside capturing stunningly beautiful photographs.

A superb set, Vol 1 focuses on Sumo wrestlers, Asakusa temple, a wedding ceremony at Meiji shrine, the mysterious Ainu at Hokkaido, hot springs, active volcanoes, gardens, parks, temples.

In Vol. 2, the Merrys walk the Tokkaido road that once connected Tokyo and Kyoto. They discover ancient rock carvings of Buddhah sail with Cormorant fishermen; meet a calligrapher, a silkworm farmer, & traditional dancers; visit the majestic Mt. Fiji, and conclude with a visit to the giant Buddha at Kamakura. I think anyone interested in Japan will find this set a valuable resource and a terrific motivational tool for the classroom.

B. Diaz

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the valuable resources about Asian books. Especially the first one seems quite useful.

[Anonymous]

This year there was considerable discussion on Japan. The bombing of Pearl Harbor always creates a lively discussion for my fifth graders. It would an interesting exercise on" points of views" by assuming the position of Japan and why they would assume the aggressor role in the Pacific. There are many reasons the Japenese might felt trapped by the Europeon powers and the U.S. when it came to their oil supplies. The ABCD Alliance played a role. You could also bring in geography and the feeling of living on a limited land base and an archapalegio. Then you could move toward a discussion of when is war ever justified. Peace and conflict resolution need to start early.
I do this sometimes with George Washington and have them think about him as a patriot or a traitor for the purpose of generating a discussion. In the eyes of the British, he wa a patriot in the French Indian War while in the American Revolutionary War Washington he was a traitor through British eyes.

[Anonymous]

If I show a picture of a cuddly panda bear to my class I typically gain the attention of most students. In general, kids love pandas and enjoy learning about them. This provides a great window to educate about China.

I read an article in the May 2007 issue of Faces magazine (for kids) about the Giant Panda. the article discusses the value of pandas to Chinese culture and their part in Chinese history. It also explains how the rising population of China calls for increased amounts of farmland and more villiages, both factors that are intruding on the habitat of the panda and bamboo. Also informative is the discussion of the first Panda Reserve, Wolong Panda Reserve in China.

As an environmentally-minded person I find this very interesting and I intend to share this with my students. It is a great topic for debate!

[Anonymous]

When teaching about pandas it would be great to have students periodically check on live panda cams at the San Diego Zoo, National Zoo, and Wolong Nature Reserve in China. Check these out:

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/ex_panda_station.html

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/

http://www.kepu.net.cn/english/pandacam/go/wolong.html

To log in to the Wolong pandacam use "guest" as your username and password.

[Anonymous]

I found yet another great article in the May 2007 Faces magazine (I will be subscribing now, this magazine is great and has tons of kid-friendly issues dedicated to Asia.) This article is on Chinese table mannerss. I have been inspired to have my students read this article and have a meal where we use this set of manners. I learned the value of knowing a culture's table manners when I studied abroad in Jamaica and discovered the hard way that you are not expected to eat everything you are served - the host serves much more than one typically would eat as a sign of respect to the guest and the guest shows respect for the host by leaving food on the plate. (Two very painfully stuffed meals went by before I could track down my school professor and ask how to decline more food!) I am now very interested in learning table manners from around the world.

I was intrigued to find out that the way I eat with chopsticks would be considered to be a sign of dissatisfaction to a Chinese host. There are also many other rules/manners I did not know about. I think my students would enjoy the experience of learning Chinese table manners and practicing them. I would also love to make this lesson one of many where we learn about table manners from around the world, maybe even a refresher course on American table manners can slip in too!

[Anonymous]

The Mongolian Ger, commonly called a yurt, is the traditional home of Mongolian nomads. It is round in shape with a wide, cone-shaped roof and covered in canvas. The frame is made of criss-cross pieces of wood, the roof is made of long poles that connect in the middle to a small centerpiece so the whole thing looks like a giant wagon wheel. Everything is tied together with horse hair ropes. The interior is one room with different sections having different purposes.

I have discussed gers with my students in comparison with Native American teepees to show different forms of non-permanent housing. There is no place in the curriculum to specifically talk about Mongolia, so this is another way to slip in info on the geography of Mongolia and ways people create shelter.

There are many campgrounds that have gers (usually called yurts here) that you can stay in. They are obviously made differently than traditional Mongolian gers but have the same general idea. The yurts I have stayed in at campgrounds in Oregon and Washington were very comfortable and had beds, electricity, and heaters (a must when camping in the Northwest during the fall!) In eighth grade my class took an overnight field trip and stayed in yurts. The trip was unrelated to East Asia but we still learned a little about the history of the shelter we were staying in!

[Anonymous]

The March 2005 issue of Calliope magazine (for kids) was about India's Akbar the Great. The entire issue was informative and kid-friendly and gave a lot of insight into how one person influenced history. I like teaching history by following a specific person because it offers a tangible perspective on history.

One small article talked about the paralles between Akbar the Great and Elizabeth I. I think this would be a great way to include something about India in my teaching, because I have often had to learn about Elizabeth I but never heard of Akbar until I read this magazine.

Some interesting parallels:

Elizabeth and Akbar both struggled with religious divisions among their subjects.

Both sought to promote religious tolerance.

Both were in great part responsible for fostering a golden age.

I think this is another great way to sneak Asia into western civ.

[Anonymous]

Another issue of one of my new favorite kid's magazines, Calliope, was all about Ashoka, an emperor of the Mauryan Empire in India (January 2000 issue). Ashoka is another leader I had never heard about until researching resources to teach elementary-aged kids about Asia. Ashoka was a leader who began his rule with cruelty but later adopted Buddhist ideals and practiced non-violence. The flag of India has an Ashokan pillar design on it.

One article in the magazine talks about Ashoka's influence over other leaders throughout history. It discusses how Gandhi was influenced by Ashoka when he led in non-violent manners. Gandhi, in turn, influenced people like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. Following this chain of influence is something I would really like to teach my students and I think they would enjoy it. Every time I have taught a lesson on Martin Luther King Jr. I have had the complete attention of my class. This may be a great way to show how a leader from ancient India influenced other great leaders of our time.

Another great point raised in this article was about adding "the great" to the end of a military leader's name. Alexander the Great was discussed as an example of someone who was a military hero and has been deemed great in textbooks. The article asks why Ashoka and other non-violent leaders are not also given the title "the great". I think that would be an interesting point of discussion for my students.

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