pre-2011 high school ideas

[Anonymous]

I feel as though this seminar has taught me not only alot about East Asia, but also about how to approach the different topics and also relating and combining different aspects of history and English into my art curriculum, and how important this relationship between the different subjects is.[Edit by="bklank on Aug 16, 12:26:08 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

I have been developing a unit on early Asian global trade when I stumbled upon a new source of excellent material that I thought my colleagues would be interested in. It is called "China and Europe" and can be accessed through the following link:

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/chinawh/web/s4/index.html.

This link doesn't seem to be hot, so you may have to copy and paste it into your address line of your web browser. It features Ken Pomeranz and Bin Wong. Hope its of use to you. Nicholas Beck

[Anonymous]

Very nice lesson and one so suitable for today's high school students. After seeing yet another teen-ager walk into my classroom with the requisite tattoos, piercings, and plugs, I think a lesson like this on the price and pain of beauty would be in order. Although the bound feet were a socially-accepted custom that caused permanent disfigurement, this lesson would start discussion. Some of the students might think about how they would get these tattoos off in ten years when they tire of them or how to close their ear lobes after they've been stretched out with plugs.

[Anonymous]

It would be interesting and helpful to have students study marriage customs from Asian and other cultures to broaden their understanding through discussion. Comparing ideas with those from Shakespeare's plays would bring the world a little closer and provide clarity through comparison. I could use this idea with _Romeo and Juliet_ as well.

[Anonymous]

I'm not quite sure where this fits in, but when I was in college I was in a Kabuki production of the Greek myths of
Agamemnon, which I'm not sure I'd be able to find (I believe the adaptation was by Bryan J. DiPietro), but the comparisons were so striking I was surprised I hadn't noticed them before. Issues of familial duty, honor, betrayal play prominent parts in both styles (Greek Drama and Kabuki) and using one might be a great way to introduce the other.

It certainly helps explain the pageantry and melodrama of the mi'e, if you compare it to Clytemnestra beating her breast and wailing to the heavens.

just a thought,
m@x

[Anonymous]

I'm thinking of introducing students to an abacus, learn a little about its history, and use one to understand a way of life.

[Anonymous]

(This is not exactly HS but I'm sharing this because of my experience teaching MS)
Almost all my MS students are Hispanics and I go through the same observation that they are not exposed to East Asian cultures. While teaching China and Japan, I ask them what they know about things Chinese and Japanese. The first responses are normally - food, Bruce Lee/karate, Shaolin temple, chop sticks, noodles, fortune cookies (?), etc.
I then explain that fortune cookies started in the US and not in East Asia; then I go on to explain the Chinese 'triads' and their link to the Shaolin temple just to heighten their curiosity. After teaching them feudal Japan, I'll mention that when we go out of class, they should be walking "quietly in the corridors like the shadow warriors - the ninjas". I've never heard any protest to this remark - all of a sudden they become reflective. They always enjoy sketching the Chinese and Japanese characters and I ask them to write 'Japan' in Kanji or write their Period number in Chinese during the Quiz.

[Anonymous]

I would like to offer two ideas to help in HS settings that I have seen work in younger settings. First, have a small faculty committee or student group identify international backgrounds on your own campus. Create a series of presenters that help students better understand people's backgrounds and lives. From immigrant staff members to community contacts, early and multiple exposure to those who are different could only have the opposite effect of helping students find commonalities. I have been trying to do a similar thing for college graduates in our middle school. Kids need to hear about experiences and places to help them find their own "place" in the world. I am always fascinated by the stories of my immigrant students and families, similar to my friends and family growing up.

Second suggestions is creating student committees to help set international theme weeks on campus. Similar to ethnic celebrations during the calendar year, such as Black History Month, schools can utilize their student body power to help boost awareness. Similar to the prom committee, this could be something that the school could promote with proper district support. Without the politics and world issues of a U.N. kind of themes, simple give more credence to the beauty of all cultures and histories. Our librarian always does a good job of rotating themes in our library. Imagine if the cafeteria has foods to match the week's themes. The school activities and even the faculty dress could try to match the themes. It could even be in just one academic department. I loved it when our administrators, counselors and faculty wore cap and gowns of their respective degrees as a theme for college day. I think sometimes just taking it over the top just the little bit gets the kids attention, and hopefully lifelong respect and love for other places and people...

[Anonymous]

Now that I have been reassigned to teach Biology and Integrated Science, I am excited to explore the contributions Asia has to Science.
It seemed like teaching Math was such a dead end to reaching into the different cultures, but now I can do more exploring...
Will keep abreast of the different websites I do find within the context of Science and Asia cultures.

[Anonymous]

Greetings,

A great activity in any Geography, World History, and any class that discusses some aspect of Asian culture would be a food fair. Have students get into groups and have them research a particular region of Asia. They should research the culture of that region, their language, history, customs, religion, and food. To culminate this project students will give a brief presentation on their findings and bring to class a food dish from that region. They must also research the dish explain its significance, its ingredients, and how it is made. I believe that one can learn so much from a culture by its food.

John Yamazaki

[Anonymous]

Greetings,

There is so much in the media today regarding Japan, Yasakuni Shrine, and Asian relations. It would be great to teach students about perception through how Japan perceives its self in WWII. I would give my students an overview of Japan's role in WWII and I would discuss the common perceptions held by some Japanese. I would then have them watch a WWII film from the Japanese perspective and one from another perspective. I would have them analyze each film and I would have them write an essay about the perspectives of each and why each film has such a perspective.

John Yamazaki

[Anonymous]

Hi! I teach ESL at the high school level. Most of my students are also hispanic/latino, however, I do have several Asian students. I have had a similar experience to yours regarding hispanic attitudes toward new cultures. The Asian culture seems to be regarded as mysterious, unknown and intimidating. Initially, some of my Latino students were rude to my Asian student and made fun of his desire and ability to excell academically. However, eventually, most of my students came to admire or at least accept his work ethic and academic prowess. Everyone wanted to sit near him in the hopes of getting ideas and/or copying his paper! In turn, he learned to enjoy some aspects of the Latino culture such as working together in groups, having parties and enjoying delicious foods. In the future, I plan to do more to introduce my class the Asian culture and indeed, all cultures. Every culture has something to contribute!

[Anonymous]

I love this idea! It has a great hook for the students - who would not want be interested in learning how to write his name in Japanese? Would this webquest also work as group project incorporating cooperative learning?

[Anonymous]

I LOVE this lesson! I want to take your class. I am also very interested in the very curious custom of foot-binding. Did the pictures come from the book, Chinese Footbinding: The History of a Curious Custom or a website? Even though foot-binding sounds horrible in this modern age, it can easily be compared to many painful things that so many American do to improve their sex appeal such as liposuction, implants, etc. This is such a great idea for an engaging essay topic!

[Anonymous]

Another lesson that one can do is through the use of small learning teams. I would use this or something very similar to INTRODUCE a unit on Asia. I would break the class up into groups of four or five, and usually these are groups that have worked together before.
1. Simply have the students raise their hands and tell you the names of the Asian cultures- Japanese, Chinese, Korean etc. Write them on the board.
3. Once they are broken into teams, go around with a hat. The names of the various Asian cultures are written on slips of paper. Each team selects one (eliminates stupid arguments and time wasted).
4. Each group's mission is to simply list in 5 minutes as many things as they can about that particular culture. Have them be as specific as possible. Also, before they get to this point, address the difference between a fact and an opinion or stereotype (I neglected to do this one time and it really backfired on me and caused a lot more work in the end). Tell them to think about all areas of life- location, food, entertainment, history, music, sports etc.
5. When they are done have them read their lists to the class. You will be amazed at how little they know, how easily they confuse the cultures etc...
Address some of the misconceptions. You will find this an excellent way to hook your students and it is an excellent springboard into your unit.[Edit by="gjones on Jul 21, 11:58:00 AM"][/Edit]

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