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AnonymousSuperb idea! Wonder how styrofoam or art foam will work?
AnonymousInterested in 'Exploring History" Simulations & Activities for possible purchase. Has anyone worked with this kit? I'm impressed with the broad 5th-12th range. Readability format seems friendly.
AnonymousHas anyone purchased these overheads recently [06]? Improvements in color and perspective?
Captivating element of color is essential in motivating children.
AnonymousHas anyone purchased these overheads recently [06]? Improvements in color and perspective?
Captivating element of color is essential in motivating children.
AnonymousWhat a great idea. I love the idea of the students creating their own "school of thought" as a culminating activity after, for example, a debate or presentations on Daoism, Confucianism, and Legalism. Did you have any list of instructions or parameters that you could attach as a Word doc please? Thanks!
AnonymousSome excellent resources are History Alive's sections on Ancient China for both inventions and schools of thought. The new World History by McDougal Littell is also a great resource. The assessment is an oral presentation on their invention, description, purpose, or school of thought. Rubrics can be student created depending on what they think their projects should include. Originality, purpose, oral presentatation, as well as visuals, should be included.
AnonymousI have taught origami to my seventh grader, making a crane once. I had 32 or 33 students in class and had a couple of other teachers observing and helping. I was planning about 20 munites....boy....was I wrong. Students had a lot of fun, but it almost took an hour to have them fold one sheet of paper!! (I can make a crane in about 2 minutes.) So, if you are planning to teach it, be aware with time. 😀
AnonymousI have done this couple of times with my Anime Club students. If you train some students ahead of time to walk around and help out those having difficulties at each step, you can save some time. The crane is a very challanging one to make for novice origami artists.
AnonymousEven though many history teachers shy away from playing Hollywood films about historical topics in their classrooms, I have found that some Hollywood films, though they may be historically inaccurate, may still be able to help students understand important historical themes and basic concepts while still keeping them entertained and engaged. Take for instance the film “The Last Samurai” starring Tom Cruise. So many educators have rightly criticized the film for its historical inaccuracies. However, certain scenes in the film are able to vividly show the Japanese values of bushido and the honor/ shame culture that pervaded a samurai society.
I am of the opinion that we should not censor a Hollywood film for its failure to be 100% historically accurate if it can highlight key themes or ideas of historical relevance.
I have used the movie Hero starring Jet Li to engage students in a discussion of the policies of unification undertaken by emperor Qin. There are a several scenes in the film that present students with emperor Qin’s arguments for unification while also raising counter-arguments to emperor Qin’s expansionist policies. In the film, the emperor confesses to the protagonist, Jet Li, that the attack on the province of Zhou was just the beginning of his military campaign. The emperor confesses his desire to conquer all the neighboring lands. The emperor shares his disgust for the diversity in languages within the land and his abhorrence for the diversity in weights and measures across the provinces. He feels all this local variation is illogical and problematic to his desire for unification. The film also raises the issues of loss of identity and assimilation. The destruction of the calligraphy school in this movie demonstrates the destruction of local culture at the hands of a powerful military-bureaucratic regime bent on unification.
Students and teachers can use this film to talk about the pros and cons of unification policies as well as the pros and cons of identity and assimilation.
The discussion of unification raised by this film can be tied to the construction project of the Great Wall of China under the Qin dynasty as well.
I recommend educators use a DVD version of the film to play selected scenes that raise important topics for historical discussion.
On a side note, I have also used specific scenes in “Hero” when teaching students about Chinese calligraphy (a 7th grade standard). The connection between sword play and the art of calligraphy is beautifully portrayed in this film.
AnonymousIn the 7th grade curriculum, the standards dictate that teachers discuss the European Age of Exploration and the feats of Chinese explorers like Zheng He. The overarching themes that connect both of these standards are the motives for exploration, the challenges of exploration, and the consequences of exploration. One good site on Chinese explorers with emphasis on Zheng He can be found at:
AnonymousCan anyone recommend any websites or other resources tailored for middle school students that deal with the current issue of North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons? This current event is a pressing issue that needs to be shared with middle school students in an intelligible way for them to understand. Thanks.
AnonymousThe Chinese Debates on Salt and Iron is an excellent discourse that can teach students a lot about some core Confucian beliefs. After reading this text in our seminar readings, I clearly came away with the fact that Confucian scholars thought trade and crafts were to be discouraged while virtue, benevolence and farming exalted. Confucians feared mercantilist practices by the government would teach the people to become tricksters and promote selfishness due to the inherent competitive practices of such a system. Their discussion of ethics and morality is striking when they distinguish farming as a moral endeavor while government monopolies of salt, iron, etc. as immoral. In Chapter 14 in Chinese Civilization : A Sourcebook by Patricia Buckley Ebrey the first chapter of these debates is provided. Teachers can use this text to help students outline the following basic arguments:
The learned men’s arguments (Confucians):
-The pursuit of goodness and duty is more important than the pursuit of profit
-You do not conquer your enemies by arms but rather with virtue.
-The corruption of heads of state will create a ladder for common people to become criminals
The minister’s arguments (State):
-To protect the frontier settlers from raids, the emperor instituted the monopolies
-The equable marketing system and other government-sponsored safeguards were put in place to ensure fairness
-Merchants provide an essential service in the distribution of goods within the state which helps everyone
This debate highlights the pragmatic view of the state in light of specific exigencies originating from foreign raids and the idealistic Confucian view of the virtuous state that must be pursued no matter the exigencies.
It is interesting to point out to students how both the state minister and the Confucians use classic Chinese texts to help support their point of view while debating. The use of ancient texts to claim legitimacy is an important function for not only Confucians who honored literature, but also for the state.
This debate can be brought into the 6th grade and 7th grade classroom and be recreated to teach students about differing points of view.
AnonymousThe following website is very useful for middle school teachers who seek to incorporate primary sources in their curriculum as well as include lessons on the role of women in Chinese soicety:
http://www.primarysource.org/library/tcus/women_han_tang/toc.htm
This website provides step by step lesson plans & teacher/student materials to go with the lessons. The lessons are very interesting. I especially like the incorporation of primary source materials in the lessons. The use of primary sources in a history classroom is essential if we as educators want our students to experience a more authentic experience of history. Studying primary sources allows students to travel back in time and hear the voices of the past come alive.
The following website is a great resource for 7th-12th grade students. I especially like the lessons aimed at helping students understand the role of women in Chinese society. There are two great lessons worth checking out. One explores the role of women from the Han dynasty through the Ming dynasty. Some of the topics explored are women in politics, women poets, women in the Han dynasty, art galleries, foot binding, and the legend of Mullan. The second lesson helps students understand the changed role of women in the Han and Tang dynasties by reading excerpts from Ban Zhao's "Lessons for a Woman" and an essay on the life of T'ang Empress Wu Zetian.
AnonymousI recommend teachers download an amazing FREE software program called “Digital Globe Google Earth.” It is a great resource for the teaching of not only East Asian geography, but geography in general. Google Earth is an award winning program that allows students to view the entire world by satellite. To download visit:
AnonymousA Single ShardText by Linda Sue Park is an excellent reading material for middle school students. This would be a good introduction to discuss ceramic ware from Asian countries or to discuss medieval Asia. This book is about an orphan boy who becomes an apprendice to a famous Korean celadon glaze potter who is given a mission to travel many miles to present his mater's work at a national contest. As he travels, he goes through several legendary geographical sites/monuments in korea, facing many adventures. For amazon review, check out http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440418518/104-0418451-9894318?v=glance&n=283155
This is a very fun book. If you have SSR at your school, you should definitely recommend this book to your students. This is written at grade level 5-8.