Session 1 (9/23) - Demography & Geography

[Cynthia Jackson]

I teach 7th Grade World Geography. Discussing how water resources are renewed, drawing connections between access to water and other resources and higher quality of life, and deciding who is responsible for managing water resources are some of the essential topics for our Model United Nations unit provided by the United Nations Association of Greater Boston. Since my partner and I will teach Asia before this unit, it would be a good idea to focus on how resource scarcity can affect countries and entire regions. I would want to teach ancient civilization in this area first and then build their foundational skills to understand the same regions today. I am interested in using several of the topographical maps we saw in this lecture, especially the ones showing North and South Korea’s, Japan’s, and China’s physical landscapes, in a lesson. Students would analyze these maps and images of some of the physical features described by these maps to make hypotheses about these countries' access to resources. We would then analyze population density maps to identify where most people live in this region. Lastly, students would be asked to consider the topographical maps and the population density maps together, to draw conclusions about where most people in East Asia’s countries live and explain the relationship between access to resources and population density. This would require students to be able to read special purpose maps, form hypotheses, and draw reasonable conclusions supported by evidence, skills that are currently being taught in our first unit.

[Jennifer Cutler]

Something that would be worth mentioning in classes, when studying East Asia,is the incredibly diverse responses to each of these topics. So often, students think when one country, or even a place more localized, does something, then that solution is applicable to all of East Asia. I think it's important to note how the different nations, and regions within each nation, have handled the various demographic and geographic issues Prof Dube discusses. 

With regards to water in the classroom: we look extensively at China in my 9th grade class and I would love them to look at the flooding of the seas and rivers. Using maps and news articles, students could investiage some of the possible solutions the Chinese have attempted when controlling the water and levees. Adding to this, students could even compare China's responses to that of Korea and Japan. One thing Prof Dube touched upon was the location of settlements in early Korea and Japan (by the seas) as opposed to more inland (China.) Perhaps when studying the ways that people adapted to their environment in each of the three nations, students would better understand the role that water plays in the development of early civilizations - or modern ones, for that matter! Even in my US History class, I can use the study of water in East Asia when we address the misnomer of events (Civil War vs. War of Northern Aggression in the US compared to East Sea vs. Sea of Japan.) How we identify regions in the world change the way we think about those regions.

Agining population and household expenditure in the classroom: how do various societies treat different classes of people? Too often we look at the old vs poor dichotomy (nobles vs peasantry) but shifting our own perspective to look at young vs old could allow for more critical thinking. How does a population take care of its elderly? We study so many other cultures which revere their elders - I'm even thinking of the Confucian idea of filial piety - that asking students to grapple with countries that are struggling, or successful, could lead to great class discussions. Especially in today's Covid-19 society. How do we care for our elders when sometimes we need to stay away from them? Although sad to think about many parents in Japan committing murder to avoid or escape debt, how do we handle debt so differently? One thing I did find curious was the lack of educational access addressed in the lecture. Yes, having children is expensive, another reason why the "one-child policy" in China seems de facto but education in East Asia is far less expensive than private and higher educational institutions in the United States. So while many adults suffer debt in the US because of education, debt in other nations isn't likely caused by that same factor. And because education becomes more accessible to students in East Asian nations (even though in Korea I believe it is rather expensive) more people may put off having children until later in life and thus that could change the demographics as well. Having students study this could certainly benefit them, especially as they grapple with their own decisions to enter work vs. school.

[Cynthia Jackson]

Thinking in terms of the two themes of geography that you mentioned, movement and human environmental interaction, I thought another interesting thing to look at could be how the shifting of the Yellow River over time has caused fluctuations in the settlement of nearby populations and changes in the way local towns and cities developed. This could be a two part lesson that has students create an interactive timeline that tracks the path of the Yellow River over a certain amount of time. Like Clayton showed us that graph with its various paths, studying a visual representation and creating one are powerful learning experiences. I wonder if students were told to choose five random years during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, if they could draw and save photos of the Yellow River’s course each of the years they chose and plot where populations were located around the river. They could also save photos of new architectural developments in these towns for the years they chose. In a final reflection, students could analyze how changes in the physical landscape can prompt human migrations and how humans change their environments to fit their needs.

[Khrystle San Diego]

I teach a class consisting of 3rd-5th graders with special needs. Our class is discussing the roles of the community which opens up the topics of the importance of government and leadership. A way that we can talk about the scarcity of resources would be to first relate it to the time in the beginning of the quarantine when our students and their families were trying to purchase toilet paper, cleaning wipes, hand soap, hand sanitizer, and even the essential foods that were of limited quantities at the grocery store. Then I can even bring up the topic of water scarcity in Los Angeles - something the students are familiar with because we have been emphasizing water conservation as a school community. After relating these two experiences, I believe it would be a great time to show that this type of scarcity is prevalent across the world at varying levels. We can compare and contrasts the responses of the people affected and what the government has done to address the situation. 

[Zoey McKinney]

Going back to the topic of learning how people's lives were different in other time periods and places, I think my students would be fascinated to learn more about life in the United States before the industrial revolution. So many of the things that make their lives more convenient would be gone and life would be very different. We can talk about how most of our clothes, toys, books, etc. are mass produced, and how many of those things might be home made in different time periods. In relating it to their personal lives, I think I can give students a basic idea of the impact of the industrial revolution. Having grown up in the United States, it is really easy to forget what a relatively young country it is. When I taught 5th grade, it was always interesting to talk about how the country was born, and how all the elements of our government that we take as a given, like the First Amendment freedoms, didn't exist yet. I think comparing it to China can help students gain perspective on our place in world history, which is important when so many of our discussions are centered on the U.S.

[Khrystle San Diego]

I think it would be important to discuss with my students the role of their own grandparents with their families. Though some may not have their grandparents with them, we could discuss their impact on their family. In regards to the comparison of life expectancy and mortality rates between the Asian countries and the United States, I think it would be important to expose my students to how other countries may vary with the resources to support the older population. We could bring up the discussion of Social Security and even Medicare. 

[Khrystle San Diego]

I can use expenditure charts with my students specifically in real life application of our money unit. When I present the money unit to my students, I usually ask them to go with their guardians to the store and chart down their expenses. By doing this activity, I can open up the discussion to larger scale expenditures of the home - should the parents be willing to share for educational purposes. We can include things like the water and power bill, the mortgage, gas bill, cell phone bill, cable bill, and other monthly expenditures the families may experience. 

[Jennifer Cutler]

The statistics show that while productivity in East Asia (China, Japan) contributed to a large share of the world's trade goods in the early 1800's, the rapid production and imperial practices of Europeans shifted the center of productions. We see this continually throughout the 1800's when Europeans attempted to colonize different parts of the world for their own industrial needs. So it was no surprise that China and Japan - two nations who industrialized later - may have lost some of the trade goods. Not necessarily addressed in the chart but a statistic to consider is what the goods were that China was trade. By the 1800's, China had access to tea, silk, porcelain, and silver. But as the Europeans industrialized, they were able to create synthetic, or even, manufactured goods. And the Europeans needs/wants changed. They wanted rubber, labor, timber, copper - materials used for machines.

[Cynthia Jackson]

Last year, I had my students look at a population pyramid. I remember that it didn’t land well even though they completed a reading about population pyramids the same day. Students were confused about the significance of the information in this chart and I’m sure that was because my focus for that lesson was in the wrong place when I designed it. My objective was something like “students would be able to analyze population density maps and population pyramids”; the goal was entirely focused on the skills and did not consider the meaningful knowledge students could gain as they practiced the skills. I would like to change this for this year but am not sure how to do so yet.

 

It’s important to help students identify the factors that contribute to aging societies. For middle school students, I think it would be beneficial to tell them the factors- people living longer, people giving birth to fewer children, high infant mortality rates, and emigration of youth to other cities or countries- and then have them look at the data for Japan. Students would be able to draw their own conclusions practicing the Common Core reading and writing standards that students “draw reasonable conclusions from evidence”. I could also have my students compare Japanese data to U.S. data, making examples out of states that are facing similar issues. My kids enjoy comparisons, especially local ones. In New England, we could consider how Maine has the issue of an aging population in part caused by the lack of economic opportunities. I would love to take my students through a civic-minded study of Maine’s changing practices and policies to keep and draw younger people back to the state. By looking at policies in Japan to combat the negative impacts of an aging population, my students could compare and contrast strengths and potential pitfalls of policies in the U.S. and East Asia, and potentially raise awareness of this issue by creating a social media campaign or make policy/practice suggestions by writing letters to officials in Maine.

[Cynthia Jackson]

Part of geography instruction includes the 8 traits of culture. One of those, daily life, would be a good way to frame conversations about family structures in East Asia. My partner and I considered an assignment last year where students would be able to describe the average number of people living in a house in East Asian countries to their own family situation, but COVID-19 didn’t allow us to get there. Using the information about family expenditures that I’ve learned from this week's materials, I would like to modify the original idea and have students break down family life as much as possible looking at typical family structure, expenditures, and activities.

[Cynthia Jackson]

Thinking about these statistics gives me another perspective and reason to be glad that I am in this seminar. While I have learned about and pursued more knowledge of the pattern of economic activity in European countries and the U.S. during the Industrial Revolution, I have never studied it’s impact on East Asia or considered researching this independently. I am astonished that China had the highest GDP in 1800 and experienced a dramatic decrease in economic power by 1900, but I realize now that I shouldn’t be. When I think about it conceptually, it makes sense. Trade existed before the Industrial Revolution- that event didn’t just “happen”, so if trade existed before then there had to have been a region, empire, or country that held the leading spot. I’ve learned about China’s role in trade during the medieval age and about when China began gaining global economic power again in the mid-late 1900’s, but I now know I didn’t extend the thought further. If I had, then I would have questions such as “Did China have the most economic power in the medieval ages and perhaps before?” and “When did China lose its leading role in trade and why?”

[Cynthia Jackson]

I like that you highlighted Europeans’ needs and abilities to provide more goods for themselves had changed. You’re right. It’s important to consider while we study how the 19th century dramatically changed South and East Asia. This chart also raised three other questions for me. In my school’s Asia unit, we are highlighting Southwest Asia, India, and East Asia to blend the old and new state standards together before we fully transition to the new. Looking at this chart and seeing that China and India led worldwide production of goods in 1800, made me wonder if I could use this chart to have my students practice making inquiries- one of the Massachusetts social studies practice standards. Three of my questions would be this: 1) How did a decline in economic activity and national wealth during the Industrial Revolution impact China and India? 2) What role did European presence, both imperialism and colonialism, in East Asia play in China’s and India’s economic development or reduction during the Industrial Revolution? 3) What factors contributed to a steady decrease in Japan’s economic power from 1750-1900?

[Lizbeth Vazquez-Ruiz]

The five themes of geography are Place, Human-Environment Interaction, Movement, Regions. I covered this only a few weeks ago with my 7th graders. An activity that they had was too complete was a graphic organizer with information for each theme. They also created a power point describing the pieces of their culture, in which they described the language,  food, art, clothing and atmosphere surrounding their community. Now that I'm reflecting on this lesson, it occurred to me that students can repeat the same activity but about other countries to get a sense of how life is in other parts of the world.

[Susie Suh]

As I teach about colonization and westward movement in U.S. History, I think shifting the narrative to analyze who holds power through control of natural resources (including water, which is necessary for survival) would be a really great way for my 8th graders to have a more tangible understanding of how the U.S. and other European powers conquered native populations in the Americas. It's also a great way to get them more civically engaged by asking them what they know how we currently gain access to clean water, bringing up modern events such as the Flint water crisis. 

[Susie Suh]

I would ask my students to consider the age of the people in their families, and ask them at what range they would categorize age differences by. I would ask them what are the positives/benefits of each age range. Then we can share and discuss those ideas and carry that perspective with us as we analyze the data of currently aging societies (what would be the benefits? what are the difficulties?)

I think it would also be great to have students think about the ages of the people we study in history and keeping that perspective in mind throughout. I.e. how old were the founding fathers? What was the median age span of various demographics of people during the time period we are studying?

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