Session 1 (9/23) - Demography & Geography

[Guadalupe Moreno]

This is a great idea for a lesson with the secondary and possibly even 5th grade students. It allows them to view how visual imagery actually has an impact on their lives, thoughts, behavior, and culture. I belive the students would benefit even more if they are asked to research both an artist from East Asia and from thier own Cultural background (possibly even an American). The students would truly be able to compare how the impact of visual imagery has within the social, cultural, and political expereinces in that specific society. The lesson can then broaden to a unit and connect to other subject matter such as history or science. For example, it can be connected to political issues within history that used both art and at times science to validate their ideals. One example from East Asia would be the Chinese Civil War. During this time many posters where ampilfies with slogans and images to solidfy thier believes onto the people. Further, an example in America can be based on the illustrations used by scientist expalinaing why those of color where less superior to Whites or in Germany when exaggerated images of jews were used to dehumanize them. Although if this direction is too deep for certain students, depedning on the class, the lesson can then focus on students determining the commonalities within the group of artist or visual images attriibuted to a particular type of art, timeframe, or culture. 

 

[Guadalupe Moreno]

Brigid, these are awesome ideas that can be incorporated into the classroom. One possibility you can have is a comapraison between the types of plays such as one from the Kabuki theatre to that of Skaespeare. Students can learn what each play was meant for and how the culture and evnivorment surrodning the country affects the meaning and purpose of those plays. I think it would be intresting if students attempted to create their own play from the Genroku period or Shakespeae period while incoporating thier own modern/cultural langugae. I believe this would help them more, unserstand the meaning and affect these plays had on those cultures. As for the Edo art, super cool! I suggest also giving the option of perhaps creating the artwork over writing, givin students multiples ways to be assesed on the knowledge leanred. 

[Guadalupe Moreno]

I agree with you Lizbeth, it is intersting to know the US has the lowest rate of youth voters in the world but unfortunately it is not shocking. Comapred to other countires (of course not all), youth in U.S. do not go through the same suffrage and political issues as others at their age. Untill recently, the youth have started to become more invovled in the political world due to the avialbility of technology such as the internet and on-hand cameras that allow for more viiolence, opression, or ideals to be exposed. I believe this would be a great opportunity to demonstrate how being aware of current political and social issues can affect the course of action they as the youth are willing to take. It can even be conneted to visual imagery or technological creation and motivate students to come up with their own political/social poster. Another option would be to come up with an app that would allow the youth to be connected and aware of what is occuring in the world and be provide with resources and options of the action that could be taken to help support a cuase. 

[Lizbeth Vazquez-Ruiz]

I think it's important for students to learn about geography in order for them to understand the function of different countries. Sometimes my students have a hard time connecting with the information being given when they do not know where a particular country is located. I always make sure to include maps when we are discussing a specific empire. I started the semester with discussing the Roman Empire followed by the Byzantine Empire and now we are learning about the Islamic Empire. By showing my students different maps they are able to visualize their location and how they are connected.

[Lizbeth Vazquez-Ruiz]

I like the idea of using art to teach political affairs and social studies. It adds a fun and entertaining element to lessons. Every student is different and by integrating the arts into a lesson we get to cater to all learners. Especially now that students have to sit and attend class virtually for hours, adding a fun element will engage them. It will also give students the opportunity to be creative and express their opinions with art.  ELL students will also benefit greatly from a lesson that includes an art project and not just research papers.

[Betsy Telle]

Thank you for the ideas. I teach about Evolution and could definitely use Asian geography as a case study of the prevalence of different traits in certain environments in Asia. I could have students compare traits found in Asia versus other environments in the world.

[Betsy Telle]

I like the connection you make to caring for the world and caring for the aging population. I teach about caring for the world in some of my classes, but I like the idea of connecting the idea of caring for the world with caring for grandparents and greatgrandparents. My students are very diverse and all from different cultures from my own. I think it would make a very interesting to have a class discussion about how they think we should treat our own aging population and what they can do locally about it. We often talk about kids taking care of the environment to make it better for future generations so I like the idea of bridging the two and thinking about making a better future for both past and future generations.

[Betsy Telle]

I like the connection you made from the article to your Science class and how they can think of engineering solutions. I did not make this connection and now am excited thinking about the possibilities. This would be a great introduction to a design and invention unit. I think too many kids “invent” very useless products in the invention unit because we tell them to solve a problem so the invent something that does a very specific task from their own day. But I like the idea of showing these actually needs in the world and some of the solutions that have already been invented and have them use that as a framework. I have no doubt that students could come up with some fantastic solutions to the labor shortages.

[Thomas Pineda]

Along with what Khrystle was saying, this was a very interesting documentary I shared with a Science class that deals with how unfair practices have affected Californians (National Geographic's "Water & Power: A Californian Heist"). It was something I never realized before and hits very close to home as a resident in CA. It was definitely a good jump off points for different things to research and fact check. It also made my students wonder what other industries or environmental issues are created by greed and human impact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2_EmpQNvG4

[Thomas Pineda]

Originally I was thinking of having a 'for fun' unit or STEM-related project for my 6th graders to come up with inventions that could solve labor shortage issues as the ones presented in Japan. But I appreciate your perspective of also having students examine these issues in our home country with its unemployment issues. Rather than just continually looking outward and just using Japanese examples of mechanised labor, I think I'll try and find more examples used in the US. Looking for what industries here currently use machine labor and then comparing it to Japan would be another way to add depth to this invention project. I also like your idea of surveying students on their opinions on machine labor. It would be an interesting debate that students could also research- whether more machine labor creates jobs to maintain them, or if it improves the quality of life for workers in certain industries, and the impact on the number of jobs.

[Ester Yang]

In the past, I've made the connection between the California drought we are experiencing today with the water scarcity in Asian countries. The youtube link you have posted in your response is something i would like to use this year when I cover the envioronmental unit. It's a short 40 second video but it has a strong introduction that can tap into their prior knowlegde of water and power. After, like you have mentioned above, students can research and fact check not only the U.S. but other countries as well and do a comparison on how we use water. 

[Ester Yang]

The household expenditure vary even in America when we compare them by states. I think students can start by comparing different states, than with countries, and then with different artists. For middle school students, this can definitely be beneficial since the lesson is broken down into pieces for them to understand. 

[Ester Yang]

I think you made a great point on exposing students to compare life expectancy and mortality rates between Asian countries and the U.S. Discussing Social Security and Medicare is important but I think its also great if you can talk about about the different lifestyles and the socioeconomic impacts that continued to affect the daily lives of Asians vs. Americans. The different lifestyles and the socieonomical impacts are what really impacting the mortality rates and the human life expectancy. 

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