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AnonymousI love giving my students documents and seeing their reactions. These readings have so much potential for the middle school indignation at right and wrong. I liked the contracts and plan to use them (except maybe the sale of concubines), in comparison to today's receipts and possibly some of the contracts that are used with purchases of homes. The "Tenets" pages, even though China's was not a feudal system, would be a good example of how feudalism might have developed in other countries.
AnonymousI found it very interesting that China was ruled by "outsiders" during historical periods that saw the greatest change to the country occur. I knew some basic information about the Mongols, but did not know that the Manchus were also part of this outsider rule. This is particularly fascinating in light of what eventually would happen with the Qing Dynasty during the Age of Humiliation (1840-1950). The foreign domination of China, via spheres of influence, internal corruption, bureaucratic incompetence, and the eventual disintegration of Imperial China in 1911 make the story so much more interesting. I can definitely add the different Chinese dynasties as a background element to the world history curriculum, especially in my honors classes.
AnonymousIf this were a European Literature class, you could certainly draw comparisons to Marco Polo and Cervantes. "I shall tell you the story of a man...." History has always inspired our literature and literature inspired great deeds. Where would Columbus have been if not for the over active imagination of Marco Polo? I think I almost like him more as a creative thinker than the explorer he has been made out to be in the past. Words and ideas inspire great deeds, even when those words and ideas have no more solidity in fact than an epic dream. I had not heard this element of the Marco Polo tales and find it fascinating to say the least.
AnonymousI really enjoyed reading the memoir of these invasions. For some reason, I tend to think that people long ago didn't have the same depth of emotion as we do today... I'm not sure why I think this way. But reading the memoir excerpt reminded me that war not only affects government/state/history, but also the lives of every single family. The simplicity of language makes this text accessible to my ELs, who love reading about war/violence/etc.
AnonymousThe King's letter to King George was an amusing read. I feel like the Emperor started off the letter by trying to be nice and respectful, and then got progressively angrier and hostile toward the end. After the lecture, I wondered whether the Emperor's refusal to allow the British to set up trading posts/offices had to do with the past trauma China endured after being invaded by the Mongols and such. Maybe they didn't want to let anyone in because of the fear that they might spread foreign influence throughout China.
AnonymousWhat interest me the most in our last seminar was the discussion about Marco Polo. It was fascinating to hear that Polo described his adventures and experiences in China so vividly. However, other people stated that he never had those experiences in real life in China. Also, China is very well known for the Great Wall and Marco Polo never mentioned it in his description, so that was odd. Research on Polo states that he resided in Asia for 17 years. However, the discussion in the seminar reveals that Polo's personal statements are false. To implement this topic in the classroom, I would have students examine a piece of written work by Polo regarding his time in Asia with another writer who propose Polo's statements are false. Students would take that information and write an argumentative essay explaining their position on whose story is true or false.
edited by tphillips on 5/22/2017
AnonymousThe part of the class that was the most fascinating was where we discussed whether Marco Polo really visited China. The reason why it was so interesting was the line of thinking that went into deciding whether Marco Polo really visited. Given the fact that Marco Polo never talked about foot binding, the Great Wall of China, or tea makes it possible to infer that Marco Polo really did not visit. It is this type of analysis that I want my students and I to engage in. My students are good at analyzing what is in front of them, but they are not very good at reading between the lines. This part of the lecture gave me an idea on how to help my students get practice at reading between the lines.
AnonymousReading about the importance of ancestor worship reminded me of Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday that honors the passing of friends and family, and helps support their spiritual journey. Most of my students know about his holiday, and I think it would be an interesting activity to draw parallels between Chinese ancestor worship/ burials/ rituals with those celebrated on Dia de los Muertos. I think they will be shocked by the idea of concubines, and the inequality between concubines and the main wife, as well as inequality between a single woman versus an engaged or married woman.
AnonymousThis year, one of my essential questions in my American Literature class was: How do the words and actions of writers and leaders inspire, calm, or provoke in the face of oppression? Reading the accounts of Marco Polo would be a great addition to this unit, and it'd be interesting to trace (if possible) colonization to the inspirational accounts of Marco Polo.
AnonymousThe parallel between the efforts of the Hongwu Emperor and the rise of basic democratic principles in the west is more than a little interesting. Here, the emperor is trying to deal with the consequences of corruption within his own administration, an effort brought about in no small part due to his humble upbringing and the years he spent as a monk. The timeline between this effort, and the beginnings of democratization in the west are only 150 years removed from each other. Comparing the two, it is easy to see the parallel of the concept of the rule of law as expressed in the Magna Carta . The emperor is trying to prevent the spread of corruption within his government by reminding his administrators that they have a higher duty to honesty than self-interest. Morality must rule their hearts, not greed. I believe that in his writing we can see that behind his proclamation lies his own consciousness of what constitutes good governance. His concern regarding corruption goes beyond the immediate problems such activities cause, and extends itself to what would be one of the eventual root causes of the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Ironically, we are seeing this self same struggle being played out within our own government today.
AnonymousI find it interesting that the Chinese wants to have something like the "American Dream" but rather call it the "China Dream" in which they want a rejuvenation of political dominance and a rightful place on the planet. They want to tap into labor and develop other world markets. Their plan of action is to build a Belt and Road rail road in which China would transfer natural gas and oil and Chinese products. This fits into how China views the rest of the world in moving westward and them wanting to be the center of it.
AnonymousEven though I don't teach history, I definitely see the connection that can be made with the topic of economic change. I would compare and contrast the US during the Industrial Revolution and the "China Dream." This would go in line with what professor Dube was saying about how do we "present the past?"
AnonymousMarco Polo has been my hero of explorer and adventurer since my childhood. I admired his courage and open-mindedness. I never thought his trip to China was a question according to some scholars. Thanks to Clayton for raising the questions: Did Marco Polo go to China? He did not write about the Great Wall, tea, foot-binding and other important Chinese cultures and facts. I'm curious about finding more about his trip. When I teach China, I would ask my students to do some research on Marco Polo's trip to China. They will have a debate on whether or not Marco Polo went to China and present their research findings and evidence to support their arguments.
edited by Lin ZD on 6/15/2017
AnonymousIt's interesting that Ming Taizu (1328 - 1398) forbid Chinese people to use the word "猪" (pig) because this word has the same pronunciation as his last name "朱" [zhu], and that no bigs could be used during his rein of China. This exemplifies the emperor's power over people's life in ancient China. Chinese emperors had all powers in the state. Their words determined a person's fate. There was no democracy. I'm wondering if the emperor's last name were 马 [ma] which means horse, would he forbid using horses? Horse has been a symbol of success in Chinese culture. Horse statues were very popular in front of emperors' mansions. I'll introduce Chinese last names to my students and teach them the meanings and homophones. Students will learn about their Chinese last names.
edited by Lin ZhaoDavison on 6/6/2017
AnonymousOne of the themes of the late imperial China was open-door policy which brought about economic change. In recent Chinese history, the open-door policy established by Deng Xiao Ping led to China's globalization and wealth of its citizens. Studying abroad is one of the good impact of the open-door policy. So many Chinese students came to study in America and other western countries, which greatly facilitated cultural exchange. On the other hand, American businesses flooded into China marketplaces and also brought American cultures to China. When I teach China, I would encourage my students to explore Study Abroad programs in American schools and encourage them to study Chinese language and history in China. Open door and open mind lead to prosperity for the engaging countries.