[Donna Jamshidnejad]

    I had very little knowledge of East Asian history when I became a teacher and quickly realized that this was a problem when I was given AP World History courses to teach because 20% of the content is focused on Asia, and I was not prepared to teach any of it. After two USC seminars, I now feel much more comfortable teaching the content of my course. I can answer students’ questions and design unique lessons centered around East Asia. During each lecture this spring, I took detailed notes on my laptop, and at the end of my notes I have multiple lesson plan ideas. This summer I plan to create some of those lessons. This is the biggest benefit from having taken the course.

   As a hands on learner, my favorite sessions were the philosophy session because we had a class activity that was engaging, and the field trip. I learned so much when we visited the Japanese and Chinese Gardens in the Huntington Garden. I had such a great time that I returned and purchased an annual pass (I’ve been back 4 times now).

    I look forward to applying all of these seminar sessions and homework assignments to creating engaging lessons for students. I want to create the Academic Controversy on Marco Polo, write a dialogue around the letters we read, and incorporate more poetry and art into my curriculum. I also would like to modify some of the articles we read into short readings to use in class. Overall, not only am I more familiar with East Asian history, I am ready to create new lessons and take this knowledge to my students.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I agree that students can benefit from the visual presented in the lecture rather than always reading from a book. I like your idea to use the image of the globe depicting all of the lights. This image along with others might be a fun "chalk talk" acitivity. I learned about this in a recent PD book I was given. You cover the walls in butcher paper, and place a images or text around the room on the butcher paper (similar to a gallery walk). Students are given markers and guiding questions to consider. They then circle the room freely and pose questions or write statements around images posted in the room. The kids love the freedom to walk around, and find it fun to write on the walls. They then "talk" to one another by responding to what others have written. It might be fun to ask students to work silently so that they can only communicate through the writing on the butcher paper. 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

Part of the curriculum that I usually do not go over in class is the Green Revolution. My textbook dedicates one page to this, yet recent AP exams have asked a few questions related to the topic. This is most likley the College Board hinting at us teachers to cover the topic. The Green Revolution is also known as the Third Industrial Revolution and is related to the increased use of pesticides and high yield of crops in the 20th century. Looking at the readings assigned this session, I think it could be interesting to introduce the Green Revolution as a debate or argumentative essay, and ask students to look at the effects of the third industrial revolution. This way, I can work in the documents related to pollution in China, as well as sources on increased productivity and positive outcomes. Students can then weigh the benefits versus the pollution and negative consequences of the third industrial revolution. 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I found the juxtaposition of Mao’s cultural revolution and the images reflecting western influence today very interesting. We learned about the push for agriculture and simplicity only to end with images of wedding photography centered on wealth. I had no idea that our consumer culture has influenced China in such a dramatic way. I do wonder how much this materialism is part of everyday Chinese culture. Were the images similar to a foreigner looking at the Kardashians and assuming that all Americans live like they do? While this course is not focused on modern China, I want to learn more about post-Mao China and how the culture has shifted away from traditional values (if it indeed has).

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

One line stood out to me most in the preface to Outcry, "I planned to return to cure the sufferings of patients who, like my father, had been improperly treated." The author's opinion towards eastern medicine is harsh in my opinion. At a Latin American History PD last year, we discussed indigenous and western medicine. Western medicine often rejects other forms of medicine. However, this outright rejection is a problem in our education system. While some aspects of indigenous medicine have been proven to be bogus through the scientific method, some aspects of indigenous medicine are beneficial. Most importantly, rejecting indigenous medicine alienates your patients. 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I struggle to find a valuable history lesson to connect to these gardens. While it would be fun to visit the garden and learn about architecture and design, I can't justify a lesson on garden styles in a high school history course. Students should be working on common core skills such as analyzing sources and writing arguments. I think some research into the creation of the garden and articles related to this could be more useful. I wonder if there was any controversy in the creation of either garden. We learned that the Japanese garden was not designed by Japanese architects. Sourcing the creation of the gardens and comparing them might be a good lesson related to the gardens. Newpaper articles about the gardens can also be worked in if I can find them. I would love to justify a visit to the Huntington!

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I found both readings helpful because both I and my assigned textbook are weak on Japanese history. The chapters on Classical Japan are not difficult to read, and I will assign them for homework supplemental reading next year when we are studying the classical period. I also appreciate the information regarding the connections between China and Japan. Textbooks often cover regional history as if it occurs in a vacuum. This text addresses that China and Japan are connected. I also noticed that the reading discusses women, a topic often left out of history texts.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

Dr. Ye’s assigned reading is something I need to incorporate into my curriculum. AP courses can become somewhat dry and boring, so we need to try and spice things up with “controversies” and a touch of drama whenever possible. I think the series of letters can be used to design a fun lesson. For example, students can write a script and act out a play in response to the letters. The poetry provided should also be worked into the course. I often forget to bring art into the classroom, and poetry can be a great insight into culture and history. Students can try to contextualize and source them poems. While it would be fun to ask students to write poems, this is not something we have time for, so they can at least read some poetry. 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I find Chapter 11 useful for AP World History because it begins with clear comparisons between China and Japan. While Japan learned and borrowed from its neighbor as every civilization tends to do, I found the differences in governance intriguing. Segments from the reading can be shortened and provided as a reading to students.  Using this chapter, students can compare governance in China and Japan. They should note that the Mandate of Heaven was a continuity in China, but this does not become adopted in Japan. Instead, the dynasty is legitimized through religion. Also, the lack of personal evaluations at the end of each emperor’s reign leads the author to conclude that the Japanese did not value morality as Confucian scholars did in China. Japan also did not develop the same bureaucratic meritocracy as China did. Instead, government positions were secured by birth. Clearly we do not see a strong sense of Confucianism in Japan’s government.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

The idea of a "cultural lag" and resisting change can apply to most societies. I recently watched a documentary titled The Third Industrial Revolution narrated by  social and economic theorist Jeremy Rifkin. Rifkin is an economic advisor to the Chinese government and states that he is assisting China in moving into a new economic space known as the “third industrial revolution.” This movement is fueled by natural, clean energy such as solar and is in part a response to climate change. Rifkin argues that we all need to move away from fossil fuels and industrialize or fall behind. His statements about working with China did not seem to fit into the narrative from our class. I feel like we have learned about China as polluted and slow to change. However, Rifkin suggests that China is actively part of this Third Industrial Revolution while the United States is falling behind.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I agree with your last statement regarding supporting families. Even here in the US many people are waiting longer before having children and also choosing to have smaller families. However, more support such as maternity/paternity leave, healthcare coverage, childcare, and a livable wage are supports that can encourage families to grow. However, the human population is already high, and some argue the earth is overpopulated. Low fertility rates may help reduce the population, but we are also faced with an aging population (for example, Japan) and not enough youth to care for this population. I wonder what the solution to these problems are.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I visited the Japanese Garden at Long Beach University. I had no idea that this garden was here, but I was in Long Beach and decided it would be convenient to work on a makeup assignment. The area has a small house, a rock garden, shrubs and trees, and plenty of koi. One highlight was being able to feed the fish. I’ve noticed that many public spaces with koi and wildlife do not allow people to feed the animals, but many families feed them human food which is very dangerous to their health. While we are probably overfeeding the koi, I was happy to see that the garden provides fish food. Similar to the Chinese garden at the Huntington, this garden is very peaceful. I did prefer this garden over the Japanese Garden in the Huntington Gardens. At the Huntington, we learned that much of the Japanese Garden was unrealistic and created by Americans. I am not sure about the history of the garden in Long Beach, but I wonder if it is more authentic.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I was unaware of the culture and importance of treaty ports in China. The topic is glossed over in my textbook and I did not understand how these ports functioned before this lecture. I think I should spend some time on this topic in class as an example of imperialism and migration. I would like to incorporate images because the idea of bringing architecture and governance from imperialist nations into China can reflect the imperialist nature of the ports. A gallery walk or chalk talk with images posted can be useful. The strong imagery of Italian, Japanese, Dutch, and other forms of architecture within China may help students understand treaty port empires. This could be a fun introduction. For a chalk talk, I would post butcher paper on the walls with images around the room. Students can guess the context of the images. I'm sure many would assume these images are from around the globe and not from China. This activity will this allow students to circle the room and have a little bit of freedom as well as hopefully make them interested in the lesson. 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

For the film review, I am watching the Chinese produced live action Mulan. However, first I decided to rewatch Disney's Mulan in order to compare the films. While most of the Disney film is far from accurate, I realized the some Chinese philosophy is present in the film. I think it can be a fun activity (possibly extra credit) to have students analyze the film for Confucian, Doaist, and Legalist practices. For example, ancestor veneration and respecting elders is a common theme throughout the film. One character in particular seems Daoist in nature, while the government official strictly follows the law and enforces it whenever possible. My students always ask if we can watch Mulan after the final, and I now see that we may actually be able to create a lesson using segments of the film.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I'd like to add that I watched a VICE News video recently and used it in class as a quick crash course in post-Cold War history to prepare for the AP exam. The video is called  "the world in disarray" and is available on YouTube. One segment discusses China and China's territorial claims in the seas to the east and south. If you skip around 45 minutes into the video, they begin speaking about modern China. The video seems biased, but it is interesting. At one point, a journalist flies over the South China Sea and is hailed by the Chinese Navy and forced to leave the airway. The Chinese state that anything within 12 aeronautical miles of the coasts of the islands belong to them, and the navy warns the civilian aircraft to leave. 

 

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