[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I agree, bringing in the European and Middle Eastern perspective would make an interesting lesson. Using the DBQ I mentioned above, and documents from Mongol controlled regions as well as Europeans who were not conquered can spark a great class discussion. If we find sources from multiple perspectives, we can even assign students roles. For example, students would need to participate in the discussion as an assigned group. This way, we can test their understanding of point of view and bias through a fun debate or discussion on how "barbaric" the Mongols are. I'll post any sources I find. 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

Dr. Dube's lecture gave me a sense of how the Cultural Revolution impacted the lives of Chinese. I did not realize so many people were forcibly relocated. The lecture and reading gave me a greater understanding of why this period is sometimes referred to as the ten years of chaos. I have difficulty finding ways to connect the AP World content to students in a way that seems culturally relevant or interesting. I think the broad themes of the course make it challenging to connect to because it removes the human experience. I currently use the SHEG lesson on the Cultural Revolution, and although the lesson is filled with primary documents from the perspective of the red guard, I don’t see students connecting with the content. I try to build interest by speaking to the class about how they would react to being told that they can hold power over teachers and adults in their lives. However, this short discussion and photos of teachers being publicly humiliated are not usually enough to keep students interested throughout the period. However, adding the perspective of those living in the city being forced to farm can add a human element that Los Angeles students might connect with. This will not only interest students, but it can spark a discussion or be a "hook" to catch their interest and delve further into the impacts of the Cultural Revolution. 

 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

Now that my students are reviewing for the AP Exam, I find it interesting that Mo Zi and Sun-tzu are not a part of the philosophies covered in early China. While reviewing Doaism, Confucianism, and Legalism, I decided to teach students about Mo Zi and Sun Tzu. Many had heard of "The Art of War." Some students were curious about why Mohism is not included. They were especially intrigued when I said Sun Tzu lived around the time and place as Confucius. Discussing College Board curriculum and who decides what we should learn turned into a topic of interest that day. Next year, I think I should include Mo Zi and Sun Tzu in the content, and ask students to decide which 3 philosophies are the most important in Chinese History. From here, we can discuss who writes history and why sourcing is important. 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I visited the USC Pacific Asia Museum to view the exhibit on China and Mexico on the free day (first Sunday). This exhibit begins with a large mural depicting artists and historical figures from China and Mexico. The art pieces are limited, but I found the videos in each room very interesting. Each video discusses the history of art in terms of China and Mexico. One that I found particularly interesting was the video on murals. The video discussed the use of murals in Chinese art being revamped after Mexican artists visited Shanghai, and Chinese artists visited Mexico (there was a mural movement in Mexico). I learned that much of the propaganda posters I use in class were actually parts of larger murals. I assumed they were posters such as those used in the west in the 20^th century. However, many of these images were painted across walls and buildings.

After visiting this exhibit, I visited the Silk Road room. This seemed catered towards children. They had a small bookshelf, floor pillows, and curtains to recreate an “exotic” Aladdin style image of the East. I found this depiction very problematic. However, they had a great display of maps for children and physical items traded along the Silk Road.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

Over the last few weeks, I have gained a better understanding of Chinese History, and feel more prepared for teaching this history in my classes. Students are now reviewing for the AP World exam, and I am working in mini lectures and lessons to review China. We started with the Shang Dynasty, and are covering a little bit every day. One topic I see is left out of the curriculum is the variety of ethnic groups, cultures, and religions in China. The traditional history of the dynasties is a large portion of what is covered. However, I think I should include the stories of minorities in China so that students understand how diverse the country is. For example, the Wieger people in the Kashgar region near Pakistan. Students have learned about Islam, but this example will allow them to see the diversity within the religion. I think we can have a great discussion on China’s fear of Islamic fundamentalism, and whether reeducation centers are a solution or a fair treatment of the people. 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

After the morning talks on economics and pollution in China, I think it would be a good idea to design a lesson on local pollution in Los Angeles in order to related the topic to students’ lives and make the lesson relevant. Then, I can move into the topic of global pollution and use the case study of China. It would be interesting to use this lesson in AP World History because students should be able to connect this to changes in China in the 21^st century. A major theme in the course is continuities and changes in history, and students study China from the Yellow River Shang until today.

Students in AP Environmental Science have mentioned to me that in AP Enviro they focus on the problems and do not discuss solutions. Many of them believe their teacher thinks there is no hope, and as a consequence, students also do not take action. This is unfortunate, so I think it is important to work in an activism segment into the lesson. After the lesson on pollution, I would invite Youth4Justice to visit. They are a group of student led environmental activists who create a club at your school to get students involved in environmental activism on a local level. This can even lead to some sort of community action project.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I found the differences between the planning of the Japanese and Chinese gardens interesting. The historical context of creating the gardens had an enormous impact on the design. The Japanese garden did not feel authentic after learning its history. If I understood correctly, the Japanese garden was created by Americans and is not a perfect replica of the Japanese style garden. The garden was expanded over time, and did not have an original blueprint. I was a little disappointed about this, but now I see it as more authentically Californian, a mix of cultures (trying to find a positive spin). The Chinese garden, on the other hand, was planned down to the rocks themselves. This garden is very authentic in design. I was a little disturbed to learn that stones were imported from China. I wonder what the ecological impact is when you remove tons of stones from a natural body of water. While it is important to design the garden to replicate Chinese architecture, I do not think it is necessary to bring stones from Asia. In my opinion, it is better to work with what is available locally. It seems that both gardens have led me to reflect on the authenticity of design.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

In AP World History, our ongoing theme is Mongols are the exception to every rule. Students have a lot of fun with this throughout the year, and many students remember Mongols above all else after taking the course. One lesson I especially enjoy is a DBQ Project lesson on whether or not the Mongols are barbaric. The question is: How barbaric were the "barbarians?" The point of the lesson is to discuss sourcing (especially point of view). When it comes to the Mongols, sourcing the data is vital. The Mongols are viewed as barbaric savages by most historians of the Middle East and Asia. It is interesting to look at what western sources have to say and compare these documents to eastern sources. This can be a great lesson to modify for 7th grade and introduce students to bias/point of view. 

I have used this lesson to write a DBQ and I have also used it for a class debate. Either way, students are very engaged in the discussion and use the documents as evidence to support their arguments. 

I cannot attach the packet due to the file size being too large. Here is a link to the PDF:

https://www.dbqproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/sample-mongols.pdf

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

After discussing the history of Marco Polo, I decided to put together a lesson (for next year) on the topic. This lesson will be titled: Academic Controversy: Did Marco Polo Go to China? I use sources from the book on Marco Polo. I plan to use some of these sources combined with secondary sources discussing Polo’s travels. Students can then contrast these documents with segments of Francis Wood’s book. From here, students will read sources of other foreigners visiting China in order to understand record keeping under the Yuan Dynasty. I will try to find primary sources noting foreign visitors. Finally, students will write a mini-DBQ arguing whether or not Marco Polo visited China.

I have worked with a few "academic controversy" style lessons. Students seem to be a little more engaged when I pose the question as a historical controversy, and as them to think like a historian and write an argument. Students become a little competitive and engage in more of a debate. This is a great way to organize a class discussion as well as work on historical writing. 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

After reading the Salt and Iron Debate, I am now brainstorming how to work this into my curriculum. In its original form, I think I would lose many students. They may not understand the document, and it is a little long for the average teenager’s attention span. However, I think this can we reworked into a script or an academic controversy. A colleague of mine sometimes takes primary sources and creates a script out of it. The document is chunked into smaller pieces, and sometimes reworded. This debate has great potential to turn into a script for students. I would first shorten the document, and possibly adding more speakers so that one part is read by multiple students.

In class, students generally volunteer for the roles, and stand in front of the class to read the script. For visual learners, it can be helpful to add a PowerPoint in the background with images to go along with the script. After reading the document in this way, students can sometimes get a better understanding of the primary source and are more engaged. At this point, students are more prepared for document analysis questions. For AP World, it would be appropriate to HIPP the document (Historical Context, Intended Audience, Point of View, and Purpose) and/or work this document into a DBQ (document based essay question).

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

Apologies, I had this in my notes and did not post it to the forum. 

As a Legalist, I believe that my father deserves harsh punishments for his actions. He knowingly broke the law and will only learn to be a better citizen through mutilation as punishment. This is due to the fact that human nature is inherently evil. We must teach right from wrong through extrinsic motivation in the form of rewards and punishment. If I give special treatment to my father, he will continue down his natural path towards evil. This will lead to chaos. However, punishment will stop him from going astray.

 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

In my AP World History courses, I assign each students a philosophy (Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Legalism) to read about in depth. I found an online activity years ago that I have modified into a fishbowl discussion. First, I ask students to interview a parent/guardian and provide them with scenarios such as:

You find $20 on the floor, what should you do?

I typically assign 10 questions. Students interview a parent, ask the questions, and decide which philosophy their parent can be categorized as, and why. This assignment usually sparks interest, and I also enjoy reading their responses. This is all in preparation of our “fishbowl” discussion.

For the fishbowl, I set up 5 desks in the center of the room. I label 4 desks, each with a name of the philosophies. The 5^th desk is designed for any student who would like to step in. One student per philosophy sits in the circle, and they discuss scenarios, respond to questions, and sometimes debate responses. Students represent their philosophy while in the circle. After each round, the students in the circle (or fishbowl) are rotated out.

Students LOVE this activity. We usually cover this content in September, and students are still jokingly responding to students and I by saying, “As a Daoist, I believe…” My response is usually, “as a legalist, I think…” (a joke, they know I’m not a Legalist).

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

In response to the controversy over the title of the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, I looked for a map of East Asia in my textbook, Ways of the World by Robert Strayer. While the textbook is full of maps, most of them did not label this sea. I’ve attached one map I was able to found. As you can see, the textbook includes both labels: Sea of Japan/East Sea. Knowing this, I am going to ask students to study this map, and see if they notice anything interesting. From here, we can have a discussion about sourcing (Point of View and Purpose of documents) which is an important aspect of AP World History curriculum. I also plan to find a few articles about the Virginia textbook debate.

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