[Erin Tanguay]

During the Monday (October 16th) class Professor Dube talked about arts in the Qing dynasty and how many people learned about Chinese history by watching Chinese Opera performances. Then the discussion went to what type of people were allowed to take on the role of actors or actresses. Dube mentioned that in Japanese Kabuki performances the female roles were played by highly skilled men. He also mentioned that there was a portrait or painting of a male performer who plays female roles being admired by a woman. This made me want to share a program that I show to my 7th grade students when we are studying the Japanese Arts. There is a great program (albeit old) called "Japan's Living Treasures" by National Geographic (1980). This program outlines 15 people who are paid a living stipend to continue the "Old Way" arts and train an apprentice to continue on when they have passed. One of the treasure is a Kabuki performer who has perfected the art of what it means to be a graceful and elegant woman and taught classes to women on the art of being a Japanese woman. My students love this program because it shows many "Old Ways" in the arts such as, sword making, paper making for screens, doll making, ect.. However they love the Kabuki scenes the most.   

[Erin Tanguay]

I wanted to let all of you know that CNNTen.com had a great clip today on the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Today, October 18th, the Communist Party's Congress of over 2,200 members are meeting to go over the direction of China in what is expected to be the direction of China under the leadership of Xi Jinping's 2nd term of office. The clip on CNNTen is only 5 minutes in length and discusses the importance of the meeting and the unveiling of future Congressional members and Xi Jingping's two stage plan "socialist modernization" for China. Also, the program discusses some of the challenges that Xi Jinping faces, such as, North Korea and Donald Trump. I thought this might be useful espeically after our discussion on Monday, October 16th regarding currrent events in East Asia. 

[Erin Tanguay]

I was really moved by the film and I would definitely like to see the entire documentary. As I mentioned during the discussion at the end of the film, I found so many similarities to the teacher's union and the same focus on "collective bargaining" and the ability to truly change the treatment of all workers. As a UTLA member and a previous school representative for over 5 years I was not surprised to hear that teachers can be the hardest to organize. The level of education and expected salary does lend to apathy which is strange and puzzling. Many would think it would be the opposite. I asked the film maker if they had every worked with or shown this film to any teacher unions and he mentioned AFT (American Federation of Teachers). I really would love more teachers to view this film. I have already mentioned it to many teachers at my school site, especially since we are currently in negotiations for our new contract and the union is asking teachers to take action at their schools. Last Wednesday we were asked to hold signs and talk to parents at the front of school in the morning and only 10 out of 81 teachers showed. This can also be the downfall of "collective bargaining," because even if only a few participate all will benefit, and then of course the number of participating goes down in the future. Maybe this film can spark a fire within our own union!

[Erin Tanguay]

I agree with both of you and how this lecture by both professors really made me look at how I present history to my students. I think this concept of "flip floppers' or people who change their political positions as being wrong or the enemy in history is an interesting concept to research and take a deeper look into what where the motivating factors that led to the changing of their views. I could use this concept in my 8th grade history class during the American Revolution and how some people changed from being Patriots to Loyalists, such as, Benedict Arnold. Or why some Loyalist changed their view after reading Thomas Paine's Common Sense. This can also apply to today. I have students who have said that during the election they and their parents were Republicans, but since the election due to some of the expressed views of Trump their family has changed their mind but they feel uncomfortable in sharing this new view, because when they do people have ridiculed them.  

[Erin Tanguay]

I loved the layout of Professor Kurashige's book. Not only does it layout the periods of exclusion of Asians throughout American history, the book outlines the debate of exclusion and why some of the major players in history changed their view on Asian exclusion. I can absolutely see myself using the section on William Seward and how he encouraged as, Secretary of State for the arrival of millions of Chinese into the US West and the Caribbean. The goal was to open the Pacific trade networks to the US. Only to later establish in 1850 that Chinese people could not become citizens, which at the time limited their ability to own land and businesses. I am planning to incorporate this information when my 8th graders learn about the Chinese experience in the West and the annexation of Alaska, which Seward orchestrated.     

[Erin Tanguay]

I also enjoyed the lecturer by Professor Jung-Kim about the history of the division of North and South Korea and the fear of South Korea attacking the North. I'm not sure if any of the teachers in our program use CNN Ten in the classroom, but I love it and have been showing it since it was called CNN Student News. I show it now during BIC (breakfast in the classroom) but I used to show it during homeroom. There is a great episode (April 18, 2017) that shows the VP Mike Pence's visit to the DMZ. They have a CNN reporter go into the neutral communication room with the two phones facing each other.  The clip also shows what Professor Jung-Kim was describing as the slab that marks the division line. I know you said that you have been there, but for us who haven't had the priviledge I found it very insightful in regards to how truly intense and fragile the relationship between North and South Korea is.

[Erin Tanguay]

The entire time that I was reading this story it reminded me of the American Revolution (I teach 8th grade history) and how families and friends were torn apart and had to pick a side to fight on. Some were Patriots, some Loyalists, and some just caught in the middle of a fight that as a farmer, merchant, or even child they held no side that they desired to be on. This was very similar to Tokchae who was a simple farmer forced to take a side. My students read a book called, My brother Sam is Dead. In this book friendships and families are divided due to war and the acts of kindness that can happen (of course there were those who turned on their friends too) are the ones that the students relate to the most. I think this would be a great short story to share in my class right around the time that they have to read the other book and discuss how these same struggles have played out in the time of a divided Korea. I particulary like the ending. It leaves the student to interpret the final moments. Is Songsam letting his friend Tokchae free to escape or allowing him to be shot while he turns away. This same type of conflict of spirit plays out in many time periods and countries throughout history.

[Erin Tanguay]

I found a great video produced by the BBC that shows the Battle of Sekigahara with minimal bloodshed (( teach 7th grade) and only a little over 8 minutes. The video answers Professor Yamashita's first histoire probleme, "What was the battle of Sekigahara." The video also does a great job of showing the betrayal of Ishida Mitsunari by Kobayakawa Hideaki. I think this could be used a great visual that then transitions into the fourth histoire probleme, "What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Tokugawa Order and the creation of Vendettas.

Youtube - The Battle of Sekigahara (by Tovarishch Martins)

 

[Erin Tanguay]

Professor Yamashita's lecture on The Battle of Sekigahara was very insightful. I have taught 7th grade history of Japan for many years and I enjoyed learning more details about this great battle. I will share with the students Ieyasu's words about either you take heads or you will lose yours. This definitely fits with section of the Samurai and their battle strategies of a good kill means removing your opponents head. I will also share that the the men carried head sacks attached to the pants and the greatest warrior would be the one to return with the most heads.  

[Erin Tanguay]

I am looking forward to teaching the unit on Japan this year in my 7th grade class and adding the reading about "Night Soil" and how the Edo government left waste management upto the individual Daimyos. This "Night Soil" was the excrement from the toilets of the homes, which was used to fertilize the local crops due to the extensive farming. I think I will show the social class structure that is also provided in this chapter and then have them read how people started to recieve money for their excrement. A samurai's "night soil" was worth more than a commoner, but a man's excrement was worth more than a women's. This is truly showing the importance of social structure when a society is even dividing the excrement based on class. I will also, include the two photos of the different toilets.
 

[Erin Tanguay]

I was thinking about how I could use this document in my 7th grade class. Students seem to enjoy reading diary entries of other young people. What really stood out for me was that during Professor Yamashita's lecture about Nakane Mihoko he stated that the teachers at the evacuation camps would read the diaries and that the students had to submit them weekly for review. When I first read them I thought that some of Nakene's comments seem to excited and too hopeful for an evacuation camp. For example, in the April 26th entry it ends with, "Our haircuts made us look really beautiful." and on April 29th she ends with, "It was happy, happy, emperor's birthday," and and on May 5th,  she ends with being given red beans and "I felt really grateful. It was all really delicious." I wonder if she would have been so patriotic in her diary if her teacher wasn't reading them and making comments along the way. This could bring up an interesting discussion about primary sources as diaries and is this account an actual diary? 

[Erin Tanguay]

Wow! I love the projects that you have linked with this reading. I too thought this was a great way of getting a good amount of information about Korea to the students quickly. With the limited amount of time that we spend on Korea in the 7th grade, I thought this would be great. I wanted to share a few teaching ideas that this article inspired. #6 Korea is not a copy of China - I want to design a compare and contrast trifold on China, Korea, and Japan. The students would look at the differences in nature and art (#4), different inventions (#3), and Geography and population (#1). I really think that #10 (Koreans want to be Reunified) is extremely important to cover especially in light of what is happening with North Korea today. I am lost as to what to create. If anyone can think of an assignment or activity that I could use to incorporate #10 I would love to hear it. It has been on my mind. If I come up with anything I will update this secion, thanks.   

[Erin Tanguay]

The 7th grade book that I use has the Sea of Japan not the East Sea. I have always had the students do a map of Japan when we were learning that section. I have always had them label it Sea of Japan. This year when I am teaching about China, Korea, and Japan. I am going to incorporate what I learned on Saturday. I think it will be great for the students to see a different view of the maps of the world. This could also lead to discussions regarding how different countries label landforms differently and why.  

[Erin Tanguay]

As an 8th grade U.S. History teacher I found the response of Emperor Qianlong to King George III both entertaining and enlightening. After the British send their Envoy and Ambassador with demands for the Empeor, the Emperor replies by stating how barbaric the British people and their demands were and how the Chinese customs are "Mandates from Heaven." It is not surprising that ten years after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, ending the American Revolution, that King George would attempt to usurp another trading post again with embarrassing results.

George III requesting to place an ambassador in the Chinese court, the island of Chusan exclusively for British occupancy, and religious freedom for British merchants in China was called, "evil, barbaric and only excusable due to the King's ignorance of the Celestrial Court. I can definately see where I could use this primary source in my honor's history classes.

 

 

[Erin Tanguay]

My name is Erin Tanguay and I teach 7th and 8th grade history at Millikan Middle School and the Science Academy STEM school (We have two schools at one location). I have been teaching history for 18 years. I am truly looking forward to being a student again!

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