[Esther Dupree]

I love how this unit really brings to life a part of history that potentially could seem out of touch with the students' current experiences.  This could easily be tied to the dissention in our modern political climate and how the different approaches to government and personal philosphy seep deeply into our every day lives.  This is a great activity to have the students split up into four groups and research and study the four different philosophies and then have a discussion to ask questions amongst the different groups.  It could be taken a step further and students have to find a modern philosophy or current event or group that relates to their assigned philosophy.  This whole unit is a great way to introduce students to a place and time that may seem very out of reach for them.  They could work to take the most recent events about Chinese industrialization and protests and try to see the similarities and differences between China of the 6th century B.C. to today.

[Esther Dupree]

It is so interesting to see how countries in Asia that have worked so hard to industrialize at quick rates are now facing a lack of childbirth increase.  I believe most if not all first world countries do not have reproductive rates that can maintain populations.  Most of these countries are only able to keep their numbers up by immigration.  And immigration seems to always be unpopular with residents of any area in the world.  People do not trust people from other parts of the world and think that everything they have is something that was taken away from the native born residents.  In a world where people are so connected and dependent on the systems that maintain that connectivity, people are more isolated from each other.  Families and communities are dwindling because everyone is focused so much on developing and maintaining the economy.  The degredation of what makes a community beautiful, the environment, the families, the culture all seem to be at risk as so much has been sacrificed for industrialization and modernization.  What do you think are the best ways to tackle this issue?  I personally think immigration is part of the solution, but that takes a lot of willingness to allow the cultural dynamics to evolve, which many people are opposed to.

[Esther Dupree]

Hello, everyone!  I am Esther Dupree and am in my 5th year for LAUSD for a self-contained class for students with moderate to severe autism.  I currently teach at Mendez High School near Little Tokyo.  I also have a social science credential and teach credit recovery classes.  My class has a theme of "One City, Many Cultures" as we explore the many cultures that make up Los Angeles.  We go on field trips and do research so that we can learn more about the rich history of Los Angeles.  I am so looking forward to enriching my understanding of China as we learn in this seminar.  My husband is from Nigeria and we were married last July.  I grew up in Orange County, but have lived in Alaska, Jerusalem and Sacramento.  I love to travel and my favorite place in the world is Monterey, CA.  See you all tomorrow!

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