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Michael FrewSaturday's session on the shaping of modern Japan taught me much about the country's complicated history with imperialism. For centuries, Japan experienced a very closed-border policy (with the exception of China, Korea, and Holland) under the rule of a warrior elite. Everything about Japanese government would change when several Western steam-powered battle ships arrived on Japan's east coast. The bewildering display of power and innovation humbled this nation to the advancements of an industrialized world beyond that of Asia. Decades of reflection would follow as citizens wrestled with the embrace of modernity at the cost of traditional values. Generations of leaders would soon adopt Western philosophy, science, and culture in various symbolic displays of power. By the 20th century, Japan would become the imperialist animal it was originally intimidated by. Japan upset the Western world by defeating the Soviet Union for control of Korea. It would later expand into Nanjing in a furious and inhumane spurt of force that would leave scars on the Asian world for decades to come. In an infamous and audacious plot, the Japanese military would launch a surprise attack on the "Sleeping Giant" of the global conflict of World War 2. In an astoundingly successful ambush, the Japanese managed to devastate the U.S. navy on its own Western front. The fury of the Japanese military would end 4 years later with 2 bombs that would re-settle the Western dominance of the globe with the first nuclear weapons. Although battlecries were still printed some time after the devestation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the capitualing governement would quickly align with the U.S in hopes of one day returning to the world stage as a significant influencer. As we consume Japanese-engineered products and culture as never before, the relatively small island in South East Asia continues to manifest its power and ideas in the story of humanity.
Michael FrewThis card represents to me modernization of China in the face of the cultural revolution. In the forefront of the poster is a young woman riding a motorized scooter and wearing a party ban on her arm. In the background, steel gurders being erected. This may be intended to depict the birth of a new China that will soon grow from the ashes of civil war. Also having a woman on the front may be intended to bolster a more egalitarian reoutation, and thus pulling in all potential members into the communist party. The card mentions something about sport, and I see there are possibly people dancing/moving together in the background wearing white. Given that in lecture we learned that those in Shanghai love spor, and given my background knowledge about how Shanghai was also a stomping ground for Mao's plotting of the communist party in China in the 1940s, suggests to me that this may be an ode to the development of Shanghai, a successful port city with a history of imperialist conflict.
Michael FrewI see much red in this photo, I think symbolzing the glory of the communist party. Mao is also wearing military garments and appears cheerful as workers behind him march in the streets holding little red books. When I was in China, I learned about how it became mandatory after the cultural revolution to recite these verses from Chairman Mao each day. I believe it is meant to show how the nation is behind these ideals and that they are willing to fight and organize for them.
Michael FrewMost of what I learned from Korean history have been small sound bites as the current political climate unfolds. Although I, and others, have hope for a unified Korea, understanding the history of struggle for the governing of the peninsula illuminates the zietgeist. One thing that I found fascinating was that the formation of the Peoples Republic of Korea was on my birthday (September 6th). I also had little idea of the history of imperialism Korea faced with its neighbor nations. For most of the 20th century, other nations have been involved in the soveriegnty of this dense nation. Despite these interventions, Koreans have been of the technological giants in the world. They have also become a gloabl power, playing multilateral roles in the U.N alongside western allies.
Michael FrewAs a reformer (Youwei) I believe we should look to the wisdom of our people to bring China to the world stage as an international force to off set our competitors in Japan who invaded our nation. By investing in our buddhist society, we will educate future scientists to compete with the advancements of rival nations. We should also eradicate the barriers of social standing that prevent women, our poor, and racial minorities from contributing to the betterment of China. By educating all of our population we will increase participation in government. Looking to nations in the west will bring valuable support in transitioning China to a better serving government, but with confuscious ideals that preserve our Chinese heritage. This will not be a quick tansformation, but instead one of many stages that coevolves with the education of our people.
Michael FrewJennifer's lecture on Korean history in the 19th century told a fascinating story of changing boarders on a Korean peninsula flanked by imperialist forces, China and Japan. As Korea's kingdom changed its image to one of an empire, it also changed cultural norms. For example, women were memorialized in literature as protagonists that represent the ideals of the empire's confuscious morals and calls out corruption in the aristocracy. Attire began to westernize as Catholics founded educational institutions, and kings fashioned 3-piece suits in official photographs. By the late 20th century, Korea would be divided between political empires, China and the U.S. In these different camps of ideologies, Seoul would soon sprout concrete skyscrappers seen from space while Pyongyang lights like a lighthouse in a void. As different as these cultures would become, they share a history of a common empire: Japan. While the peninsula may be split, their shared celebration of an assassinated Japanese prime minister represents a shared hostility to empirialism.
In my math an science classes, I may use some demographic information to set up comparison ratios and rates of videogame addiction, age of marriages, or population growth. The maps of the light grid from NASA of the peninsula allows for students to discover how energy consumption correlates with population denisty and economic output. These can also be used to spur mathematical investigations.
Michael FrewJennifer's lecture on Korean history in the 19th century told a fascinating story of changing boarders on a Korean peninsula flanked by imperialist forces, China and Japan. As Korea's kingdom changed its image to one of an empire, it also changed cultural norms. For example, women were memorialized in literature as protagonists that represent the ideals of the empire's confuscious morals and calls out corruption in the aristocracy. Attire began to westernize as Catholics founded educational institutions, and kings fashioned 3-piece suits in official photographs. By the late 20th century, Korea would be divided between political empires, China and the U.S. In these different camps of ideologies, Seoul would soon sprout concrete skyscrappers seen from space while Pyongyang lights like a lighthouse in a void. As different as these cultures would become, they share a history of a common empire: Japan. While the peninsula may be split, their shared celebration of an assassinated Japanese prime minister represents a shared hostility to empirialism.
In my math an science classes, I may use some demographic information to set up comparison ratios and rates of videogame addiction, age of marriages, or population growth. The maps of the light grid from NASA of the peninsula allows for students to discover how energy consumption correlates with population denisty and economic output. These can also be used to spur mathematical investigations.
Michael FrewMany of my middle school students spend many of their hours each week playing video games in their schedules, competing with homework and excercise activities. A popular online game, Fortnite, is particularly popular among our students. While reading about the shockingly high rates of "gaming addicition", I think of how American children could mirror a similar fate. Knowing that gaming is a societal health problem may force students to re-evaulate their priorities as they spend many weekly hours gaming. Exploring this idea also gives us a chance to explore 6th grade mathematical standards: rates and proportions, as well as percentages. For example, considering the population of Korea as a denoninator and the number of gaming addicts as a numerator can helps us to compare rates of addicition between countries, including our own. It also allows us to speculate and inquire into why we are seeing the rates that we are. Thus, we are engaging in NGSS practices of using data to engage in question asking. We could also use the data to make predictions based on the current rates to hypothesize what future gaming rates.
