[Michelle Levy]

I actually used this idea for my curriculum project, not even having read this forum post. Using the Cinderella story from several different cultures checks off many ELA and HSS standards. For my unit, I broke students into groups and each group charted the characters, setting, and plot of the following Cinderella stories: Native American (Alogonquin), "The Rough-Face Girl," Chinese, "Yeh-Shin: A Cinderella Story," and Korea's, "The Korean Cinderella." Then, each group does a gallery walk in order to see the differences. Then, we use a Venn Diagram to list the differences and similarities between each. Happy to add to this forum, it is a GREAT idea, I think!

[Michelle Levy]

This brings up an idea I can use in my classroom with 2nd and 3rd graders. I think my students would understand class if it was described to them carefully. My students could actually come up with some fictional, or even non-fictional, stories based upon the peasant class/ Communist party. I think I will roll with this one!

[Michelle Levy]

Final Reflection:

I first want to thank Professor Dube for the rising amount of information he shared with us in this seminar. I took away new feelings and a wealth of knowledge towards everything East Asia.

Secondly, when I signed up for this class, I was not entirely sure what this class was going to be about. After attending the sessions, I am glad I participated because I learned a lot. I would have loved this class even more when I was in University. However, it was also a challenge for me. I sometimes had to dig deep to figure out how to integrate some of the information to my lower-elementary students. Of course, there was a plethora of information I can now bring into my classroom.

To begin, the lessons on Korea really spoke to me. I found that Professor Yung-Kim’s presentations included a great deal of lesson ideas that elementary aged students could participate and excel at. Juxtaposing Korea with parts of the United States to compare and understand its size would be a fun lesson! She also provided us with a list of resources in which one was Korean Children’s Favorite Stories that could give students an introduction to some stories told to Korean children. I definitely plan on using those stories in my classroom.

Another great idea I would like to integrate would be the “debate” that we had in class between the Reform, self-strengthening, and rebel opinions in China. Maybe I wouldn’t assign the roles to specific students (because we are still working on courage), but groups of students could begin to understand point of view, and more importantly, how every group is similar and different.

In short, I really had a fascinating time learning about The Rise of East Asia and I want to thank everyone involved. Huge congratulations and thank you to Catherine Gao, who I know worked so hard for the organization of this class, especially during the last stages of her pregnancy. I also want to say thank you to everyone that participated in the forums. Many of you helped me plan my lessons, and helped me understand some of the readings and lectures that went over my head. A great experience! 

[Michelle Levy]

Your film review actually gave me a good idea for a lesson on juxtaposing this movie with Disney's version. I think the students would be interested, and motivated to compare these two versions. I loved your ideas about taking certain parts to show my students. Having the students understand the basics of Chinese morals. This could segway into other culture's fables. I appreciate you taking the time to list out the different topics that could be presented. I definitely will take some of your ideas into my integration of China in the classroom!

[Michelle Levy]

I'm still debating what to do, but since I have second and third graders, I think my focus will be on art, just as Beverly is planning. I think the different art forms from each country we discussed and read about will be interesting for my students to learn about. Tracing a map over different countries to compare size, and writing a poem will also be included. I'm not 100% on anything quite yet, but I think the fables that I read from China and Korea would also be a great idea to include. I know that incorporating anything into my daily lessons will be fun and exciting for the students.

[Michelle Levy]

Now that you mentioned it has all the typical “Hollywood” elements, I could even integrate this into a writing, or speaking and listening standard. The lesson would be similar to your photography class, but it pull break apart the elements of Flowers of War, and then have students interpret the story in their own way using the same characters, and similar plot. Thank you for the idea, and good luck to you as well!

[Michelle Levy]

Today in class, although it was Halloween, I also asked my students if they knew who Bruce Lee was. Only one student did, and he called him, “that Karate guy.” I know my students are young, but I was also surprised that they didn’t know who he was. It’s funny that you had the opposite result, but the same reaction. Looks like I’m going to show a movie clip of Bruce Lee soon!

[Michelle Levy]

This reminds me of my own experience in middle school (portals Middle School- go Conquistadors!), in which we had to dissect political cartoons of all different eras, and controversy. Although I don’t remember everything, I think that including powerful images and discussing them can really engage students in a way that textbooks can’t. I don’t teach middle or high school, but I can picture integrating cartoons into my lessons to further illicit understanding of heavy material. The unit on government comes to mind right now. As for this class on East Asia, I think these political cartoons describe a tension that many didn’t know how to approach. Having the Japanese hate Americans and everything we stood for was a catalyst for their involvement in World War 2. (I think).

[Michelle Levy]

I liked this reading too, Lesly. It made me think of how I could integrate this into my elementary classroom. The proverb you mentioned can be compared to the moral or lesson at the end of a fable or folktale. It just so happens that the unit we are working on right now is on fables and folktales. I have an idea to read excerpts from this story (obviously only the appropriate parts) and have the students decide what the proverb means, “A person who stands under someone else’s roof must bow their head.” This is a great 21st century skill to have them complete this! Thank you for writing about this to give me this lesson plan idea!

[Michelle Levy]

I loved the reading on the oral history from the Houhua Village. I felt a distinct understanding between the struggle of this man, in the reading, and my own students today. This man, who even as he is telling this story, cannot read or write. Yet, surprisingly, before his father died, the family was fairly well off. Then, like so many problems today, drug abuse causes theft, which in this case, led this man’s uncle to kill his father. Several excerpts from this letter stood out to me. “I never went to school. Having nothing to eat, how could I study?” This sadly reminds me of my students. Although we are there to provide education, some days it is so much more, including feeding the kids to make sure they can concentrate on their class work and homework. The struggle of this man in the village in China can actually be compared to modern versions of today’s struggles. That makes me sad. At the very end of this reading, after pages of describing all the hardships, the beam of light comes with the arranged marriage by his mother. He says, “Our life gradually got better. We raised a donkey and a pig. Sometimes we even ate meat.” It just makes me sad that still today the communities we live and work in are less than perfect. No matter where and when, our students will be struggling to survive in one way or another. This reading definitely opened my eyes to the similarities.

[Michelle Levy]

I liked the reading from Professor Dube on the ideology definitions of Chinese words and their English meanings. In a way, it seems to tell it’s own story. Learning the meanings of ideologies from simple words “from” and “seize” to “chasing” “freedom” in the end. In the middle we learn to “take a stand” “perpetually” at a “tremendous pace.” I think I could create a great lesson here to celebrate communities and cultures, and most importantly languages. Students can take a collection of words in other languages and create a simple story, or paragraph. It would be challenging, but completely worthwhile. 

In a way, this correlates to the reading on the famine of 1949. No one wanted to mention this horrible wave of deaths for years, and then this author decides to write a book called “Tombstone.” Yang Jisheng writes the truth about the famine of the Henan Province in which 1 in every 8 people died of starvation and brutality. Key words spoke out in this article which helps me connect the to the simple definitions reading. However, both seemingly need to be read.

 

[Michelle Levy]

I liked learning about the May 4th movement,where students went to homes of diplomats and threatened them. When Chinese talk about May 4th, 1919, they talk about these demonstrations.  Today, it’s a holiday in China.  It’s called “youth day” to celebrate student activism (with a positive outcome). I like that we can compare this day to holidays we have in the U.S.

 

The purpose of the Road to Rangoon was to bring supplies to China. It went from India, through Burma, to China. Joseph Stilwell was the head of this. Everyone was focused on Germany, so this was not as observed. The United States were actually supplying China and this came as a shock to me. I think of it as sneaky, although Professor Dube mentioned it was not kept secret.

[Michelle Levy]

I am extremely interested in what the Chinese and Japanese call World War 2. It’s intriguing that the Chinese call it the “anti-Japanese War” and the Japanese call it the “Pacific War.” I had not considered that Asian countries would not think the whole world was involved. Although I don’t teach about the world wars, I could consider integrating a lesson on why different people (or cultures) would feel the need for War, and why they would name it different things. Perhaps the reason one country fights is not the same for all countries.

[Michelle Levy]

According to China, 1839 is the official start of modern China. 1839-1949 is the century of National humiliation. This was not a good time for China. Foreign countries abused China. It began with the Opium War. Torture was an official way for China to gain information from traitors. Yuanmingyuan is in the Northwestern part of Beijing and is the enormous place that the Manchus liked to frequent. It was destroyed October 18-19, 1860. Foot binding was frowned upon by other nations. Began around the year 1000. Meant to look attractive to be like the empress. Happened primarily in rich and northern families, but not by the Manchus, nor the Mongols. This foot binding is fascinating to me.  I think my students would enjoy this fact in history, and we could do an art integration project to draw an empress with small feet. It’s also noteworthy that it continued even through the 19th century. This can be taught with woman’s rights or racial segregation or even the right to vote. But I promise not to make a lesson plan with this!

[Michelle Levy]

I’m really curious about China between the 12th and 20th centuries. How can no improvement or change have been made within the “peasant” class? My question is the length of time... 800 years. Then, development increases and growth is barely going up. Of the development per laborer, the output is higher. Professor Dube did a great job making the analogy of our teaching jobs to production in China. It helped me understand a bit more about production and economic demand of the era. It actually still applies today.

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