[Sandra Flores]

Japan 

East Asian architecture is very interesting, complex and includes different aesthetics.  Some examples of Japanese architecute are the following: the Ise Shrine,surrounded by nature; the primivist attitude, consist of mainly of wood; the structuralist attitude represents masculinity. One of the most impressive architectures from Japan is the Japanese Pagoda.  The Japanese Pagoda is held by one column and it sort of resembles a tree. The column is made out of wood and it creates stability during earthquakes.   Wood was one of Japan's main material used for architecture.  Although wood burns easily, the Japanese found wood to be less harmful to Earth. Similar to building structures, gardens are also important to the Japanese culture and are also constructed beatifully.  For example, Zen Viewing Meditation Garden has an abstract composition and it was built in 1499.  The garden seems like an ocean, it has pink rocks and sand.  Japan focuses a lot on nature and how men relate and engage with nature and that is portrayed in their architecture.  Japan uses different kinds of aesthetics and one of them is gold.  Gold is used in anything from a jewel box to building walls. In this presentation I also learned that the Western culture influenced Japan after 1868 and vice versa.  The world also gets to know Japanese culture.  

[Sandra Flores]

First of all, thank you for taking time and creating these lessons for us.  Thank you for the information provided on buddhism.  I believe that as humans, we would all enjoy a life based on these principles.  I would like to implement the Eightfold Path in my classroom norms.  I would include these on the syllabus and also have a poster.  As a class, we can brainstorm what each of these "paths" looks like and sounds like in the classroom.  I believe that if I implement these correctly, I would create a safe enviroment for everyone and will have better classroom management.  

[Sandra Flores]

I would like to have my students read about Buddhism and also read the novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse in Spanish.  Students will use the novel to learn about the culture and religion.  After reading the novel, we could take a field trip to the Japanese Garden in Huntington Library.  Here they will be able to experience the tea ceremony and breathe nature. As an assignment I would have students take a picture of something that reminded them of Siddhartha and add a caption.  They would do this through Schoology and we would create an album of Siddhartha and Japanese culture.  

[Sandra Flores]

I find it interesting how civilizations all over the world shared similar beliefs.  These historical source is what we currently have to interpret the culture and this is what we use to teach about other cultures.  We also study similar for each culture, beliefs, arts, architecture, lifestyle and death.  I would have my students compare this to another ancient culture.  

I would also use the shinto shrines in my class.  Why is it that these shrines are still visited today? Why do people still visit these shrines? Do we have something similar in the United States.  

Another assignment that I would create would be for the students to create something similar to the 17 Article Constitution.  What would it look like in today's society.  

[Sandra Flores]

I believe that my parents did wrong but they should not receive any punishment from society.  As elders we have to respect them and believe that they broke the law because they thought this was righteous.  Confucianism has taught us that family and our elders should be honored and respected. My parents will learn from their mistake and will become better humans. 

[Sandra Flores]

The fisherman lost his track of his destination and found a village of people who had left the Chi'n to find peace.  Although they told him not to say a word, he went back and reported to the prefect who tried to find this village.  The story conveys the value of bieng grateful.  I believe the fisherman was very ungrateful.  He was fed and treated nicely, yet could not respect the people's desires.  

[Sandra Flores]

I would like to know more about the women role during the Han Dynasty.  What interests me the most is Ban Zhao's Admonition for Women.  This can be applied in my AP Spanish class.  We can compare and contrast two different documents written by and for women and talk about how that shaped gender roles during that period of time.  We can also discuss how this writtings affect today's society and if they are still applicable.  

[Sandra Flores]

The Song of Everlasting Sorrow is beautiful. It is a beautiful love story with a tragic ending.  My question for this poem is, can the love of a nation be greater than the love for a person?  By the way the woman is described in this poem, we can infer that the emperor truly admired her beauty and her presence, but did he really love her.  We know that she did because she states that they will be together in the afterlife, but what about him? What if he finds someone as beautiful as her again. 

I really enjoyed the poem "To Someone Far Away". I believe this to be linked to the "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow".  Could this be a poem the emperor wrote to this lover?  

The poem "Recruiting Officer at Shih-Hao Village" reminds me of the poems written the Salvadoran Civil War.  The majority of those poems are about the lost lives of young men due to war.  I can use this poem with my AP students and we can discuss the sorrow mothers go through during wars.  Although men are usually the ones in combat, women carry a great burdern during war.  

[Sandra Flores]

I agree with you Brigid. I believe that large families construct a support system in all ways: emotional and economical at times and I would love to have a large family.  I only have two sisters and the three of us help out with our parents, but sometimes we do think who will help us since two of us do not have children and are not planning on having any soon.  We love Los Angeles, but also know that it is becoming more expensive to live here and raise a family. So we have talked about moving out of the state or moving to the Central Valley.  It is a heartbreaking deciesion for those of us who are Angelenos, but it seems that only Hollywood stars are able to have a decent life in Southern California.  

[Sandra Flores]

This picture reminds me of your PowerPoint.  It seems that all other countries are following a similar protocol as China.  Although we are not under quarantine as a nation, different states and counties are taking great measures to decrease the rapid spread of the virus.  Not only are different restaurants and fastfood restaurants are working on "to go" only, but some stores are closing for the rest of the month.  Apple recently announced that they will be closing their doors for the remaining of the month.  Schools all over the country are now moving to  "virtual learning" but not all teachers are trained for this change.  Schools mention that they will be closing for two weeks, but many specualte that it will be 4-8 weeks depending on the progression of the virus.  

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Sandra Flores]

Thank you for all the information provided.  I am brainstorming different ways to apply it to my curriculum. 

[Sandra Flores]

I can apply today's lesson in my AP Spanish curriculum.  The AP Spanish Language and Culture exam asks the students to compare and contrast two different cultures.  I am interested in a few things: the pottery, religion and dynasties.  Students can compare the chinese pottery and the aztec pottery.  What does the pottery say about the lifestyle of the two cultures? As for religion, we can discuss the different gods/saints in each culture and find similarities.  Find a god/saint from each culture that are similar and explain it to the class.  As for dynasty/empires, we can talk about the different dynasty/empires in China and Spain and talk about the impact each had on society. 

[Sandra Flores]

I agree with you! I sometimes have problems with students trying to connect with the lesson.  The famous questions "How does this apply to me?" or "Why are we learning about this?" can be avoided if I start my lesson with maps or simply explaining how the US connects to the country of study.  

[Sandra Flores]

It seems that politicians' main concern is the childbirth rates of countries but some do not realize that humans have not created the best world for our future generations.  Japan is a country who is still constructing coal burning plants, which will cause difficult living conditions for many.  Countries like South Korea and China are trying to help out the planet by educating the citizens of the nation and enforcing measures.  Can we still save the planet?  

 

I would be able to use these articles and have my students compare Asian and Latin American environmental issues.  

[Sandra Flores]

I also found interesting that birth rates are decreasing in Asian countries, but I find this to also be happening in other countries.  One of the main reasons for the low birth rates in the countries mentioned in the readings/videos is because of the cost of living.  Money has become a necessity for survival.  People are realizing that if they want to live a decent life they need the means to do so.  Not one person wants to have a child knowing that they cannot support the child.  People are sacrificing a future family to life their currentl lives, but they are also putting their future in danger because there is not enough people to take care of them in the future.  

[Author]

Posts