[Sarah Shefferd]

As someone who knows very little about the history of this region, I found these lectures and readings fascinating, and I think some topics could be easily translated into lessons in a secondary Language Arts classroom.

For a middle school class, it would be a lot of fun to do a few lessons on the topic of "culture heroes" and the contrast between some of the figures in East Asian cultures with typical American mythological figures, which are often portrayed as figures having brute strength or "iron will" in the times of hardship or war (Johnny Appleseed, John Henry, etc.). Of course, there is the classic compare/contrast essay students learn that could definitely be utilized here, but I also love adding a more visual component, and I find that students do, as well. StoryboardThat (a graphic organizing platform) was a hit with my middle schoolers in the U.S., and encouraging students to use such a medium would be a great way for them to fully evoke some of these myths while also incorporating technological skills into a lesson. This would also be a great opportunity for collaboration with an instructor in the history department, so students could consider how the history and time periods in which these heroes were created played a role in their development and legacies.

The topic of resource scarcity would be a great way to introduce the elements of classical rhetoric into a secondary unit. Here in the MENA region, access to clean water isn't as much of an issue as severe draughts, which causes food shortages and drives up prices for low-income people. (When I first moved to Morocco, I was quite shocked, as someone from Oklahoma who sees healthy, well-fed cattle on a regular basis, to see many animals malnourished and even starving because of little access to proper feed.) Resource scarcity and possible solutions would be a great starting topic for students to take a point of view and construct an argument in an argumentative or persuasive essay. This could be done in writing, speech, or even with visuals and imagery. Finally, the possibilities for research projects abound with discussions of resource scarcity in different parts of the world, such as East Asia -- how and why a scarcity came to exist and what possible innovative solutions a given society is has come up with to deal with such crises.

Overall, I found a lot of these discussions useful, and will almost definitely be incorporating these topics into future lessons.

 

[Sarah Shefferd]

Hello, everyone!

My name is Sarah, and I'm a licensed Language Arts teacher from Oklahoma. I earned my B.A. in English Literature and Writing and then went on to get my M.Ed., as well. In the time between earning my two degrees, I worked as a kindergarten teacher in Busan and Seoul, where I fell in love with living across the world. I've since taught back home in the U.S. and at a French international school here in Morocco, where I am currently a private tutor. 

I am delighted to be taking this course because one of my central beliefs as a teacher is that it's important for students to learn how to be global citizens, and, from my experience, students all around the world are not always exposed to cultural diversity on a consistent basis. I especially noticed this in South Korea, which is quite homogenized, and in the U.S., where it may not be natural or convenient for us (all of us, not just students) to seek out an in-depth understanding of other cultures.

Also, on a personal level, it's my goal to work and live as an international teacher in Asia, and I thought it important to learn more about the general history and culture of countries in East Asia.

I'm excited and can't wait to learn more!

[Author]

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