[Sean Lobberecht]

As an ancient civilizations teacher I am really enjoying learning about these founding myth's from east Asia. I think I find these myth's so interesting due to the fact that we can really glean many insights into the culture based on these myths. As someone said earlier, I found it interesting as well that the creation myth says that a woman was created first and essentially god did not want her to be lonely so he trned himself into a man and together they created the founder of Korea. As a first year teacher I have been doing my best to learn about and teach the history of the cultures and states that are in the Massachusetts curriculum. As I have progressed along this journey I have learned a lot about the creation myth's but have not really implemented them into my teaching. Going forward I think I am going to start every unit with a dive into the creation myths of these cultures. I feel we can learn a lot from the creation myths of civilizations, they can teach what a civilization valued and a lot of times can even give us insight into social structures. I feel starting each section with a dive into the myth of a civilizations creation will help students better understand the civilizations and cultures we study. I also think an in depth comparison of different civilizations creation myths could be a fruitful exercise for students. Comparing and contrasting these founding myths can show us the linkages between societies and could lead to some exceelent classroom debates about dominate cultures in particular regions.

[Sean Lobberecht]

This event would be another excellent opportunity to show how interconnected the histories of different nations are. In an earlier post I talked about using the attempted Mongol invasions as a way to transition between histories would be an excellent idea. I think using the attempted invasion of Korea could be another excellent opportunity to jump back and forth through histories. This time period also intersects with the Three Unifiers as it was Hideyoshi who attempted the invasion of Korea. trying to understand the reasons for this invasion I believe can give students a clearer insight into Japanese warrior culture and this battle for supremacy in Eastern Asia. 

Using this event as a marking period as the beginning of a Korean Japanese rivalry would be interesting as well. I am looking forward to learning more about korea so I can attempt to put together curriculum that does not teach the histories of Japan, China, and Korea in a vacuum. If anyone has any resources related to how these three states interacted that would be awesome and greatly appreciated. I really want to do a better job of teaching how the history of different nations is intertwined. I feel it does a disservice to students to ot show them how connected the world was even in ancient times so bringing them a curriculum that is robust in the sense of showing these connections I think would leave students more interested.

[Sean Lobberecht]

The attempted Mongol takeovers of Japan in 1274 and 1281 provide an excellent opportunity to link the history and curriculum of main land Asia and Japan. I feel using the attempted Mongol takeover of Japan could be an excellent Segway into the history of Japan. As I have stated previously, I feel it is difficult to jump around from country to country because everything is so intertwined. Examining the reasons for the failed invasions could help students understand how things are so all encompassing and hstory does not happen in a vacuum. 

I think an interesting wrinkle would be to explore the myth of the Divine Winds. As legend has it, the Japanese were saved due to the fact that the Mongol fleet was caught in a tsunami. I feel a dive into some sources to critique the validity of this story would be an excellent opportunity for students to work on their critical thinking skills and practice ability to analyze sources. I was curious if anyone new about any sources that tell the tale of this legend? It would be great if there were multiple sources in order to give students different looks at this event. Based on Professor Ptelka's slide show it looks like there would be some good art pieces that could act as an excellent opener into this event. I think this activity could be taken further if it was not just about analyzing the sources but trying to get a discussion going around what role does this myth play in a Japanese national identity? What can we learn about the culture and people of Japan through this legend?

[Sean Lobberecht]

The Kenmon Taisei or the balance of power between the Buddhist faction, the Imperial Court, and the Shogunate is a fascinating dimension of Japanese politics. I feel this topic could be explored in multiple ways depending upon which grade level one is teaching. I think an interesting activity for 7th graders (the grade I teach) would be to simulate a mock meeting of government where students play the roles of the different factions. Each group could have different abilities and there could be different checks on each factions power. I think this could be a few day event where every day in class we look at a different historical event fro Japanese history and students rotate playing the role of a different faction. I think this could give students great insight into not only the different factions but force them to tackle japanese history from different angles. I think this activity would also give students an excellent insight into how governments were run in the past. Very rare do we have an absolut ruler who wields power unconditionally. Giving students the opportunity to see how entangled politics are I think will make them enjoy the subject more as they get to play out the historical events as if they were living them.

[Sean Lobberecht]

The study of the Tokugawa is very interesting to me, especially the similarities that can be drawn between this government and more modern governments in its structure. I found the comparison of how states were moderated under the Tokugawa regime and the structure of the state and federal government in modern United States politics very interesting. I think a lot of times people have this preconcieved notion that the United States did something never seen before with the passing of the Constitution but this is not the case. Although major differences can be seen in the rights of the people between japan and the United States the structure of the actual government seems to be pretty similar. How the Tokugawa dynasty retained control by worrying about major threats to their power and not caring about small details of day to day governance is impressive. It seems throughout history few leaders possess the ability to not want to wield absolute power over their subordinates and this tends to be the route of their demise. By allowing individual states to govern on most issues how they pleased allowed for the Tokugawa to retain control.

While their can be similarities drawn between governments like the United States and the Tokugawa regime, they did have several other tricks up their sleeves for retaining power. Their policy of holding warlord leaders' kin captive, putting competing warlords farther away from the center of power, and requiring warlords to spend half the year in Edo really helped them preserve the power that they had gained. this is obviously much different than the United States government but the comparison is intriguing none the less. 

[Sean Lobberecht]

I have been aware through previous studies of the period of Japanese isolationism and think this period could be taught in many curriculums. I think this period lends itself well to a plethora of essential questions that one could use to guide learningin their class rooms. "Why did Japan decide to Isolate themselves from most of the world for nearly 200 years?" "What benefits, if any did Japan enjoy by isolating themselves form the rest of the world for nearly 200 years?" "What did Japan tend to lose from their period of isolationism?" Essential questions like these could lead to conversations about technology, geopolitical politics, Japan's politics, and much much more. One immediate take away I have from this seminar is that you can not really seperate the histories of different places like curriculums tend to do. Understanding this period of Japaneese history can not be done without understanding the history of Asia and the world at this time. You can not gain a great understanding of why Japan did this without understanding the outside influences that played a role in this decision. I found it exceptionally fascinating that the only contact they had with anyone outside of Asia was the Dutch because they just wanted to trade. 

I think an interesting activity to complete with students would be to compare the advancements of the rest of the world at this time compared to Japan. What new technologies did Japan miss out on? What new forms of government had taken hold? How had the rights of everyday people been advanced? How did Japan stay hip to the times through their limited interactions with Korea, China, and the Dutch?There is really a lot to dig into here.

this would also be an interesting time to study with students in a class that focuses on government and politics. there are many other examples from history where nations have practiced isolationism, the United states after world war 1 is a prime example. An in depth study of the different episodes of national isolationism might render some interesting conclusions and takeaways for students.

 

[Sean Lobberecht]

I found the conversation of the three unifiers (Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu) very interesting due to the fact that I had only ever heard of Ieyasu. In the context that I have learned about Japanese history, Ieyasu was the great leader that unified the warring factions of Japan. In actuality it was the work of all three men that led to the unification of Japan. What I found most interesting is how Ieyasu was able to learn from the mistakes of his predecessors in order to hold power and ultimately launch a dynasty that would last for 15 generations. I do not think the leaving out and combination of historical figures is a phenomenom isolated to Japan,it happens all over the history curriculum. 

I think an interesting way to engage students in the learning of the three unifiers would be to hold a debate where students must argue for which leader they think was most influential in the unifying of Japan. You could make this a two day activity where you do a centers activity on day one, introducing the students to all three figures, their accomplishments, and their downfalls. On the second day you could set up a debate where students are assigned a leader. they must argue for why their leader is most important. After an initial round of opening statements you could give groups time to formulate questions to ask the other groups. After a round of questioning students could have a few minutes to craft closing statements. Then the class decides via a vote on which was most important. 

I really enjoy bringing debate to my class room as I think it helps students become better at not only public speaking but being able to craft arguments and explain conclusions which I believe translates into their writing. I have been attending workshops this year offered by Boston Debate League. the workshops are free and an excellent resource for anyone wishing to bring debate to their class rooms.

[Sean Lobberecht]

As a 7th grade geography and ancient civilizations teacher i found the fact that the purposeful location for the capital of Kyoto to be very ineresting. In an earlier response I talked about how teaching the different Japanese time periods of history might be interesting if it was approached by using the moving capitals as a starting point for each different time period. To expand on that by including Kyoto would be great in my opinion. In ancient civilizations we talk about the geography and how it plays a pivotal role in where ancient civilizations pop up. I think using the story of Kyoto would be an excellent opportunity to show how geography really matters. The placement of Kyoto seems to be perfect from a strategic perspective. It was defended to the east and north by mountains, it had rivers in the general vacinity, it had a channel that led to the sea, and farmland to the south. All of these geographic features are very useful for a city, especially a capital. Ancient civilizations can be a little dry for students, especially the geography portions. Really outting a focus on it though by showing what the different geographic eatures can do for a city I think would be a great lesson for students. It may not even have to be in the unit where you teach about Japan. It could come at the begginning of the year and be used as a prime example of why geography matters so much.

[Sean Lobberecht]

I found the first video on Japan very fascinating, especially because it links directly to my curriculum. In Massachusetts the state standards focus mainly on China and the standards on Korea and Japan are brief. One of the standards however has to do with the spread of Buddhism from mainland Asia into Japan. I believe this video helped me gain not only a better understanding of how Buddhism got to Japan but also the influence it had on the nation once it arrived there. I really want to work on having students understand the importance of religion in ancient civilization as many other things are tied to religion such as written records, art, and technology just to name a few. I had mentioned in an earlier post about how my colleague and I are throwing around an idea about an essential for our whole curriculum which would be "what makes a civilization great." I believe coming to a better understanding of the role religion plays in these ancient societies is an essential componenet to this question. Taking a look at the power power struggle between the monarch and the religious institutions would be an excellent activity. 

Another aspect of this video I found very interesting was this idea of the moving capital. I believe teaching Japan's history using this as a key idea could help students gain a better understanding of the material? Why were capitals moved? What was the purpose? What did those moving the capital have to gain? I think starting off with just the map of where these capitals were locating and tracing the movement of these capitals could be a fascinating way to dig deeper into different periods of Japaneese history.

[Sean Lobberecht]

Reading this article raised a large number of questions for me regarding China's relationship to Muslim populations and the vast amount of Muslims that are located in South east Asia. China's BRI initiative aims to increase infastructure in every direction with the hope that all roads will lead to China. Some concerns I have are what comes after the BRI infastructure is in place? With unstable governments in countries like Myanmar and Thailand will a time come where China needs to "protect their investment" and use this as a reason to take over. Complicating this issue even more is the issue of the South China Sea. It seems to me that the BRI is going into countries with the promise of investment and stability but what happens once this created stability is interupted? China could lend its technologies to other crack downs on Muslims in the regions. It could also lead to an expansion of territory. They could use the guise of helping combat terrorism to take de facto control of weaker countries. 

I think if you teach a higher level class having to do with global politics looking at the world's relationship with radical Islam would be a great place to talk about China. Since 9/11 much has been done to not only turn populations against the religion of Islam but a lot of horrific things have been done in the name of combatting this "threat." 

For my own curriculum, 7th grade ancient civilizations, it makes me think about the way in which I teach religion and brings me back to our last seminar. I know religion is a touchy topic but discussing the role religon plays in politics, governments, and economy is crucial. I just got done teaching West African civilizations and the role Islam played n putting empires like Mali on the map is very important. The spread of Buddhism was significant in ancient Inida and the debate we had last week between Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism and Legalists is essential to understanding ancient China. I feel teaching the role of religion is esssential but many may steer away from the conversation or not play it out to its fullest due to the stigma of talking about religon in school but this conversation is essential to understanding the history in every region.

[Sean Lobberecht]

I found the All Roads Lead to China article very interesting and it made me think deeply about how I teach the topic of the Silk Roads to my 7th grade historians in training. As I was reading this article I kept thinking back to what professor Dube said at the beginning of this seminar, "China can play a part in many different curriculums and we want you to start making these connections more often." While it made me think deeply about my own practice I kept thinking of many differemt curriculums that could benefit from a discussion of the BRI.

For my own curriculum it made me think about how do I teach the more important aspects of the Silk Roads? Of course there was trade and the roads connected the different spheres of the world in what is my opinion the first era of globalization. I think more important questions to answer for my students though is what traveled along the Silk Roads besides just goods? The Silk Roads enabled ideas, technologies, and people to traverse the massive swaths of land that are Asia, Africa, and Europe. I think a good way to get this idea across students is to examine the Silk Roads and the BRI together. Asking students why would China invest in this infastructure? Why do you think they are investing a lot in developing countries? What do they hope to gain from this massive investment? I feel examining both could help students understand how goods are not the most important part of these trade routes. Technology and ideas travel as well. I think China is benefiting greatly from this initiative. By pairing with future scientists and investing in new technology China is helping other countries solve problems while at the same time increasing the scientific knowledge for themselves. I also think that China is hoping their philosophy of government will follow as well. I also believe that the way global politics are playing out the U.s and China are in a new form of cold war. A cold war that has less to do with nuclear armaments and arms races and more to do with trade and economics. I believe China's goal through the BRI is to bring more countries into their sphere of influence and ultimately control. 

As I mentioned earlier, I kept thinking of many ways that the BRI could be brought into a multitude of curriculums. The BRI could be a great conversation in 

1. High school History classes - What historical connections can be made? How does the BRI impact China's relations around the world? How does the BRI fall into conversations about Globalization and Colonization? And many many more.

2. Science classes - What effect has the BRI had on endangered habitats and species? 

3. Economic Classes - How is the BRI going to benefit China? Other countries?

4. Literature - How does the blending of cultures impact the literature and arts of the countries that Chnia is investing in? 

After reading this article I can deffinitely see why professor Dube said that "China can not only be input everywhere in the curriculum but it should."

[Sean Lobberecht]

Hello,

I am terribly sorry I am just responding to the news of my father's supposed crime. I have been away for the past few days trying to get closer to nature and have been unavailable. If you remember from previous correspondances, I was whole-heartedly against the idea of instituting these "laws" that you and others are so fond of. We may be good friends but you know where I stand as a Daoist, there should be no laws. In your letter to me informing me of the position my father finds himself in, you refer to him as a criminal. The only reason he is a "criminal" is because of these laws. If there were no laws there would be no criminals. You legalists always want to create systems that clash with the way nature is supposed to be. I will find a way to free my father from his predicament and if I have to break your "laws" to do so then so be it. 

 

[Sean Lobberecht]

1.  

I believe that these schools of thought became so well known and even prevalent to this day is due to the message these schools of thought put forward. I believe if you break them all down to their roots, these four schools of thoughts or ideologies all are A playbook for success. 

 

Confucianism and Daoism I believe tell individuals how to live A good life and be successful. Both these ideologies push forward the belief that your life is A constant work in progress. These ideologies put forward the ideas of hard work, constant self improvement, and even A sense of competition. For societies, to have A populace with these core beliefs can be very beneficial in the way that if people are always trying to push themselves forward then they will also be moving the society forward at the same time. 

 

The philosophies of Legalism and Sun Zi I believe have remained prevalent for similar reasons. Where Confucianism and Daoism are A playbook for A successful individual life, Legalism and the ideas of Sun Zi are playbooks for how to have A successful empire. As A person always needs to be growing and learning, so does A civilization. The teachings of Legalism and Sun Zi show how A state can be successful.

 

I believe these four ideologies have been and remain so prevalent due to the fact of how they constantly push forward the ideas improvement. Maoism on the other hand seems to focus more on the collective. If this belief was adopted instead of Legalism we may have never had the unification of China. Instead we probably would have had separate kingdoms living side by side with no resolution to the Warring States period.

 

[Sean Lobberecht]

1.  

I do not believe that ideas or schools of thought develop in A vacuum and I believe the example of the different philosophies floating around the Asian continent at the time of Confucius is A great example that proves this point. As professor Dube said not only was Confucius A contemporary of the Budha but he was also A contemporary of Socrates. I believe that influences and responses are the movers of history. Influences lead to new developments and new developments always render some sort of response. I believe societal factors that produced Buddhism are similar to those that produced Confucianism. They both seem, at their heart, A way to live A noble life and they both put forward this idea that your work is never done, you always need to be moving towards some form of enlightenment. 

 

As I stated earlier, I view influences and responses as the movers of history and believe that these ideas should be at the cornerstone of every historical curriculum. If we take the American revolution for example, can we truly understand the American revolution if we do not understand the French revolution and vice versa? Similar enlightenment influences created two different ideas of liberty which were in direct response to some form of absolutism. There are obviously differences in each but I think considering the similarity in influences that created both historical events is an important conversation in the classroom. 

 

I am A first year teacher and I taught Buddhism and Confucianism separately because the standards fall in two separate units. Moving forward I believe it would be best to try and teach them together along with Daoism and Legalism. As an ancient civilization teacher we have separated curriculum but I believe having the discussion of influences and responses can enrich the content, student engagement, student understanding, and student’s ability to think like A historian.

 

[Sean Lobberecht]

I really enjoyed the materials that were provided for session 1 and think it was A great introduction to this seminar. All the materials fit very well into my curriculumas I teach ancient civilizations and actually have A model UN unit where we focus on the issue of access to clean water. I think A lot of the water resources and conversation of resource management could be A nice addition to the Model UN unit I do on access to clean water. I found it very interesting that Professor Dube mentioned that many scholars use the issue of water management as A lens into the formation of East Asian societies. I believe with the Model Un water unit I teach working this discussion inot other units would not only help prep students for the Model UN unit but also be A way to extend on that learning. What particularly interested me about these materials however was the discussion of Ancient Chineese culture, culture heroes, what drives technological change, and the five rolls sources. 

My colleague and I are considering using A guiding question to anchor our curiculum next year and that question is "What makes A civilization great?" I personally believe two of the main factors that make A civilization great are culture and technological advancement. I believe the discussion of culture heroes is A great way to get an insight into any specific culture. Culture heroes provide A common moral compass for members of any given community, the belief in common culture heroes also allows for more people to work together collectively to build A great civilization. I am no professional but I believe there are many similarities between culture heroes from different societies but there are also many differences which would make this A great topic for debates and argument writing. Next year I want to do A better job of working in deeper discussions about culture and technological advancement. i believe technological avancement is so important and i will probably use the question "what drives technological advancement?" as another underlying guiding question to steer discussion, debates, and argument writing in my classroom. 

As I have said previously I would like to do A better job of teaching the culture of different civilizations in my classroom. I believe I can definitely find A place to work the 5 rolls into my classroom. I am also A big believer in the use of sources in the classroom and I feel onne of the problems that I had as A first year teacher was finding primary sources that could be incorporated into the classroom so I was very pleased to be introduced to these. As we learned, these 5 roles were the foundation of Chinese education and culture for over 2,000 years. The fact they have been A staple in Chineese education for so long they are A no brainer to incorporate into the classroom. Also if they were such A staple they undoubtedly have had A major impact on Chineese culture. Confucianism is also one of the standards in my curriculum so that is another reason to use them in the classroom. 

I apologize for any typos, it has been A long week as my school just brought back students into A hybrid model for the first time this Monday. I greatly appreciate all the resources everyone has shared and I am looking forward to taking A deeper dive into all of these topics tomorrow night with you all!

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