Curriculum Projects

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Make-Up Essay for Missed Class -- "The Jews in Modern China" at the Museum of Tolerance

Yesterday I attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new exhibit at the Museum of Tolerance in Beverly Hills, entitled "The Jews in Modern China." It was a remarkable affair for many reasons, not least of which was the sincere warmth and friendship expressed between the two cultures, the oldest on the planet. One of the cultures, the Chinese, is also the largest, embracing a-billion-and-a-half souls, and the other, the Jewish people, is arguably the smallest, including barely fourteen million.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, began by offering a deeply heartfelt "Thank-you" to the Chinese people, on behalf of the Jewish people, for providing one of the very few refuges for European Jewish victims of the Holocaust during World War II. While so many other countries slammed their doors shut, China opened hers wide, a fact, Cooper made clear, that leaves Jews (this one included) virtually speechless with gratitude and which the Jewish people will never forget.

The next speaker, Liebe Geft, a charming woman and the Museum Director, warmly acknowledged the many former refugees, scholars and diplomats who made the exhibit possible (and many of whom were present), and informed the crowd of about 100 that not only were the Honorable Acting Consul General of China and her Israeli counterpart present, but the LA consul generals of about ten or fifteen other nations were also there, including those of Mexico, and of the Czech Republic, the latter of which, Daniel Kumermann, happens to be an old friend of mine.

The Consul General of Israel, Jacob Dayan, spoke next, the official representative of the Jewish State of Israel, echoing his deep and personal gratitude to the Chinese nation. He was followed by Ms. Huang Xiaojian, Acting Consul General of the People's Republic of China, who graciously accepted these deeply heartfelt thanks on behalf of the Chinese people. It was truly moving.

There were other speakers, including City Councilwoman Wendy Gruel, who mentioned how pleased she was that so many thousands of schoolchildren, who attend the museum on field trips everyday, would see this commemoration of honor, and gratitude for kindness, bestowed on the Chinese people. And perhaps the highlight was the short but deeply moving speech of Wang Yingfan, a grand old eminence and former Chinese Ambassador to the UN, who spoke of his own personal respect for the Jewish people.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, the Founder and Dean of the S.W. Center and the most powerful rabbi in the United States, added his trademark humor. But he concluded on a serious and deeply moving note when he spoke of the thousands of real human beings, doctors, teachers, poets and scientists among them, who are alive today because, and only because, of what the Chinese took it upon themselves to do.

Gifts were presented and the ribbon was cut.

Rueben Gordon

[Anonymous]

On April 29, Kyung Moon Hwang was our speaker. His topic was Korea: Historical Understanding. He talked about North Korea being a dark country because it doesn't have the resources tp power up the country night or day. He said North Korea is a poor country. My question is ... do the people know they are poor? North Korea is isolated from th rest of the world by its dictator described as the Axis of Evil by President Bush. This maybe an extreme description by the president, but as I mentioned on another posting in this forum, there was a satellite view of North Korea during and after the Philharmonic Symphony and North Korea is a very dark country. My question is ... does it have to be that way? Does the Korean President Kim Jong-ll exploit his people by keeping them in the dark figuratively and literally? He maintains his dictatorship.

Another point he made was that South Korea has the highest divorce rate in the world. Why is that? He didn't explain that.[Edit by="bkizzie on Jul 21, 9:04:57 AM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

On Saturday, 07/19/08, while on my way to a friend's memorial in La Habra, I passed by this beautiful Asian structure sitting on top of a hill. My son said it was a Buddhist Temple. Naturally, because of this class, I was intrigued. On our way back we stopped by. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. It's called the Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple. We took a brief tour. For me, climbing the many stairs was an encompassing feat. But I managed. I strongly urge you to go. I picked up a lot of materials. But if you're interested the mailing address is: 3456 S. Glenmark Dr. Hacienda, CA 91745. The phone number is: (626) 961-9697; Fax (626) 369-1944. Website:
http://www.hsilai.org; E-Mail: [email protected]

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I don't know where I'm going with this -- this is all new to me. But last night, or rather about 2 a.m. this morning I couldn't sleep so I got up and turned on the television, just in time to catch the end of an interview with Margaret Cho. She was on Byron Allen's Show, Comic Unleashed. Margaret Cho, as most of you may know, is an American born Korean comic. She's very funny with her political and topical humor. I chose to write about this because you could really learn a lot from comedians. Comedians can get away with "stuff" that average people can't get away with saying. They tell it like it is their way.

I first saw Margaret Cho years ago and I remember thinking, "Gosh, I've never seen an Asian comic before." But I thought she was hilarious. Anyway teachers, unwind. It might be a good idea to check out her act. Her web site is margaretcho.com. Read her BIO. It's interesting how her mother defied her intended arranged marriage and married the man she loved -- a man who wrote Korean joke books. I guess Margaret's got natural talent.

[Anonymous]

Speaking of Korea, here are some of lesson plans for the curriculum project. The second and third one have to do with Korea. This works well if you are a history teacher.

[Anonymous]

to: bkizzie
re: La Habra temple visit

Sounds great. I have a question though and it's something I wonder every time I see a cool temple that I'd like to visit- what was your initial entrance like? Were there people who knew you were a visitor; did you walk around for a while before talking to anyone; etc.

I am partly seeking this info because I would like to take my son, but want to know about any how-tos before we go.

Thanks.
-Jason[Edit by="jwilhelm on Jul 23, 8:22:46 AM"][/Edit]
[Edit by="jwilhelm on Jul 23, 8:23:01 AM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

In response to your questions about my visit to The Buddhist Temple.

Q. What was my initial entrance like?
A. It was a bit intimidating. I didn't know what to expect and I didn't know what people's attitudes would be like. I would never have gone there alone. Upon my entrance, even before I entered, I felt overwhelmed by the beauty, the unfamiliarity, and the sense that I was in a whole different world.
Q. Were there people there who knew that I was a visitor?
A. I'm sure they did. It's like walking down Hollywood Blvd. You know the tourist from "the natives." My son and I were picking up pamphlets, gazing at everything, stopping to read anything in English, all the signs of "tourists."
Q. Did you walk around a while before talking to anyone?
A. Yes. We only talked to someone when we wanted to ask a question. The people there were very friendly and helpful. No one stared at us or made us feel unwelcome or out of place. It would be a nice place to take your son. Thanks for asking.

[Anonymous]

http://www.international.ucla.edu/eas/web/chinaweb.htm

This is one of my five required entries discussing relevant websites. The URL sited above, representing "The UCLA Center for East Asian Studies," is excellent and very comprehensive. I reached it with a link from one of Clayton Dube's sites. It's very easy to maneuver, which is primarily why I'd recommend it to students.

rueben gordon

[Anonymous]

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ANCCHINA/CHOU.HTM

This is the second of my entries commenting on East Asia-related websites. This website, created by Richard Hooker, is good and has some unusual, or unexpected, information and subject matter, but what makes it really good is the ILLUSTRATIONS. The graphics are really good and can be lefted easily.

Rueben Gordon

[Anonymous]

http://encarta.msn.com/text_761553693___0/Confucianism.html

This is the third of my reviews of websites. This Encarta site is excellent regarding Confucianism, including a brief, simply written description of the philosophy itself (including other contemporary practitioners), and a discussion of the philosopher's life and influences.

Most importantly, it is the most easily read site I was able to find for high school students, and I'm using it for material for my Curriculum Project.

rueben gordon

[Anonymous]

http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/springs/6339/Daoism.html

This is the fourth of my reviews of East Asia-focused websites, this one exclusively regarding Daoism. This is a great site for teachers and adults, but less so for students, although it does have a terrific (and simple) definition of Daoism (if "definition" isn't itself a contradiction in terms). The rest of what it has to say is just too convaluted and complicated, although I've been looking a lot and it's hard to put the Dao in simple terms. One can do better than this, though.

rueben gordon

[Anonymous]

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mohism/

This is the fifth and final website I'm reviewing for this forum, and I warn teachers to stay away from this one. It is just too complicated for students (frankly, I had a hard time understanding it myself). I think it may be designed for law students, really, although it is right near the top of Google references when one googles "Mohism." It's a Stanford cite, and certainly worth a glance, but I think in the end it will prove to be a waste of time.

rueben gordon

[Anonymous]

http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/china/mohism.html

Even though I've met my website review quota, I felt I should include this one, since any of my fellow teachers who are looking for a concise, organized presentation of the principles of Mohism need look no further! I've even included below the basic doctrines as they're set out AT THE VERY TOP of the website (no time-consuming searching!). This is the one for students (frankly, I've never fully understood Mohism as well as I did after I read this site).

ruebn gordon

Mohism
Doctrines The doctrines of Mohism are to be found in the work Mo-tzu, named after the founder of the Moist tradition Mo Ti (c. 470-390 BCE). Although attributed to Mo Ti, the Mo-tzu was probably composed over a number of generations by Mo Ti's disciples. The Mo-tzu originally consisted of 71 chapters, but 16 of these have been lost.

It is in the Essays section of the Mo-tzu we that we find the key principles of Moism.
Universal love. In contrast to the Confucianists, who taught that devotion was particularly due to one's family, Moism prescribed equal love for all people.
Opposition to offensive war. Mo Ti opposed all forms of aggressive action, particularly in the form of large states attacking smaller ones. He did, however, accept that it was legitimate to use force to defend those who are being attacked.
Opposition to music. Mo Ti regarded music as a source of extravagance, associating it with dance, flamboyance and a waste of public resources which could be used to feed, shelter and protect people.
Opposition to elaborate funerals. Funerals were excessively expensive and the time of mourning excessively lengthy.
Divine retribution. Mo Ti believed that heaven is a personal force which knows of the misdeeds that people perform and punishes people for them. Such a belief serves to encourage people to conduct themselves morally.
Government. Unlike Confucius, Mo-tzu did not accept the tradition that emperors derive their mandate from heaven; instead the position of the emperor should be based solely on merit. While the emperor should be obeyed, people have the right to criticise the emperor if his actions are not in accord with the will of heaven.

[Anonymous]

http://www.cranberrydesigns.com/poetry/haiku/history.htm

This is another great website! This one provides a complete lesson plan on haiku that's really better than the one in our textbooks! I've incorporated it into my Curriculum Project, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in the subject. Incidentally, if you haven't yet done it, a fun afternoon for students of all ages is writing a haiku and then illustrating it, a little like a Hallmark card.

rueben gordon

[Anonymous]

East Asia and New Media in My Classroom
The Seminar Experience

This seminar was an excellent experience in every regard. First, it was extremely well run, and for that compliments go to Miranda Ko. In her soft-spoken yet firm, methodical way, she kept everything running smoothly. The facilities were always at least adequate, and things always started on time and ended likewise. Since one must attend so many seminars that are not as well planned or executed, the professionalism, punctuality and “tightness” of this one was greatly appreciated.

Compliments also to Professor Clayton Dube. His casual yet no-nonsense style of teaching and lecturing is extremely effective, and his enthusiasm for his subject matter is infectious. One need only be around him to feel and even share his intense love of East Asia (especially China), and listening to him clearly communicates the importance of introducing the subject to our students. The presence of Professor Dube and Miranda Ko at the opening classes (and Ms. Ko throughout), set a tone of erudition and class that, coupled with Clayton Dube’s welcome air of collegial informality, made the seminar a truly great experience.

The first class was most striking because it was such a pleasure to meet and “experience” Clayton (this is the way Prof. Dube has asked to be addressed). His introduction and overview of the three focus countries was as entertaining as it was informative and captivating. Perhaps more pointedly, it was presented in such a simple and straightforward way that one could imagine high school students getting interested, too. Listening to him that first day, this teacher already started mentally planning the Curriculum Project around the book/film, The Joy Luck Club, feeling that students would be able to grasp, at least in an elementary way, the three basic schools of Chinese philosophy in order to better understand the action and thought revealed in the story.

Clayton’s presentation for the second class was also quite informative. Again, it was interesting to compare the early mythologies and development of the three civilizations, but it was the philosophical efforts by the Chinese that was most captivating. Short of the Greeks, it is hard to think of any peoples that produced so many different approaches to the mystery of the human condition, and consequently were able to foster such a healthy, ongoing public debate about the various schools of thought, Daoism, Confucianism and Mohism. And again, the basic philosophies were presented in a simple enough way that high school students can grasp them and join the “argument,” which was, after all, the point of the course.

The third class, with Yang Ye, was really a lot of fun, as well as profoundly instructive. As a former screenwriter, looking at the evolution of Asian films and discussing the development of the various East Asian film industries was particularly fascinating to this student. One is left with the inescapable conviction that film is invaluable as a teaching tool about East Asia.

The fourth class, with Samuel Yamashita, about Classical and Warrior Japan, answered a lot of important questions, and “fleshed out” and clarified many popular images. For example, coupled with the reading assignments, students learned who the “warriors” actually were, when they made their initial appearance, and why. This will be very interesting to male students, particularly. And it became clear during Dr. Yamashita’s presentation that the Curriculum Project would not be exclusively Chinese or Korean, but would incorporate elements of both, and Japan as well.

The fifth class, with Fred Notehelfer, was a great follow up to the previous class, dealing as it did, with (among many other pertinent aspects of Tokugawa Japan and feudalism) the willingness of the samurai class to accept change. What a remarkable development! And then to follow that class with the sixth, the charming and spirited presentation by Lynne Miyake, really completed a thorough and comprehensive coverage of Japan. Dr. Miyake was especially effective and compelling, particularly to an audience of schoolteachers (what with all the “show-and-tell” books and other paraphernalia that she passed around) as this student, along with several others, previously noted in the online forum. Simply put, it became obvious that displaying older Asian art and picture books is an extremely effective teaching tool for high school students, because they can see in them the roots of today’s “anime,” among other movements and products from Asia now.

Also, it must be said that the trip to Huntington Gardens was delightful. It became clear that field trips should definitely playa role, if possible, in any unit plan. The greater Los Angeles area is rich in sites of Asian interest, from art collections to dim sum, and one would be hard pressed to find a better destination than right there at the Huntington Library!

Class seven, Kyung Moon Hwang’s “historical understanding” on Korea (as it was classified) was also excellent. This student was pleased that many of the questions led to the present day, and focused on the current tensions surrounding North Korea. But that was time very well spent. After all, what good is the study of history, really, if not to apply to current issues? Interestingly, Dr. Hwang was deft enough to apply his historical citations directly to what is going on today, making for a really fascinating afternoon. Since this English teacher offers students extra credit for oral presentations and debates, a discussion of the current political state between the two Koreas, as well as North Korea and the rest of the world, provides a chance for students to use their knowledge of English to speak aloud in class, as they talk about this extremely weighty and timely topic.

As it turns out, the lecture that has caused much of the most spirited give-and-take on the web forum was class eight, on women in East Asian history with Morgan Pitelka. This young lecturer’s enthusiasm was truly inspiring, and only surpassed by his knowledge and erudition. Students will be fascinated by foot-binding, among other unique Asian practices, and no doubt many will have thoughts on the subject, probably following much of the thinking expressed in our own online debate.

This brings us to the last class, and back to Clayton Dube again, with his usual animated and learned talk on Imperial China. This final class tantalizingly touched on East Asia’s more modern history leading to today; Clayton was almost humorous in his noble attempt to fit two days worth of lecture and slides into one fast day. His reassuring presence made this attendee feel a little sorry that it was all over.

And that is because this was a terrific seminar from start to finish! Really, even for a “persnickety” individual, it is hard to think of anything negative to say. One would like to be constructively critical, but it was all just “together.” The emphasis on “carrying the message to the classroom” was clear throughout, and this teacher could not help but imagine lesson plans from the very first session. The only problem was that, for such a vast subject, it ended too soon (you might want to consider adding a few sessions when you offer it again).

Rueben Gordon

[Author]

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