[clay dube]

The .doc version of the requirements is above. Below is a pdf version.

[clay dube]

The seminar requirements are listed on the attachment.

[clay dube]

Hi Folks -- Please share your plans with the larger teaching world as well in the Lesson Plans forum.

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Hi Folks --
Some of you who completed the pre-modern version of the seminar know that I like to have participants engage in a four sided debate over the advantages and disadvantages of particular philosophies from early China. We provided those teachers with a curriculum unit I wrote 19 years ago for UCLA's National Center for History in the Schools. I don't have a pdf of the finished guide, but have attached a pdf of the draft version.

Why am I attaching it here? In addition to being a remarkable bit of engineering, Xuankongsi 悬空寺 , the "Hanging Temple," celebrates three Chinese philosophical/religious traditions: Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. Hopefully you noticed the icons honoring each during your visit. Manny's post highlights this aspect of the temple.

The attached unit discusses four schools of thought: Confucianism, Mohism, Daoism, and Legalism. The culminating activity is the debate. Buddhism isn't covered because the debate is set in the 3rd century BCE and Buddhism hadn't yet made it's way to China. [Edit by="Clay Dube on Sep 7, 2:02:36 AM"][/Edit]

[clay dube]

Language arts teachers know these lists far better than I. Please feel free to add to or comment on these titles. I pulled them from http://crl.startest.org/crl. E = elementary, MS = middle school, HS = high school

How do titles get approved? Can teachers initiate review of a title?

It's striking that none of the approved authors lives in China.

Bosse, The Examination (HS)
Buck, The Good Earth (HS)
Fritz, Homesick (foreigner in 1920s China, E, MS)
Hong, How the Ox Star Fell from Heaven (E)
Hong, The Empress and the Silkworm (E)
Louie, Yeh Shen: A Cinderella Story from China (E, MS)
Mah, Chinese Cinderella (MS)
Pilegard, The Warlord's Puzzle (E)
Tsuikiyama, Women of the Silk (HS)
van Gulik, The Red Pavilion: A Judge Dee Mystery (HS)
Young, Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China (E)

Books that are primarily about Chinese American experiences:
Lee, Nim and the War Effort (E)
Solvenz-Low, Lion Dancer (E)
Yep, The Child of the Owl (E, MS)
Yep, Cockroach Cooties (E)
Yep, Dragonwings (E, MS)
Yep, Ribbons (E)
Yep, Dragon's Gate (MS)
Yep, The Journal of Wong Ming: A Chinese Miner (E)
Lee, China Boy (HS)

Portions set in China:
Tan, The Joy Luck Club (HS)
Mah, Falling Leaves (HS)
[Edit by="Clay Dube on Sep 7, 12:07:52 AM"][/Edit]

[clay dube]

Hi Kyle, Mike, David, Joe, and others,

Good luck as you move forward. I'm glad you're also collaborating as the products are likely to be stronger.

smiling,
clay

[clay dube]

Gracie,
Thanks for these observations. It's wonderful that your colleagues are so interested and eager to benefit from the insights you've developed. Please encourage them to get on the mailing list by writing to Xin and Nallely at [email protected].

[clay dube]

Hi Chris,
I know that many will be interested to learn how you managed to travel from California to China to teach. Perhaps you could say a bit about how you came to be hired by Concordia and how your current teaching assignment compares with the ones you've had stateside.

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Rosalba, It was hard to read your post. Now I want dumplings. 😛 And I, too, remember the generosity of the people we met. It was great that you remembered those who sought to help you return from the night market.

With regard to the Taiwan health insurance system, I'm impressed by the amount of information available in English at the system's website. Please check it out:
http://www.nhi.gov.tw/english/index.asp. The program overview tab at the left leads to a handy set of pages about benefits, costs, and the like.

[clay dube]

Great post Kyle -- intellectual property rights are one of the many zones of contention between Chinese and American authorities and the various commercial interests which seek to influence them.

Here are some links:

US Trade Representative - intellectual property
Page 19 of this "Special 301 Report" issued in April 2010 summarizes why the US is concerned about China. Intellectual property protection is one issue.
http://www.mpaa.org/resources/6a507b67-e219-43a3-a4ce-9788d6f1fb5e.pdf

Here are 2 cases made by US representatives, students may find the way the arguments are presented interesting:
China's legal regime is weak
China restricts access to "copyright-intensive" industries

China's government has a series of reports about its intellectual property protection:
State Intellectual Property Office

[clay dube]

Thanks, Xin, for the images of Mao buttons. Here's a book that deals with those emblems in the larger context of the Mao cult:

Scrift, Melissa. The Biography of a Chairman Mao Badge. 2001.

http://books.google.com/books?id=MQFBcWSPRdYC&pg=PA150&lpg=PA150&dq=biography+of+a+mao+button&source=bl&ots=pTprwjxEnL&sig=a3x5oO6uJanSOAIgx7PF7eJfqjI&hl=en&ei=A3JsTIq2F4PEsAOa5v3mBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

This 1996 article by Bill Bishop is helpful. Bishop has gone on to be a financial writer, consultant, and blogger. His blog Sinocism is at: http://www.sinocism.com

Here's the article:

http://museums.cnd.org/CR/old/maobadge/

[clay dube]

Elementary and middle school teachers may want to involve their students in these competitions:

Earth Science Week Contests
Deadline: October 15, 2010
The American Geological Institute (AGI) is sponsoring national contests in conjunction with Earth Science Week 2010, celebrating the theme of "Exploring Energy," October 10-16, 2010. Visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests <http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests> for additional information.
Visual Arts Contest, "Energy on Earth" - Students in grades K-5 should submit two-dimensional original pieces of art illustrating, in creative and engaging ways, where energy comes from and how it is used.
Essay Contest, "How Energy Powers the Planet" - Students in grades 6-9 should submit one-page essays focusing on how Earth system processes develop energy resources, how human use of energy affects the Earth system, and how people can be responsible stewards of Earth's energy resources.
******************************************
Perhaps students might look at the sources of energy used in the US and in China? They could not energy efficiency issues, pollution issues, and other concerns. What green energy efforts are underway in the two countries?

Talking Points, by the way, is one place to look for info:
http://china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=1802

http://china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=1543

[clay dube]

September 25, 2010 is the application deadline for this foundation. Schools are eligible to apply for up to $1,500 to implement a project. From the foundation's mission statement:

"The Foundation seeks to facilitate the development and implementation of holistic environmental curricula that incorporate basic ecological principles and field environmental activities within a primary or secondary school setting."

Your curriculum project focusing on environmental issues in Asia could receive support! Students might monitor pollution levels, might note how pollution crosses borders, might note energy efficiency issues, or many other possibilities.

To learn more, please take a look at:
http://www.mgaef.org/grants.html

[clay dube]

Please take a moment to post just the topic you are planning to cover with your project/presentation. (Just a few words, no need for details. This will help us with our planning.)

[clay dube]

Here is part b of Sam's article on Confucianism and the Japanese state.

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