Asian Culture in the Classroom APPENDIX I Visual/Spatial SUGGESTIONS for CLASS INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS : N Research Chinese Landscape Paintings

RESOURCES ESSAYS

Asian Culture A page from in the Mary Connor’s Classroom Asian Studies Class By Mary Connor Scrapbook

teach a senior elective in Chinese New Year, February, Asian Studies at Westridge 1999, Westridge School. School, an independent Mary Connor (center, right) I with Asian Culture Club school in Pasadena, California. Members and Lion Dancers My objective is to provide a solid foundation for appreciat- ing the distinctive histories and cultures of China, Japan and Korea, their interrelationships and commonalities. To secure respect for Asian societies, opportunities are created for students to experience the Chi- Chinese New nese, Japanese, and Korean cul- Year Celebration. tures within and outside of the Sisters playing classroom (see appendix 1). In the Butterfly order to be as creative as possi- Harp and Zither ble and to offer different options Chinese New Year Celebration for students of varied abilities, I with Dragon dancers and have adapted Howard Gardner’s Tai chi Instructor theory of multiple intelligences to group and individual projects (see appendix 2). In this secondary-level Asian studies course, each lecture or reading assignment has a component element of personal engagement. Students are asked Students participating in to respond sensually, physically, Japanese tea ceremony. and emotionally to what they learn. After reading segments of Kakuz¬ Okakura’s The Book of Asian Studies Class at the Japanese Tea, for example, they do the Gardens, Huntington Library and Zen Buddhist tea ceremony. Gardens, San Marino, California They smell incense, feel the weave of tatami mats, endure the discomfort of kneeling during an entire class period, see a shaven monk pour hot liquid in

MARY CONNOR, a high school teacher of Asian Studies and Advanced Placement United States History, has been published in Asian Studies Class Social Education and Social Studies field trip to the Review and has spoken at NCSS Pacific Asia Museum, Conferences for the past four years. Pasadena, California During the Summer of 1997 she participated in the Keizai Koho Center Fellowship to Japan.

38 EDUCATION ABOUT ASIA Volume 4, Number 1 Spring 1999 RESOURCES ESSAYS slow motion into varyingly tex- cakes at festival time. Students Students also throw the I Ching, reorder tured and subtly colored bowls, listen to a fairy tale associated taste green tea, and meditate with the festival and celebrate their rooms according to Feng Shui, eat quietly for one hour, perhaps the occasion by eating moon their most tranquil hour of the cakes. moon cakes, kick and flail in Tae Kwon Do, entire school year. In studying Daoism, stu- center their bodies in Tai Chi, speak some Students also throw the I dents search the Web for infor- Ching, reorder their rooms mation about Tai Chi. They Chinese, Japanese and Korean, and wield according to Feng Shui, eat come to understand how the moon cakes, kick and flail in Chinese for thousands of years their brushes in bold strokes for calligraphy. Tae Kwon Do, center their bod- have ritualized certain move- ies in Tai Chi, speak some Chi- ments that are associated with house. As students experience Day shows young Korean nese, Japanese and Korean, and good health and peace of mind. the ritual created by the six- Americans dancing the fan and wield their brushes in bold The class views a Tai Chi video, teenth-century Zen priest, drum dances to the sounds of strokes for calligraphy. Nothing practices the movements, and Sen no Riky† , they witness the traditional music. is merely cerebral. All types of evaluates the experience. After benefits of quiet meditation. In The class scans the Web for learners are engaged. Weekly reading about oracle bones and the process, they acquire a information about Tae Kwon journals invite students to the evolution of Chinese charac- greater awareness of Japanese Do and learns that this martial reflect on the impact of Asia on ters, students quickly compre- aesthetics and etiquette. To art is not only a superior form of their lives. hend the complexity of the provide all students with oppor- self-defense, but a discipline of For the first nine weeks of Chinese written language and tunities to become familiar with the mind. Following a demon- the semester, students explore the discipline involved as they Japanese art and architecture, stration of Tae Kwon Do by the history of China. As they try their hands at the art of cal- photographs are scanned into local young people, the class study this ancient culture, they ligraphy. A discussion follows the computer. Class sets are cre- attempts its sharp, angular, and discover that at least 3,000 as to how Confucian respect for ated with a color laser printer so free-flowing circular move- years ago peasants developed learning and authority, together that each student can follow a ments. Students then read about Feng Shui, the practice of with the diligence necessary lecture that includes information p’ansori and watch the award- arranging one’s life in harmony to master thousands of Chinese on landscape painting, wood- winning film, Sop’yonje. At with the forces of the universe. characters, contributes to aca- block prints, Buddhist temples, the end of the semester the In the process, they encounter demic excellence. and Shint¬ shrines. class reads a Korea Society’s the I Ching, Chi, the five ele- Leaving China, the class On the Internet, students first-prize student essay on the ments, Daoism, yin and yang, focuses on Japan for five discover that in ancient times a topic of reunification. After and ancestor worship. weeks. Students are reminded party became more lively examining this issue, each Each student is given an of what they just learned as they when someone started singing member of the class completes opportunity to design a room, a examine the historical and cul- and others kept time with hand- research on Korea and submits house, or a garden according to tural influences of China on clapping. It mattered little an essay for this national the ancient principles of Feng Japan. As they read from Edwin whether a person sang well. Out contest. Shui. They learn that this art is O. Reischauer’s The Japanese of this tradition the popular A final component of the now widely practiced through- Today: Change and Continuity, contemporary entertainment Asian studies course comprises out the world and continues to they discover the uniqueness of karaoke was born. We then individual and group projects influence architecture, interior and adaptability of Japanese listen to a tape, and volunteers that provide opportunities for design, and even real estate culture together with the rea- step up to perform. learners who do not have strong transactions. This year each stu- sons why the Japanese and their During the final weeks of linguistic abilities. This year, for dent spent part of a weekend neighbors in East Asia may the semester the focus is Korea. example, one student is demon- rearranging furniture, removing have the most deeply ingrained A poignant twentieth-century strating the Chinese zither; clutter, and drawing up a new work ethic in the world. Using novel, The Year of Impossible another is role playing various floor plan to bring change into up-to-date information about Goodbyes, by Sook Nyul Choi, Chinese characters, such as a their lives and to enhance the Japan from the Tora no Maki reveals the heartbreaking plight member of the Red Guards dur- positive forces of Chi. series (see bibliography), stu- of families at the end of World ing the Cultural Revolution; a When the Yuan dynasty dents learn about the Japanese War II when the present unre- third is viewing a number of (1280–1368) is studied, the family, educational excellence, solved situation arose. The class Gong Li films. class hears the folk legend that technological innovation, and discovers Korean influences on At the end of the semester, autumn moon cakes were used evolving business practices that Japanese culture. The country’s students have greater knowl- to overthrow the foreign Mon- result from global challenges history, art, and architecture edge and respect for three gols of the Yuan dynasty. The and recent economic difficul- are imparted through a video, ancient Asian cultures which are plans for the revolution against ties. Discovering the Art of Korea. emerging into the complexity Kublai Khan’s descendants A Zen Buddhist monk trans- Another video of a local cele- and flux of the postmodern were hidden inside the moon forms the classroom into a tea bration of Korean Independence world.

39 RESOURCES ESSAYS

Asian Culture in the Classroom APPENDIX I Visual/Spatial SUGGESTIONS FOR CLASS INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS : n Research Chinese landscape paintings. Complete a painting ACTIVITIES according to the principles employed by traditional artists. 1. Write responses to the following films: To Live , Shall We Dance Study Chinese porcelain. If you are taking a class in ceramics, and Sop’yonje. n develop a project that demonstrates knowledge of this art. 2. Participate in a field trip to the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena. Create a three-dimensional map of China, Japan, or Korea. A docent tour introduces you to the Chinese, Japanese, and n Korean art collections, Chinese architecture and a Chinese Bodily/Kinesthetic garden. INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS : 3. Tour a traditional Japanese house, Zen Buddhist garden and an Study Bonsai. View the Bonsai plants at the Huntington Gardens extensive Bonsai collection at the Huntington Library and Gar - and consult an expert. Purchase a Bonsai and care for it from dens in San Marino, California. September until December. Bring the Bonsai to class and share 4. Read a booklet from the Korean Heritage Series . Individuals will knowledge. share information in brief presentations to the class. This assign - n Participate in Ikebana lessons at a local community center. ment is an excellent introduction to the study of Korea. n Take two or more lessons in Tae Kwon Do. 5. Participate in an exercise on the 1994 nuclear crisis in Korea. n Take lessons in traditional Chinese or Korean dance. Give a Prior to studying this event most young people think that the demonstration to the class. issues between North and South Korea were resolved at the end n Practice hangul . Be able to write some key words and phrases. of the Korean War. They discover how Jimmy Carter reached an interim agreement with Kim Il Sung, but they also learn that n Research the Kabuki theater. Present a scene from a many issues remain unresolved and the Korean situation remains Kabuki drama. precarious. Interpersonal INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP PROJECT : APPENDIX II Simulate a news broadcast such as the Jim Lehrer News Hour. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE APPLICATION OF The news should relate to China, Japan, and/or Korea. Or include HOWARD GARDNER ’S actual interviews from a news program and make your own com - MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES THEORY mentary. Verbal/Linguistic Intrapersonal/Introspective INDIVIDUAL PROJECT : INDIVIDUAL PROJECT : Complete research on a famous individual from China, Japan, or Take two or more lessons in Tai Chi at a community center. Korea (suggestions: Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, a samurai warrior, Sen no Riky†, Hokusai, Hiroshige, Kim Il Sung, or Kim Dae Jung). Present report in the first person. v INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP PROJECT : Watch the following films about China: Farewell My Concubine , BIBLIOGRAPHY Raise the Red Lantern , and The Story of Qiu Ju . Write a report Choi, Sook Nyul. Year of Impossible Goodbyes . Boston: Houghton Mifflin evaluating all three films. You could do a Siskel/Ebert style Co., 1991. review for the class. Collins, Terah Kathryn. The Western Guide to Feng Shui: Creating Balance, Harmony, and Prosperity in Your Environment. Carlsbad, Calif.: Hay House Logical/Math Publishers, 1996. INDIVIDUAL PROJECT : Covell, Jon. Korean Impact on Japanese Culture: Japan’s Hidden History . Research the abacus and learn how to use it. This will be fol - Elizabeth, N.J.: Hollym International Corp., 1984. lowed by a class demonstration. Cumings, Bruce. Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History . New York: Musical W. W. Norton and Co., 1997. Discovering the Art of Korea. Princeton: Films for the Humanities, 1993. INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS : (1-800-326-1367). n Do research on a musical instrument of China, Japan or Feng Shui: The Chinese Art of Design and Placement (A Guide to Health, Korea. Give a demonstration of the musical instrument or Wealth, and Happiness). A Mirror Images Production in Association with provide a tape appropriate to the project. Feng Shui Designs, Inc., 1995, P.O. Box 399, Nevada City, CA 95959. $28.13 (includes tax and shipping). n Take lessons on the Japanese Taiko drums at a community Korean Heritage Series . Korean Overseas Information Service, Republic of center. Korea, 1995. n Demonstrate karaoke. Lagatree, Kirsten M. Feng Shui: Arranging Your Home to Change Your Life . n Research Chinese opera. Provide music with the presentation. New York: Villard Books, 1996.

40 EDUCATION ABOUT ASIA Volume 4, Number 1 Spring 1999 RESOURCES ESSAYS

Mishima, Yukio . The Sound of Waves . New York: Putnam, 1956. (Students WEBSITES enjoy this love story about two young adults who live in a 1950s fishing village. The novel illustrates aspects of Japanese society and culture that have endured FENG SHUI over time.) http://www.168fengshui.com/Articles/whatis.htm Morton, W. Scott. China: Its History and Culture. New York: McGraw-Hill, KARAOKE Inc., 1995. http://www.arts.unimelb.edu.an/fcf/ucr/student/1996/c.yu/kara_his.htm Morton, W. Scott. Japan: Its History and Culture . New York: McGraw-Hill, MOON FESTIVAL Inc., 1994. (This text is a helpful resource.) http://www.insidechina.com/china/culture/festival/moonfest.htm Nahm, Andrew C. A Panorama of 5000 Years: Korean History . Elizabeth, N.J.: P’ ANSORI Hollym International Corp., 1987. http://www.korea.insights.co.kr/music Oberdorfer, Don. The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1997. TAE KWON DO http://www.pro-tkd.com/taekwon.htm Okakura, Kakuz¬. The Book of Tea . New York: Kodansha International,1989. Reischauer, Edwin O. The Japanese Today: Change and Continuity . Cambridge: TAI CHI Harvard University Press, 1995. (This is a particularly effective text; it combines http://www.wccusd.k12.ca.us/portola/china/tc.htm essential historical background together with an understanding of Japanese society, government, business, and Japan’s position in the world today. This text, together with selections from Tora no Maki I, II, and III , makes our study of Japan very up-to-date. Editor’s note: Tai Chi Chuan for Life: The First Video Course on the Sun Style . Los Angeles: Ms. Conner reports that most video stores have the films she Walking Mountain Productions (phone: 310-478-0018). recommends, especially in states with a high Asian population. The Way of T’ai Chi Ch’uan: Gentle Exercise for Health and Inner Peace with She rented all but Sop’yonje at Blockbuster. Both To Live and Lana Spraker. Los Angeles: T’ai Productions (phone: 310-479-3646). Shall We Dance? are available from Facets Video (1-800-331- Tora no Maki I (1996), Tora no Maki II (1997), and Tora no Maki III (1998) 6197). If you want to use Sop’yonje in your classroom, she sug - are published by the National Council for the Social Studies and ERIC gests that you send a blank tape requesting the film with English Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education, Washington, D.C. subtitles to the Korean Cultural Service, The Embassy of the and Bloomington, Indiana, 1997. (These booklets are recently published lesson Republic of Korea, 2370 Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest, plans designed by teachers who are recipients of Keizai Koho Center Fellow - Washington, DC 20008. The Korean Cultural Service will mail ships. Complete lesson plans are available within each Tora no Maki on Japanese society, culture, government, business, and technology. The most the tape to you. Also, the Asia Educational Media Service offers recent edition includes lessons on technology, consumerism, and an interesting information about where to find audio-visual media resources comparison between department stores in the United States and Japan.) for teaching and learning about Asia. Contact Rebecca Payne at Wardell, Steven. Rising Sons and Daughters: Life Among Japan’s New Young. 217-265-0642 or e-mail: [email protected]. Cambridge: Plympton Press International, 1995. (Students enjoy this entertaining and informative account of a high school student’s experience in the Youth for Understanding Program.)