Highlights of the Chinese Culture and History Expedition

The guiding standards for this expedition - China: The Past to Present are from the 2011 National Society of Social Studies.  The unit was based on the different dynasties and each dynasty was taught for about a month.

We will be addressing themes of…

·     Culture

·     Time, continuity, and change

·     People, places, and environments

·     Individual development and identity

·     Individuals, groups, and institutions

·     Power, authority and governance

·     Production, distribution, and consumption

·     Science, technology, and society

·     Global connections

·     Civic ideals and practices

China – from ancient history to modern day life

Throughout the school year, we will be blogging http://www.mskat-explorers.blogspot.com/ with a family living in China who will be posting commentary on different aspects of current Chinese life.  We will have discussions of similarities and differences as well as asking questions.  This will form the “modern day life” piece of the curriculum.  

During this unit, students will also meet with the other 2^nd grade class working on parallel units (Human rights and Africa) every other month to “teach” each other what they learned and share connecting ideas.

 

Part 1  Early China - October

·         Measurement Game Activity (math connection)*

·         Start list of pre-qin inventions

·         Overview of Dynasties, make timeline

·         Pictogram/ideographs as basis of language, similarities to Japanese.  Lucky numbers, japan and china in Chinese, words to put kites

·         Silk/Kites

·         Make kites and decorate using ideographs activity*

·         Journal notes on inventions

·         WW integration – info writing pieces on kites and silk

International - global perspective (measurement, dynastic overview), technological connection (inventions), world languages (pictograms/ideographs), innovative teaching (RW, WW), cultural competency (understanding of other cultures & contributions)

Qin Dynasty - Info writing re: inventions + Qin Qi Hwang Di compare and contrast: tyrant & wise man, terra cotta warriors including modern photos of site

Part 2  The Qin Dynasty – October/november

·         Mixing Elixirs with the 5 Tastes Activity (science connection)*

·         GLAD Map of ancient china, changing borders (geography) plus image of Qin Qi Hwang Di

·         The first Emperor’s quest for immortality

·         Terra Cotta Warriors and the great Wall

o   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army

o   http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/06/pictures/120620-terra-cotta-warriors-china-new-army-shield-armor-science/

·         Discussion and t chart of Qin Qi Hwang Di, tyrant and genius

·         Make Terra Cotta Warriors with clay activity*

·         Journal notes on Qin Qi Hwang Di (concept introduction for notetaking)

·         WW integration – info writing on Qin Qi Hwang Di

International - global perspective (power and privilege), innovative teaching (blog, grade level collaboration where 2nd grade teach each other about China and Africa), cultural competency (compare and contrast of Qin Qi Hwang Di).

Han Dynasty - silk road, trade, realistic/historical fiction

Part 3 The Han Dynasty - November

·         Add to  timeline of inventions (sequencing)*

·         Making paper activity*

·         GLAD Map continue of Han borders

·         Compare and contrast Liu Bang with Qin Qi Hwang Di

·         Silk road – GLAD drawing on world map

·         Make index cards of goods traded in and out of China.  Post on mural activity*

·         Discussion of the effects of peace = farming, inventions, merit system of scholars and government, flowering of intelligensia

·         Invention of paper, seismograph, cast iron

Part 4 Chinese Daily Life - December

·         Making a Chinese House Activity*

·         Add houses to GLAD Map/Poster of Han

·         Adding photos of model houses to blog, Chinese architectural principles – south facing complexes, curved roofs.*

·         WW Integration – continue to add details, now can add daily life, to realistic fiction, revision

·         Journal notes on Qin and Han Dynasty comparison – one can’t happen without other

WW integration – realistic fiction incorporating what learned from Han and Qin Dynasty
International - global (inventions and importance of trade, political borders), teaching (compare contrast different rulers, dynasties, WW realistic fiction using content), culture (causes and consequences, war and peace, strife and prosperity, one dynasty affecting the other)

Age of Disunion - Readers' Theatre, play of Kung Ming and 100,000 Arrows, tie in with folk tales unit

Part 5  The Romance of the Three Kingdoms - January

·         Creating a Chinese Opera on the story of Kung Ming Borrowing Arrows Activity*

·         GLAD Map continued (no borders as kingdoms warred)

·         RW and SS- Study of Kung Ming as a character (diplomat, scholar, inventor), compare and contrast with Liu Bang, Qin Qi Hwang Di.  The growing value of brain over brawn in war

·         War fare during the age of disunion

·         RW – reading meaning into characters, role play

·         WW – adapting fairy tales and folk tales, changing setting to ancient China (as option in writing, not required)

·         Inventions – steamed bun, semi-automatic crossbow, hot air balloon

International - global (history, power and privilege in different dynasties and rulers), language (translated a play into Japanese and performed it), teaching (integrated art making Chinese houses, RW Chinese opera reading meaning into characters, role play, WW adapting fairy tales & folk tales using ancient china as setting), culture (Chinese renaissance man Kung Ming, growing value of brain over brawn)

Tang Dynasty - Rise of the Scholar Artists and women, poetry, idea of poems that go with painting

Part 6  The Tang Dynasty – January/February

·         WW Poetry – Haikus and freeform poetry*

·         GLAD map/poster

·         Invention of printing (block printing) and first book

·         First woman emperor

·         Start of poetry and art’s flowering

·         Start Landscape Mural 

International - global (role of women, first female emperor, gender equity), language (poetry translated into Japanese for recitation to Ms. Braxton's class), teaching (collab.w/ grade level literacy, immersion/Japanese), cultural competency (women role in religion and power)

Song Dynasty - Rise of Scholar Artists in government, changing role of women, explosion of inventions, drawings depicting elements of Song Dynasty, Chinese brush painting adhering to Chinese Philosophy

Part 7 The Song Dynasty – February/March

·         Brush Painting activity (4 treasures, philosophy of Chinese Brush Painting – nature, simple, suggest, serenity – collaboration with Art instruction)*

·         GLAD map of inventions - sequencing

·         Print Shops

·         Scholars and artists running government

·         Explosion of inventions, printing press, paper money, clock, windmills, gunpowder, movable type, smallpox inoculation, odometers, textile machinery, compass, fire arrows, land mines, grenades, bombs

·         Footbinding for women

 International - global (inventions in time of peace, gender equity via backlash against women), language (understanding concept of philosophy via brush painting,), teaching (art integration, Japanese and Chinese fusion, WW info writing as research paper comparing 3 dynasties), culture (footbinding and how similar political changes affect women's power)

Yuan Dynasty

Part 8 Ghengis Khan – March/April

·         Making a Ger. Activity*

·         Continue with brush painting*

·         GLAD map/poster – add Yuan Dynasty

·         WW  – informational writing.  Research paper of dynasties with primary sources, diagrams, sidebars, picture with captions, etc. re: Yuan Dynasty, Marco Polo

·         Ghengis Khan, Kublai Khan.  Invasion and conquering of China by the Mongols

·         Life of Mongol warriors + later opulence as rulers

Part 9 Marco Polo and the outside world - April

·         GLAD map/poster. Add silk road, id Marco Polo route.

·         Read Marco Polo book as readaloud (non fiction)

·         WW continue – informational writing.  Research paper with primary sources, diagrams, sidebars, picture with captions, etc. re: Yuan Dynasty, Marco Polo

·         Marco Polo and the opening of China

·         Continue with brush painting*

·         WW – poetry to add to brush painting in style of Chinese.

·         Mapping of Marco Polo’s travels – mini map and mural map with graphics *

International - global (effects of trade in connecting China to the world), teaching (geography and mapping, art via architecture of mobile Mongols vs stationary Chinese), culture - effects of European culture and Chinese culture on each other.

Part 10  The Ming Dynasty - April

·         The Great Wall strengthened.  Add Wall to the Landscape.

·         Color current map of the world Activity + ancient map of Chinese travels - compare

·         Huge treasure fleet (1,600 ships) around the world but later emperors abandoned trade and shipbuilding.  Make a origami boat (junk)*

·         Introduction of porcelain to Europeans, add to inventions

·         WW continue – informational writing.  Research paper with primary sources, diagrams, sidebars, picture with captions, etc. re: Yuan Dynasty, Marco Polo

·         Translation of poem for painting scroll into Japanese (collaboration with immersion teacher. **translation of poetry into Japanese Hiragana, adding Hiragana to scrolls, teaching kids how to say poem in Japanese)

International - global (timeline of great wall, loss of technology when China closed itself off ),  culture (legend of Sinbad and how myths can come to be, translation of poetry into Japanese to inscribe to brush painting, intersection of Japanese and Chinese culture via Haiga/brush painting), teaching (origami boats and art, WW using student facing checklists made from draft WW standards checklist), culture - impact and evidence of Chinese occupation from travels of treasure fleet.



Ching Dynasty - The last emperor and empress, the weakening of China after it turned its back on innovation and focus on the past, unfair trade balance with other countries, photos of later rulers

Part 11  The Ching Dynasty - May

·         Painted Fans for men and women activity* 

·         Empress Cixi

·         Pigtails

·         Loss of land to Europe

·         Tea and Boston Tea Party

·         WW – travel review of Ching compared with another dynasty 

International - global (contact between stagnating China and innovative west), teaching - (research via internet, photo journalism, WW persuasive reviews of Ch'ing & other dynasty), culture (female emperor and empress)



 
Revolution and birth of modern day China, political philosophies of 20th century- communism, socialism, republic

Modern China - blog and photos of life in China now

Issues China facing now with rest of the world, issues China facing addressed by other nation previously, how are issues like pollution, transportation, and living standards different or similar to the US?

Part 12  No more Emperors - June

·         Revolution and modern day china

·         WW – sidebar about one aspect of post-dynastic China

·         Cheongsam changes

·         Modern day China

*kinesthetic activity to anchor concepts