Introduction
China Worldview: Unit 8
Modern China: 1978--Present
ONLY PART 1 OF UNIT 8 IS UPLOADED TO THIS SITE
Grade Level: This unit is designed for 11th and 12th grade students
Background Information:
This Modern China unit is designed to be a 2-week curriculum at the end of a semester-long Learning Expedition course at Watershed School called “Worldviews: How Does China See the World?” Learning Expeditions at Watershed School are interdisciplinary courses designed to have students study a rich topic in depth for an entire semester. Each student is in his/her expedition class for 14 hours each week for a 12-14 week semester. This unit is designed to take 28 hours of class time plus homework. When students complete this unit, they will start their final synthesis project that requires students to make connections between the first six weeks and the second six weeks of the semester. The final synthesis project will take an additional two weeks to complete (28 hours).
Prior to this unit, students will have already studied China’s basic history from the Shang Dynasty through the Cultural Revolution, with additional units on the Mandate of Heaven and the Dynastic Cycle, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Legalism. They also will have already experienced a week-long cultural immersion trip to Chinatown in San Francisco before the mid-term break. Because students are in class for much of their school day, to ensure a variety of activities, multiple units are studied at the same time. Here is a basic outline of the course structure:
● Unit 1: What is Worldview? What does it mean for different cultures to “see” the world through different lenses? How do we identify a cultural lense?
● Unit 2: Introduction to China: Geographic Diversity, Cultural Diversity, Spoken and Written Languages
● Unit 3: Dynasty Research Projects
● Unit 4: Identifying Historical Patterns (Dynastic Cycle and the Mandate of Heaven, Technological advances and large-scale projects, Influence of the Silk Road, How does China define a “healthy society”?
● Unit 5: Ideological Threads (Folk Religions, Confucianism, Legalism, Taoism, and Buddhism)
● Unit 6: Cultural Immersion Trip to San Francisco (and the connections between what was going on in China and periods of Chinese immigration to the United States)
● Unit 7: Revolutionary China and the Cultural Revolution
● Unit 8: Modern China: 1978-Present
● Final Synthesis Projects
Description of Unit 8
Unit 8, “Modern China: 1978-Present” is the focus of this curriculum project. It is designed to provide students with a big picture perspective on China today and how it has changed since Deng Xiaoping initiated economic reforms after the Cultural Revolution. Students will explore the various ways current modernization and economic growth have been influencing and/or changing Chinese culture and worldview over time. The unit is divided into 4 parts:
Part 1: Urbanization and Growth: The Forces of Change
(only Part 1 is uploaded to this site)
Using the City of Hangzhou as a case study, students will look at how modernization and change in China are playing out on a local level. They will explore the dynamics of change, the role of local government in defining and implementing a vision for the future, the role of education in society, and the rise of entrepreneurship and the private sector.
Part 2: China’s Constitution: The Context of Change
Through an analysis of China’s Constitution, students will also look at China’s vision for the future and the political and economic reforms since the end of the Cultural Revolution that have led to rapid economic growth in the country.
Part 3: Current Events: The Dynamics of Change
Students will look at current events to explore the dynamics of change in Chinese society. Through an analysis of current events, they will explore peoples’ attitudes toward rights and the democratic process, and the increasing power of social media as a democratic forum for people to have a voice in the direction of their country.
Part 4: Conclusion: Identifying the “Big Picture”
Students will compare and contrast the China of today with the China of past eras. They will attempt to identify cultural threads that have continued to define Chinese worldview over time, as well as cultural shifts and changes that may be redefining how China “sees” the world today.
Essential Questions of the Unit:
● How has China changed since the end of the Cultural Revolution?
● How are these changes influencing culture and worldview in China?
● How does China see its role in the world today?
China Worldview Unit 8: 1978--Present
Part 1
Urbanization and Growth: The Forces of Change
Lesson Plan #1: (1.5 hours) Immersion Activity and Introduction: Getting to Know China through Photographs
Guiding Question for the Lesson: What does modernization and change look like in China?
Essential Understandings:
● China has gone through a significant transformation over the past 30 years.
● China’s population is shifting from a primarily rural society to a primarily urban society.
● China has experienced dramatic economic growth, and there is a large and rapidly growing middle class.
Learning Targets:
● I can compare and contrast images of China 30 years ago with images of China today, and I can compare and contrast the images with my own perceptions of China.
● I can identify whether or not my images and perceptions are rooted in my own stereotypes of China, or rather in my experience with and knowledge about the culture and the country.
Procedure:
1. In their class journals, have students write for 15 minutes on mental images they have of China today. What do you believe life in China is like? Which images are positive and which are negative? Where do you think you got your images and perceptions? (This question was given to students at the beginning of their semester at Watershed School.)
2. Show the slideshow titled “An American Tourist’s Trip to China in 1981.” You can find a link to the slideshow here: http://youtu.be/HRIn0eZcWyE
While students watch the presentation, have them write down things they notice, describe images they see, and/or record common themes that come up.
3. Ask students to share their impressions from the slideshow. Examples:
a. size of cities
b. buildings and infrastructure
c. clothing, styles of dress
d. modes of transportation
4. Watch the following you-tube videos: Ask students to write down things they notice, describe images they see, and/or record common themes that come up.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwN_S0YhdC4S
www.videosift.com/video/Everyday-Life-in-Beijing
5. As with the first slideshow, have students share their impressions and discuss the following questions: What do the pictures say about China today? Is there anything that surprised you?
6. Comparing and contrasting the images from 1981 to images presented in the video clips, what is different? What has changed? What is similar? What hasn’t changed? The purpose of this activity is to provide perspective on the scope of modernization, economic growth and wealth in China today.
7. After the discussion, have students reread their journal entries from the beginning of the class (see Procedure #1). For 15 minutes, have them write a new entry on the following questions:
What is your reaction to your entry?
How do the images you saw today affirm or challenge your initial mental images? What questions do you have after seeing the two slideshows?
China Worldview Unit 8: 1978--Present
Part 1
Urbanization and Growth: The Forces of Change
Lesson Plan #2: (1 hour) Looking at General Statistics about China
Guiding Question for the Lesson: What does modernization and change look like in China?
Essential Understandings:
● China today has been experiencing an unprecedented period of radical change as it has modernized.
● With such rapid growth and modernization, China is experiencing what it considers significant positive and negative consequences of such growth. Success and positive outcomes are accompanied by political, societal, and environmental challenges.
● In 30 years, China has grown into a global economic superpower with tremendous influence in the world.
Learning Targets:
● I can analyze and interpret statistical data to identify broader patterns, make inferences, and form questions for further research.
● I can discuss cause and effect relationships between China’s rapid growth and the human and environmental changes that are challenging China today.
● I can make inferences about how modernization may be influencing culture and worldview in China.
Procedure:
1. Have students look at the following website. Although the website itself does not meet the criteria for a “reliable” source, all of the statistics on the site have reliable sources. For the purpose of the lesson, it serves as a clearinghouse for statistical information about China. http://www.china-mike.com/facts-about-china/
a. Either individually or in pairs, divide the sub-links in “Facts about China” among the individuals or pairs.
b. Have everyone read through the statistics in their sub-link categories and choose only four statistics per sub-link that they feel are the most important for the class to better understand China today. Using markers and four sticky notes, have students write down one statistic per sticky note. Have them post the notes onto a large sheet of paper on the wall titled, “Important Statistics About China.”
c. When all students are done, have them silently read through all of the posted sticky notes.
2. Discuss as a class the following questions: Did any of the statistics surprise you? If so, why? What do these statistics tell us about China today? What do they NOT tell us about China today? Are there any patterns that you see? Do these statistics bring up any questions for you? If so, what are they? (Write down students’ questions to make sure they get addressed by the end of this unit.)
3. Have the class make some predictions about how they think China’s culture has been changing since the Cultural Revolution.
Some ideas:
a. more individualism?
b. more materialism?
c. increased value put on wealth and profit?
d. disappearance of diverse languages and cultures as people move from rural to urban?
e. adoption of “western” lifestyles and perspectives?
China Worldview Unit 8: 1978--Present
Part 1
Urbanization and Growth: The Forces of Change
Lesson Plan #3: (2 hours) Introducing Hangzhou through Photos and Storytelling*
Essential Background Knowledge: This lesson assumes that students have some background knowledge of China’s history. Specifically, students should have some familiarity with:
● The Tang and Southern Song dynasties, and the cosmopolitan nature of the “golden age of prosperity”
● A basic history of the Grand Canal and the influence of the Silk Road on China’s prosperity
● The influence of tea and silk on China’s economy throughout history
* Thank you to the participants on the 2012 NCTA trip to Hangzhou for sharing their photos!
Guiding Questions for the Lesson:
● What does modernization and change look like in China?
● What is influencing modernization and change in Hangzhou?
Essential Understandings:
● Hangzhou was an important social, cultural and economic center throughout the Dynastic Era.
● Silk and Tea were significant economic forces that contributed to China’s prosperity throughout history.
● The Grand Canal was a key infrastructure to China’s economic success throughout its history, and the ability for Hangzhou to become an economic center during the Dynastic Era.
● Hangzhou’s economic growth has been an outcome of careful, long-term city planning
● Because of its prominence in history and its beauty and the mixing of new construction with the preservation of historical areas, Hangzhou’s tourist industry has been key to its economic success today.
● Education continues to be one of the most important determining factors for an individual’s level of success in society.
● All levels of society invest many resources into the educational system in China.
● The mix of entrepreneurial private business and industry with China’s communist structure has successfully led China on a path of economic growth and modernization.
● As a socialist republic, provincial and city governments have a lot of autonomy in carrying out the central government’s rulings and directives. This has led to significant differences throughout the country in how directives are implemented and enforced.
Learning Targets:
● I can identify that the city of Hangzhou was the capital of the Southern Song dynasty, and I can explain the importance of Hangzhou as a social, cultural, and economic center during this time period.
● I can describe how Hangzhou fits into a broader picture of present-day modernization and economic growth in China.
● I can identify and discuss significant factors that are influencing change and modernization in Hangzhou
Procedure:
1. Consider giving an informal presentation of the Hangzhou trip using personal pictures in order to provide context and to orient students to multiple images of present-day Hangzhou.
To focus on the “Forces of Change,” use the slideshow titled “Hangzhou Presentation.” You can find the link to the slideshow here: http://youtu.be/urAEzODFd0Y
Since the talking points on the original powerpoint couldn’t be downloaded into movie format, use the document titled “Talking Points for Hangzhou Presentation Slideshow.”
2. Below are the themes and talking points integrated into the slideshow:
a. Geography, Grand Canal, River Delta
· Use the maps to discuss the regional geography and climate of Hangzhou and their importance on trade.
· Use the maps to understand the influence of the Grand Canal on urban and rural development, and on the opening of markets as part of the Silk Road.
b. Brief History of Hangzhou:
Source of historical content: A Short History ofHangzhou, by Sara Naumann http://gochina.about.com/od/cityareaguidesinchina/p/HistoryHZ.htm
· Sui Dynasty (581-618): The Grand Canal, originating in Beijing, is extended to Hangzhou, linking the city to the most profitable trading route in China.
· Tang Dynasty (618-907): Hangzhou's population increases as well as its regional power, and becomes well known for its silk. Hangzhou serves as the capital for the Wuyue kingdom, noted patrons of Buddhism, in the late 10th Century.
· Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279): These years saw Hangzhou's “golden age of prosperity” as it became the capital city of the Southern Song Dynasty. Local industry flourished and worship of Taoism and Buddhism peaked. Many of the temples seen today were built during this period.