China

Welcome! Ni hao!

China is undoubtedly one of the most important countries in the world today. Its economic role in American life is staggering. American students need to know China better, as all signs point to China continuing to play a major role on the international stage. China and the United States are linked by economics, by ecology, and—increasingly—by cultural ties. Inner Mongolia, on the other hand, plays a very small role in global events, yet Mongolian history is exceptionally rich, and for a few centuries there was no power on earth more important.

As a subject for study, China offers almost too much to work with. The difficulty in creating a curriculum about China is in choosing where to focus.
Few countries or civilizations have as long a recorded history as China's. Chinese artists and artisans were creating enduring works for millennia before the great works of European civilization. In philosophy and literature, the Chinese were ahead of most of the world, as well. Chinese civilization is also famous for its inventions: paper, printing, pasta, kites and gunpowder, to name a few.

The Mongols, both inside and outside of China, are less well-known in today's world. Historically, the Mongols played a larger role in shaping their world than almost any other people. Their empire in the 13th and 14th centuries was larger than any land empire since, and the changes it brought about have repercussions down to the present day. In the modern world, Mongols in Inner Mongolia and in the country of Mongolia still live by many of the traditional means of their ancestors, living a nomadic life based on herding. Mongolians, inside and outside of China, are also playing a growing role in today's world.

The lessons and resources included in this curriculum are meant as introductions to Chinese and Mongolian culture, as inroads to better understanding. We have included a variety of plans, some academic and others geared toward leading students into active roles in global issues. Whenever possible, our lessons teach students about China and Inner Mongolia, and then give them a way to consider their own lives and communities in a new light.

The archaeology lesson, for example, asks students to see their lives from the perspective of the future, and the lesson on ecology and sustainability requires that they rethink their own lives and the design of their school, home, or town. Creativity is also important, so many of the assignments encourage students to create as a means of reinforcing their understanding. The flag, national anthem, and Olympic mascots lessons give students a chance to come up with creative representations of their lives. In a lesson on nomadic dwellings students will design a dwelling of their own, and in the lesson on philosophies they will synthesize what they have learned as they write and illustrate a children's book.

We have tried to keep the lessons as efficient as possible, as we understand how difficult it is for teachers to fit long, complex lessons into the already packed curriculum. Most of these plans can be completed in one or two class periods, but many can also be expanded by teachers interested in a larger commitment.

We hope that teachers and students will find these lessons useful, and that all who participate in them will gain new and rewarding perspectives on the world in which we live. The ideas and topics covered here are really only the barest skimming of the surface, and the intention is to spark deeper and more involved investigations of the world's cultures. The ultimate student, after all, is one who never stops learning and never loses the desire to follow just one more interesting tangent.