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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome Message

I. Background

  1. China Factsheet with a Spotlight on Inner Mongolia
    Blank Fact Sheet
    Completed Fact Sheet
  2. Big Maps
  3. The Chinese Flag
    Flag Terminology Handout
  4. China's National Anthem
  5. History of the Mongol Empire (1200-1300)

II. Music

  1. An Da Union
  2. Instrument Making for Students and Adults
  3. World and American Music Links
  4. World Culture Links

III. Culture

  1. The Beijing Olympic Mascots
  2. Chinese Poetry
  3. Chinese Philosophy
  4. Nomadic Dwellings

IV. Here and Now

  1. Past vs. Present
  2. Sustainable Growth and the World's First Eco-City
  3. Electronic Waste Recycling and Toxic Exports
  4. Mongol Nomads in the Modern World

V. Community Connections

  1. Before and After Questions
  2. Intercultural Connections
  3. The Heritage Project and Oral History
  4. The Student Curator Project
  5. Class Newspaper or Web site
  6. Culture on Parade
  7. Student Participation in Arts Midwest World Fest

This curriculum was written by Jeanne Paliatka and Olaf Nelson for Arts Midwest.

China

V: COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Part 1: Before and After Questions

Overview:
Any or all of the following questions can be utilized with students both before and after initiating a study of China and/or Inner Mongolia and before and after your Arts Midwest World Fest residency to gauge students' knowledge of these subjects. Teachers and students should write down or briefly note their answers to these questions before any lessons or units on China and Inner Mongolia. After studying China and Inner Mongolia, and after the musicians' residency, the questions can be asked again. A comparison of the before and after answers will help both students and teachers see how their knowledge and understanding has deepened.

Many of these questions would also be excellent openings for discussions about cultural differences, stereotypes, and many other topics. Most of these questions are addressed in the lessons included in this curriculum, and several lessons contain more in-depth, subject-specific questions designed to function as precursors to those lessons.

Questions:
  • When you think of China, what comes to mind?
  • How would you describe Chinese music?
  • What types of people inhabit China?
  • What are important cultural symbols in China?
  • How would you describe the geography of China?
  • When you think of Inner Mongolia or Mongolia, what comes to mind?
  • How would you describe Inner Mongolian or Mongolian music?
  • What types of people inhabit Inner Mongolia or Mongolia?
  • What are important cultural symbols in Inner Mongolia or Mongolia?
  • How would you describe the geography of Inner Mongolia or Mongolia?
  • What is culture?
  • What are examples of cultural objects that are uniquely American?
  • What are examples of cultural objects that are uniquely Chinese?
  • What are examples of cultural objects that are uniquely Inner Mongolian or Mongolian?
  • What are famous historical sites in China and Inner Mongolia?
  • What are famous religious sites in China and Inner Mongolia?
  • What are famous cultural sites in China and Inner Mongolia?
  • How does China's economic growth impact the environment?
  • What is China doing to try to become more sustainable?
  • How could your make your own home, school or town more sustainable?
  • What are the 2008 Olympics in Beijing being called “green” Olympics?
  • What is e-waste?
  • What are its ramifications?
  • What can you do to combat the e-waste problem in your home, school, or community?
  • What issues surround the construction of dams in the U.S. and China?
  • What are nomads?
  • What is a nomadic lifestyle like?
  • What problems do nomads face in the modern world?
  • What is archaeology?
  • Why is it important to protect the remnants of the past?
  • What was the Mongol empire?
  • Who was Genghis Khan?
  • What was the Silk Road?
  • What is philosophy?
  • What are Chinese philosophies?
  • What is poetry?
  • Do you know of any Chinese poets?
  • How might Chinese poetry differ from poetry in the U.S.?
  • How might reading a poem translated from another language to English affect the meaning of the poem?
  • Overall, what are your feelings about learning about new countries and people?
  • Are other parts of the world interesting to you? Why? Why not?
  • What about China or Inner Mongolia most intrigues you?
  • Name one area of China or Inner Mongolia about which you want to learn.
  • What was the most interesting thing you learned about China or Inner Mongolia?
  • Can you play any instruments? Do you want to play any instruments? Which ones? Why?
  • What instruments did you play?
  • What do you know about how instruments make sound?