Initiatives for outdoor education have gained popularity because of their capacity to boost teacher well-being, foster better mental health in instructors, and enrich the learning environment for students. We demonstrate the influence that outside education programs have on the achievement of students and how they create a vivid tapestry of…

This unit for sixth graders focuses on the origins of Chinese civilization, the rise of early Chinese imperial centers, and the breakdown of order by the beginning of the sixth century B.C. Among the topics in the unit are: Early history and geography of India; Buddhism; Early history and geography of China; Confucius; and Culture, politics,…

Argues for a comprehensive overhaul of the Chinese school system. Specifically criticizes teacher-dominated instruction, emphasis on skills training over creative thinking, outdated and irrelevant materials. Concludes that a lack of consistency and planning in the curriculum will result in a generation inadequately prepared for the future. (MJP)

The purpose of this three-week teaching unit on China is to promote interest in the People's Republic of China, to investigate China's role in world politics, and to promote cultural awareness. Chinese culture and geography are covered while research skills, group work, and oral presentations are stressed through assignments. The unit contains:…

This play, intended for middle school and high school students, uses the historical events of the Macartney mission to China from 1792-94 to illustrate the problems that can occur when different cultures interact. The play describes the first major encounter in which government officials representative of the European Enlightenment come face to…

These lessons were developed by participants in a 1986 Fulbright Group Project Abroad sponsored by the East Asia Resource Center at the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington. The lessons were developed cooperatively and are aimed at the middle school student. Lessons include: (1) "The Qin Dynasty" (Marte…

This curriculum guide is developed to accompany 7 Chinese Cultural Heritage kits for use in intermediate and middle school classrooms. The units in this guide may be used with or without the accompanying kits. When appropriate, units include: objectives, introductory information, suggested presentation sequence, activity instruction, evaluation…

Offers ideas for teaching children about China. Includes suggestions dealing with geography, philosophy, history, and diet. Recommends means of bringing the topics to life through games, class discussion, role playing, and other activities. (SG)

Three separate curriculum projects were developed to help secondary school educators to teach about the People's Republic of China. "How does China feed its one billion people?" (Susan Ember) is a lesson plan that seeks to make students aware of the dilemma of food supply and shortages in poor, underdeveloped countries. "The…

Presents a comprehensive plan for restructuring the intermediate grade curriculum. Emphasizes hands-on training, extracurricular activities, and vocational and physical education. Includes eight tables detailing weekly time allotted for core and elective courses throughout the grades. Emphasizes the need for active, vigorous young people to lead…

A cross-cultural approach is used to foster an understanding of modern China in this 8-part handbook of supplementary social studies materials for grades 5 through 12. Part 1 focuses on students' perceptions of China. Following a pretest, in which students consider their own stereotypes, three exercises help students gain a sense of the Chinese…

This curriculum unit introduces students to the travelers and traders from the early part of the Han-Roman times up to the 14th century who took great risks in pursuit of silk. A variety of activities explore the development of the Silk Road trade routes, including journal writing, small group reading and writing activities, role play and…

This unit addresses the questions of how and why people create order in a world whose randomness and order are for individuals to interpret. This unit uses the Han Dynasty of China as an example of one country's attempt to create such order and unite China successfully for over 400 years. The activities in this unit examine order in politics, in…

Describes and comments upon a Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad Program trip to China. Discusses economic, social, and political changes in China during recent years. Provides recommendations for instructional resources for teaching about China. (CFR)

Suggesting that students in the intermediate grades can explore the world around them and practice valuable skills in spelling, reading, writing, communication, and language, this book presents cross-curricular units designed to integrate language-arts activities into the study of Asian and Australian cultures. The units in the book reach diverse…