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SO 024 325

Kiernan, Henry, Ed.; Pyne, John, Ed.China and Japan (Theme Issue).New Jersey Council for the Social Studies.93

22p.New Jersey Council for the Social Studies, 75 CedarBridge Road, Manahawkin, NJ 08050.Collected Works Serials (022)The Docket: Journal of the New Jersey Council for the

Social Studies; Fall 1993

MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.Cultural Activities; *Cultural Awareness; CulturalInterrelationships; Curriculum Development; ForeignCountries; Integration Studies; InternationalEducation; *International Educational Exchange;*International Relations; *Political Issues; ResourceMaterials; Secondary Education; *Social Studies

*China; *Japan

This serial issue is devoted to the theme "China and

Japan" and contains six articles that focus on educational,political, and cultural issues in the two Asian countries. In the

first article, "China and Japan: A New Era in Relations with the

United States," Henry Kiernan and John Pyne provide a brief overview

of the history of United States' relations with China and Japan and

frame the subsequent articles on issues in the social studies. In the

second article, "Acceptance Speech of the Andrew Allen Liberty

Award," Fang Lizhi discusses the pursuit of democracy in China. Thethird article. "China in the Social Studies Curriculum." by Benjamin

A. Elman, explores themes of Chinese history prior to 1900 and how

they relate to China in the 20th century. The next article by Charles

Von Loewenfeldt, "Some Reflections on Building Bridges of

Understanding," highlights the impact of former participants in the

NCSS fellowship program to Japan on bringing about greaterinternational awareness and understanding in North America and in

Japan. In the fifth article, "Resources for Teaching about Japan,"

Linda S. Wojtan provides information on educational resourcesavailable on Japan. The final article by Jane Plenge and NancyStephan, "Building 'an Integrated Curriculum: The Japanese Festival,"

explains the process of developing an integrated curriculum. A list

of New Jersey Council for the Social Studies board of directors for

1993-1994 concludes the issue. (CK)

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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made *

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c\I

TdE DOCKETJournal of the New Jersey Council for the Social Studies

Fall, 1993

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1% Theme Issue: 4'111 ET*

China and JapanInside...

China and Japan: A New Erain Relations with theUnited StatesBy Henry Kiernan and John Pyne ... Page 1

Acceptance Speech of theAndrew Allen AwardBy Fang Lizhi Page 3

China in the Social StudiesCurriculumBy Benjamin A. Elman Page 5

Some Reflection on BuildingBridges of UnderstandingBy Charles von Loewenfeldt Page 7

Resources for TeachingAbout JapanBy Linda S. Wojtan Page 9

Building an Integrated Curriculum:The Japanese FestivalBy Jane Plenge andNancy Stephan Page 11

2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

Criteria for Submission to The DocketEditorial Policy

The Docket is the official journal of the NewJersey Council for the Social Studies and reachesmore than one thousand NJ CSS members who workwithin social studies education from nurs; :y schoolthrough graduate education. In an effort to act as avoice through which its members can share andexpress their ideas, thoughts. experiences. andresearch, The Docket publishes four types of articles.(1) Practical articles with ideas for teach:12; such asunits, lesson plans, and reports of innovative prac-tices.(2) Scholarly articles which cite current theory amlresearch as a basis for making recommendations forpractice.(3) Reviews of educational .materials: books:. text-books. computer software. CDROM titles, laserdiscs, and others.(4) Informational articles about the efforts and activi-ties of NJCSS and its members.

Additionally. letters to the editor are welconwd.

Preparation of ManuscriptsManuscripts should be between 750 and 1.500

words in length (3 to 7 manuscript pages). though theeditors may consider longer manuscrilas in exception-al cases.

Manuscripts should lw typewritten and double-spaced. on single-sided. 8.5 x 11 inch white bondpaper with margins of at least one inch ail aroutul.Authors should submit one original and two clear pho-tocopies of their manuscript. A computer disk ineither DOS or Macintosh format is welcomed.Manuscripts should he typed left justified (flush left.ragged right). Illegible copies will lw returned to theauthor. A letter of transmittal with your name andaddress should be included with your manuscriptspecifying that the article has not been submitted orpublished elsewhere. Do not include your name on themanuscript itself so that Vour identity can be con-cealed from the manuscript reviewers and thus insureimpartial review.

Please write in a concise. readable style free of jar-gon. stereotyping. and use of sexist language. Quotedmaterial and refrrences should lw double-spaced andfully documented. using guidelines explained in AManual of Style (13th ed., University of Chicago.1982).

Receipt of your manuseript is acknowledged with aletter. Each manuscript is subject to impartial review

by The Docket's editorial committee. The committeereserves the right to edit manuscripts for style, whilechanges in content are made with the consent of theauthor. The editors retain final responsibility fordetermining a manuscript's suitability for publieationand their decision is final. Materials shall be returnedto authors only if a return envelope with adequatepostage is included.

Title PageName(s). titles and professional affiliation(s) shouldappear only on the title page so manuscript evaluatorswill not know the identity of the author(s). The titlepage must ii elude the title of the paper, the name(s).complete mailing address(es) and telephone number(s)of the author(s).

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PermissionsThe author(s) should obtain permission in writingfrom publishers for any copyrighted materials to beused in the manuscript. including any text. pictures,illustrations. and cartoons.

Complimentary CopiesSix comidimentary copies of The Docket will lw sentto authors when their articles or reviews appear.

Manuscripts and CorrespondenceAll manuscripts and correspondence should lw sent toeither of the coeditors:

Dr. Henry KiernanIlumanities SupervisorSouthern Regional H.S. District75 Cedar Bridge RoadManahawkin, N.J. 08050

Dr. John PyneSocial Studies SupervisorWest Milford Twp. Public Schools46 Highlander DriveWest Milford, N.J. 07480

The Docket Fall, 1993

China and Japan: A New Era in Relationswith the United States

Henry Kiernan and ohn Pyne, editors

For nmre than 40 years after World War II. theCold War was the axis on which American foreign policyin Europe and Asia turned. In an effort to stop commu-nist expansion in Asia. the United States defendedTaiwan from the People's Republic of China. and senttroops to Korea in the early 1950s and to Vietnam in the1960s. The security threat from the Soviet Union andChina formed the central guiding rationale for holdingthe United States and its Asian allies together andincluded such practice as welcoming U.S. troops inSouth Korea. leasing bases to the U.S. Navy and AirForce in the Philippines and overlooking trade dis-putes with Japan.

With the end of the Cold War. t ..S. relations withAsia are at a historic turning point. 1 n just two decadessince the withdrawal of American troops from SouthVietnam. the United States is on the brink of establish-ing relations with Vietnam. Oyer the last fifteen years.Asia has surpassed Europe as America's most impor-tant oNerseas trading region. and some estimates indi-cate that Pacific trade will double the volume of Atlantictrade by the year 2000.

Yet. as we approaeh the 21st century. new prob-lems have emerged. With the perception I f a lessenedU.S. commitment to the region. we need only considerseveral recent dilemmas such as the following: armssales have been on the rise. particularly in SoutheastAsia: human rights abuses in China continue: protec-tionist legislation is introduced every year in Congressagainst the Japanese: and the trade imbalance as aresult ofJapanese and Chinese imports into the UnitedStates is again increasing.

Both China and Japan have inexorably workedtheir way into the agenda of major policy issues con-fronting President Clinton's administration. As thisissue of The Docket goes to press. relations between theUnited States and China appear to be deteriorating ashuman rights issues and bilateral trade tensions con-tinue to shalw the rhetoric between us. Since PresidentRichard Nixon and Chinese leader M o Zedong met inFebruary 1972. the United States has worked intenselyto avoid the isolation of China and the possible return to

the confrontational tenor of the 1950s and 1960s lw-tween Washington and Beijing. However. for Ameri-cans who watched the events of 1989 vividly on televi-.sion, the impact of the massacre at Tiananinen Squareis still a critical issue affecting our relations. ln addi-tion. no one knows what will happen when Deng Xiaopingdies and ". . . the t:hinese traditionally have handledsuccession abysmall-f."( )

It has become increasingly apparent that a strongU.S. apan partnership is also Mdispensable for thestaliility of Asia. Robert Oxnam. Senior Research Asso-ciate at Columbia University's East Asian Instituteagrees: "The U.S. - apan relationship is undeniablythe most important bilateral linkage in the Pacific. Aseriously weakened U.S. - Japan relationship, espe-cially if combined with major erosion in U.S. Chinaties. could turn back the clock in Asia by decades." (2 )Yet. despite this logical rationale for a strong alliance.despite the fact that both nations enjoy democraticgovernments and basic rights, tensions between Tokyoand Washington have also increased. While trade is theimmediate problem. most analysts agree that Japan isstruggling to attain wider international respect for itsachievements and a larger political role as evidenced byits request to become a member of the Security Council.

Just ten years ago, Robert C. Christopher in-formed u!, about this changing role. In his hook TheJapanese Mind. Christopher advised Americans to dealwith the Japanese as "equals who must be convincedrather than as little brothers who must be orderedabout." lie further asserted: "One of the most strikingchanges in attitudes in Japan in recent years has beenthe increasingly open desire ofJapanese to be accordedsome measure of respect by the United States. In thischanged climate. American representatives in Japanshould be seeking to influence ol)inion in a much broaderrange of,lapanese society than they now do and to elicitfront the Japanese themselves ideas on what contribu-tions their country van best make to the solution ofmutual economic, diplomatic and security problems."(3)

Mike Mansfield, the former U.S. Ambassador to

1

4

Thel)pcket Fail, 1993

Japan, once stated that the next century will be thePacific century. Whether a shift from the Atlanticsphere of influence to the Pacific may occur as somepolitical analysts theorize, is certainly debatable. How-ever, no one can deny the importance of Asia, particu-larly China and Japan to the future of the UnitedStates. It is for this reason that this issue of The Docketis devoted to Tenewing a discussion about tl,e impor-tance of teaching about China and Japan in the soeialstudies.

The editors are grateful to the authors who haveagreed to make a personal effort to prepare articles forThe Docket. The theme for this issue began in May 1993,when we both had the opportunity to meet and h:arFang Lizhi, Physics Professor at the University of Ari-zona. accept the Andrew Allen Liberty Award at theForeign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia. Dr.Fang's coin age during the events at Tiananmen. hisadmiration and love for his students, and his personalquest for democracy in China truly make him one of themost respected intellectuals of our time. Ben Elman,Professor of Chinese History at the University of Cali-fornia, Los Angeles, provides a framework of topics forsocial studies teachers to use in teaching Chinese his-tory. Ben is currently working with the National Centerfor History in developing world history standards.

Charles von Loewenfeldt. Program Coordinatorfor the Keizai Koho Center Fellowships, is an outstand-ing example of an individual's attempt to build bridgesof understanding between Americans and the Japanese.It is through his leadership that hundreds of members ofthe NCSS have enjoyed a first-hand account of Japa-nese culture and history, have made many new friendsin Japan, and have developed a stronger understandingof what it means to be an American. Linda Wojtan,Coordinator of the National Precollegiate Japan ProjectsNetwork, offers our readers the avenues for obtainingresources about the teaching of Japan. Linda's latestbook Resources For Teaching About Japan (1993 ) isavailable from the Social Studies Development Center,Bloomington, Indiana. Jane Plenge and Nancy Stephan,two Southern Regional Middle School teachers, providethe rationale and nwthodology used to coordinate aJapanese Festival. This interdisciplinary project andexhibit drew an audience of over 6,000 students andcommunity members who experienced integrated learn-ing activities focusing on cultural and global under-

standing.Finally, we recognize that by limiting our discus-

sion to China and Japan in this issue we may overlookthose NJCSS members who are interested in other Asiancountries. We also have not addressed the larger ques-tion of how those of us interested in teaching about Asiacan best deal with educating others about Asian culturewithout being criticized as propagandists. In fact, in thecase of Japan, certain writers such as Pat Choate,author of Agents of Influence: How Japan's Lobbyistsin the United States Manipulate America's Politicaland Economic System. have labeled anyone who spe-cializes in J apan outreach efforts in America'sto be representative of a prG-Japanese viewpi,int. Toassume that social studies teachers would not providestudents with an unbiased and objective view of Japan,China, or any other Asian country is another example ofmisjudging the teacher's role and function in helpingstudents apply the knowledge of a non-Western cultureto articulate the strengths and weaknesses of our ownculture.

It is worth reminding our students that after nearlyfifty years of United States involvement in no less thanthree Asian land wars, the Pacific is relatively at peace.Through open access to American markets and throughentrepreneurial skill, Asia now contains the world'smost promising economies, moving toward increasinglyopen democratic societies. As David B. Oxnam remindsus, "Treating headaches before they become migrainecrisesthat is a central challenge in the future ofAmerica's Asia policy." (4) Including the political, eco-nomic, social and cultural history of all Asian peoples isa central challenge of our social studies curriculum. Weneed to involve our students in understanding that whathappens in China, J apan and all of Asia is well worthwatching.

Works Cited:

I. Klein I., 1993. "W hy China Does It Better."Newsweek. (23).2. Oxnam, R. B., 1993. "Asia/Pacific Challenges." For-eign Affairs. (67).3. Christopher, R. C., 1983. The Japanese Mind. NewYork: Fawcett Columbine. (327).4. Oxman, R. B., 1993. "Asia/Pacific Challenges." For-eign Affairs. (72).

2

BESI COPY AVARME

Acceptance Speech of theAndrew Allen Liberty Award

Philadelphia, May 6. 1993Fang 1,izhi

Unhersity Of Arizona. Department of PhysicsTucson, Arizona 85721

Mr. Chairman. Ladies and Gentleman:I am grateful for the tribute that the Foreign Policy

Research Institute has given me in its Andrew AllenLiberty Award. My spirits are lifted when I see the causeof Chinese democracy that my colleagues, my students,and I have been pursuing is once again receiving recog-nition. And I am esoecially elated that todav's honor isassociated with the name of Thomas Jefferson.

You in the audience may be curious to know myreactions when I look at today's program, on whichcontemporary China is mentioned side by side with thename of a great American thinker who was born twohundred and fifty years ago. My first reaction. I will tellvon, is that there are indeed some big cultural differ-ences between the United States and China. In China.people would probably not want to hold a memorialmeeting. or give prizes, on a two-hundred-and -fiftiethanniversary. In Chinese custom. especially in northernChina the number 250 is a synonym for a "simpleton."'To be called a "two hundred and fifty" means thateverybody agrees you are a blockhead. But before thiscultural difference depresses you. let me point outanother one. In Chinese culture to lw a "simpleton"' isnot always regarded as an entirely bad thing. Lu Xun,the great modern Chinese writer, wrote an essay in the1930s called. "Clever People, Simpletons, and Lack-eys." His conclusion was that when it comes to socialprogress. the people who deserve praise. and deserve tobe trusted. are not the clever people, and certainly notthe lackeys. They are the simpletons, the people who goon stubbornly pursuing goals that seem never to bereachable.

If there is any goal that "simpletous" of China arestubbornly pursuing today it is democracy. If there isany cause that ties the name Thomas Jefferson to China,that cause is democracy. By this I do not mean, ofcourse. that America's philosopher-president had anydirect or indirect contact with Chinese democrats. Twohundred years ago the word "democracy" had not yet

entered Chinese political life. My point here will be toemphasize the connection between Jefferson's mio-cratic philosophy and the values of the democracymovement in China today.

China, especially mainland China. has yet to achievedemocracy:, yet the w-Jrd "democracy" has for sometime been highly fashionable in China's political life.Ever since 1911, when the revolution led by Mr. SunYat-sen overthrew the imperial authority of the Qingdynasty, nearly every political party or group in Chinahas cited democracy in its program. It would seem thatdemocracy has become the least controversial idea in allof twentieth-century Chinese politics. Everyone sup-ports it: no one comes out against it. In reality. however.China still is ruled by an oligarchic dictatorship. stilllacks freedom of speech. still has no meaningful elec-tions, and still holds political prisoners. On the onehand. every sort of political manifesto, including na-tional constitutions, includes the word "democracy."On the other hand, in actual pohtical life, classicalautocracy persists. W here does it come from? Theremay be several reasons, but I believe that one of the mostimportant is that democratic concepts have been dis-torted.

One of the distortions has been to convert democ-racy into so-called "masses' democracy.'" When I wasyoung I was educated in communism, and among otherthings, was taught that "communist democracy is masses'democracy, or proletarian democracy." This kind ofdemocracy was supposed to be more advanced, andmore democratic than ordinary democracy. At thattime, I accepted this view: I thought that adding theword "masses" to the word "democracy" could onlymake it better. But the history of communism has shownthat "masses" democracy" is nothing but a synonym forautocracy. One implication of "masses" to the word"democracy" is that it is all right to suppress minorityopinion. During the twenty-seven years when MaoZedong ruled China, he liked to stipulate that the

number of people -targeted for attack in political cam-paigns be set at five percent of the population. In hisview, to set the target as low as five percent was to carryout masses democracy. But in fact . it was precisely thisdoctrine of "suppressing the five percent" that allowedhim to at :ack anyone he chose, thereby intimidating thepopulace as a whole and supporting his personal dicta-torship. Deng Xiaoping has continued with the samelogic, except that, instead of the phrase "five percent".he uses the phrase "a small bunch" to tag and suppresshis opponents. In 1989, the protesters at Tiananmen,who arrived by thousands and tens of thousands. weredefined by Deng Xiaoping as a small bunch" andtherefore suppressed.

From this it should be obvious that a governmentthat practices suppression of minority opinion is not ademocratic government but a dictatorship. ThomasJefferson long ago noted this point. "The minoritypossess their equal rights, which equal law must pro-tect.'" he said, "and to violate it would be oppression."Ilere Jefferson's democratic theory provides Chinesedemocrats with a useful criterion: politicians who ad-vertise things like masses' democracy, "five percents"and "small bunches" are, in fact. opponents of democ-racy and promoters of dictatorship.

Recently. another theory about democracy hasbeen circulating. It says that economic development willautomaticaPy lead to a democratic society. In China.the release of market forces has indeed led to economicgrowth. We should, of course, welcome this growth. Butsonic people have gone further and said that China nowneeds only economic development, because more eco-nomic growth will lead inevitably to democracy. Thecommunist authorities clearly like this theory, becausethey can use it to cover up their record of violation ofhuman rights. It would be wonderful if democracy didindeed grow automatically out of economic develop-ment, but history gives us, unfortunately, no suchguarantees. In the history of both China and the rest ofthe world, it is easy to find counter examples to thetheory of the automatic generation of democracy. Andin the actuality of China today, the economic growththat we see has not in the slightest moved Deng Xiaopingand his associates to alter their autocratic rule. Therehave been no substantive changes in Chinese politicallife since the protests in 1989. We have no reason to

conclude that economic development ean substitute forprogress toward democracy.

I feel the need to stress this point because this"theory" about the primacy of economy pops up fromtime to time in world diplomacy. In times like ours,when the world economy is sluggish, the place of humanrights as a basic principle in international affairs isfrequently downplayed, whether intentionally or not.For this reason we must look again to the principles ofThomas Jefferson, who insisted that natural right orhuman rights be the founding principles of his country,and who for this reason above all others earned therespect not only of Americans but of people around theworld. Any foreign policy that intentionally or uninten-tionally downplays principles of freedom and humanrights violates the principles that Thomas Jefferson hasestablished.

The success of the democratic cause in China can-not be separated from the trends in the world at large.A world in which the principles of freedom and humanrights are downplayed is a world that lengthens the timeduring which autocracy in China can survive. For thisreason, perhaps we need to provide the statesmen oftodays world with another live reading of ThomasJefferson's words: "we have yet gained little if we coun-tenance a political intolerance..."

This is why the people who are pursuing Chinesedemocracy, or the "simpletons" of China. may feel evenmore deeply than others that today's world stands inneed of a revival of Thomas Jefferson's philosophy ofdemocracy, freedom, and human rights. And thesesame reasons lead me, once again, to thank the ForeignPolicy Research Institute for the opportunity to makemy own small effort at breathing new life into those greatprinciples.

Thank you all.

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7

The Docket Fall, 1993

China in the Social Studies CurriculumBenjamin A. Elman

Professor of Chinese HistoryUniversity of California. Los Angeles

405 Hilgard AvenueLos Angeles, California 90024

Perhaps the most puzzling modern nation (ahmgwith Iran). China has been difficult to integrate in anAmerican social studies curriculum. From friend earlyin the twentieth century. China suddenly became anAmerican enemy after 1949. particularly during theKorean War. A brief honeymoon between the People'sRepublic of China and Americans lasted from the 1970suntil 1989. when the Tiananmen Massacre revealedunderlying political. economic. anti cultural differencesbetween the People's Republic and the United Statesthat could not be rationalized. Since 1989. China hassuffered a severe "image problem- as a result of West-ern media presentations of an "out of touch ChineseConununist government reining in democracy and freetrade at the very time that Eastern Europe and Russiawere emerging from the shackles of' communism. Theresult has been a significant decrease in enrollments atthe college level in Chinese language courses, for ex-ample.

Students of Chinese history and political culture.however much we were all shocked by the tragedy of'1989. would point out that 0111' popular media portraitof' China has never been on the mark. As JonathanSpence's To Change China (Penguin. 1980) has longmade clear. Americans. as well as others, for centurieshave made China the object of our daydreams andnightmares. The failure to integrate Chinese historyproperly in our educational curriculum, particularlythe complexity of Chinese society, culture, and politicsin a century of revolutionary change 1850-1950, hasyielded a new generation of American illiterates about"China.- We are puzzled why China remains a commu-nist nation in the late twentieth century, when thehistorical tide is. we think. clearly in favor of demo-cratic governments anti open economic systems. Mean-while. we increasingly f'ear Japan as a Pacific Rimnation that has successfully adapted democratic institu-tions and transformed itself into an economic jugger-naut. A few already predict that upon completion of theChinese industrial revolution of the late twentieth andearly-twenty-first centuries China will eclipse Japan asour major economic competitor.

Chinese frequently and proudly point to their long

8

history as the key to fathoming their cultuee and nation.Other Chinese would wisely point out the burden of thatlong history and the inherent limitations that a nationwith such deep roots faces when its people are con-fronted with revolutionary forces initially out of theircontrol. The demographic. political, and cultural revo-lutions that have convulsed China since the TaipingRebellion in the middle of the nineteenth century, al-though exacerbated by Western and Japanese imperial-ism since the Opium War, have their origins in a Chinesecontext that evolved through two millennia of imperialdynasties based on autocratic rulers, gentry-merchantelites, and a vast farmer-peasantry. The emperors andtheir entourage have been replaced by Chinese Commu-nist oligarchs. Communist Party cadres form the bruntof middle-level anti local elites, even as Hong Kong andTaiwanese economic power are together transformingthe communist economic and social system in Guangzhouand Fujian provinces. And after undergoing the politi-cal vicissitudes of 1950s land reform, 1960s communes,and a 1980s land responsibility system, farmer-peas-ants still represent the vast majority in a nation of somany huge cities.

It is a historical cliche that the key to understandingcontemporary events lies in a long-term perspective.Economists and political scientists would dispute this bypresenting political and econometric models that ex-plain the present and predict the future with littleregard for the past. Rather than gainsayinc the latter,

would simply suggest that through a comparativeapproach between "modern" and "pre-modern" Chinesehistory and politics, we can help students better graspsome of the common problems faced by Chinese sincethe early, middle, and late empires (200 BCE - 1911)and .the wide range Jf political. economic, technologi-cal, and social solutions that they discovered and ap-plied to their societies before the revolutions of thetwentieth century. In this manner, China as part of thesocial studies curriculum would clarify why the PRCrarely conforms to our expectations and why the Chi-nese political and economic experience cannot be re-duced automatically to contemporary models based onWestern experience.

To this end, let me outline ten major themes stu-dents should know about China before 1900, and howsuch themes can be related to China in the twentiethcentury:

I Geography: North vs. South China-arid north & ancient agricultural revolution

(Yellow River)-wet south & medieval econonnc revolution(Yangtze River)

-role of Great Wall in demarcating nomadicfrom agricultural settlements since 200 BCE

-Grand Canal & integration of north andsouth in 600

-expansion into Central Asia, Manchuria, & Tibet2. Sino-Barbarian Relations

-Steppe nomads & military societies: Huns.Turks, Mongols, Manchus, etc., in Chirri

-agrarian Han Chinese & bureaucratic state-military conquest of China versus culturalassimilation of "barbarians": Mongol &Manchu dynasties

- periods of openness vs. periods of nativism-Chinese tribute system vs. western systemof Equal Nation-states

3. Family. Lineage. & Ancestor Worship-kinship values in China: self/family/state equation-ancestor worship and lineage formation:building blocks of local communities

- illegitimacy of oppositional political groups-weakness of "public sphere and strength

of family values-Mao, conununes, & the family

4. Peasant Society & Economy- denfise of feudal realms & rise of small peasant farms-relations of land, labor, and population-ancient agricultural revolution: northern villages- medieval economic wet-rice revolution:southern villages

-late imperial declining standards of livingcommunist land reform & communes

5. Gentry-Merchant Elites & Social Hierarchy-gentry landlords & merchants: economic power- civil service selection: social and politicalreproduction under imperial sanction

-cultural resources and educationaldominance of gentry and merchants

- republic & communist elites in twentieth century6. Popular Religion and Chinese Culture

- elite & popular Daoism-elite (Chan) and popular (Amida, Lama) Buddhism-orthodoxy vs. heterodoxy: imperial state & religion-Confucianism & ancestor worshipCCP policy toward religion

7. Elite Confucianism & State Ideologies-ancient "Hundred Schools" & Warring States-Confucius & secular values of scholars-Confucian Canon: state orthodoxy,"imperial" Confucianism, & school curriculum

-legalism & the institutional formation ofthe imperial state

-ascending (Confucian) vs. descending(Legalist) views of state power

-rituals vs. laws: cultural vs. punitiveforms of social order

-Confucianism & East Asian economic changein twentieth century

8. Traditional Chinese Science & Technology-qualitative sciences: alchemy, medicine, astrology-quantitative sciences: mathematics.astronomy, calendar, and musicology

-Confucian "amateur" ideal and civilian conceits-early and middle empires & technologicaladvancement

-impact of European and modern science-modern China & role of science in modernization

9. Impact of the West & Chinese Crisis-internal demographic crisis-external imperialism & western industrial power-reform vs. revolution-European/Japanese political & educational models

& end of Confucian institutions and gentry hierarchy-failure of the Early Republic & WWI-Russian revolution & Chinese nationalism-Maoism and peasant revolution

10. Some Comparisons-polities: the Imperial vs. the Communist state inChina

-economy: peasant farming & standards of livingover time

-society: old vs. new elites; chaeges in village life-culture: education and orthodoxy.

These themes are drawn from my own experiencesin teaching college freshmen and sophomores, whereeven among a student body of many Asian-Americansthe amount of media-induced fantasy about China isshocking. Each theme is only a bare bones suggestion,but a selection of a representative number of themwould yield, I think, a more complex and multi-dimen-sional understanding of how to situate China in a socialstudies curriculum. Perhaps these can serve as sugges-tions on the key historical elements to be included inteaching Chinese history.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

The Docket Fail, 19-9-3

Some Reflections onBuilding Bridges of Understanding

Charles Von LoewenfeldtProgram Coordinator

The Keizai Koho Center Fellowships4332 Fern Valley Road, Medford, Oregon, 97504

It has been nearly half-a-century since I first becameacquainted with Japan and eighteen years since I had theprivilege Of bmiming associated with American sorialstudies educators. For me. the two have heroine insepa-rable.

/ was in Japan at the very beginning of the militaryoccupation of that nation. immediately following WorldWar II. Ovr a iwriod of nine months, as an Army officerdealing with the Japanese media. I came to have a highregard for tlw Japanese iieople. I was fasein at NI by theirculture, their social values. and their work ethics.

It was not until 1953. however, that my professionalcareer with Japan began in earnest when I was retained asa public affairs and marketing consultant by a number ofJapanese governmental. commercial and financial institu-tions.

By the 1970s, I becanw gravely aware of how little theaverage American knew Or cared about Japan. This was inspite of the fact that Japan had become Anwriea's leadingoverseas trading partner and principal Asian ally. Ameri-cans with no knowledge of .Iapan seemed quick to acceptany criticism of.] apan and reflected prejudice and intoler-ance. There Was friction and mounting tension in thebilateral relationship.

It was obvious that what was needed was a practicalapproach to reaching and informing Americans aboutcontemporary Japan just as. across the Pacific, Japa-nese were becoming inereasingly interested in Ow ways of'the west. My long-range hope was to find a way to acquaintAmerica's future generations with how the Japanese arelike us and how they are different from us; what have beentheir failures and successes; what are their aspirations andwhat interests do we have in common. I believed that withknowledge. future generations of Americans and Japanesewould be able to regard each other without bias or rancor.

My quest. in 1976. led me to the Washington. D.C.offices of the National Council for the Social Studies.There. Dr. Howard Mehlinger. then president-elect ofNCSS. graciously listened to my concerns and readilyunderstoml what I was seeking. We discussed the possil ul-ity Of sending to Japan the following ;ear a team ofeducators to survey the desirability of improving teachingabout Japan in the United States.

NCSS put out a call for applicants. Six educators wereselected on a competitive basis for the June 1977 visit toJapan. The group included a junior high school teacherfrom California; three high school teachers from Ohio..

Pennsylvania and Illi s; a college of educatiim pnaessorfrom Georgia; and Dr. Arthur II. Rumpf, a consultant forthe Milwaukee Public Schools (now retired), as teamleader. (I had the pleasure of accompanying them. )

The stirvev team was transported across the Pacificby Japan Air Lines. The Japan Foundation was the hostorganization in Japan. Tlw Ministry of Education ar-ranged for school visits. The private-sector enthusiasti-cally welcomed the NCSS representatives to factories.farms, educational institutions, and a wide range of cul-tural attractions. The American educators returned lumwimpressed bv what they saw, heard and experienced whilein Japan.

That was the fellowships program's auspicious begin-ning. Each year. since then. as more and more teaclwrsapplied l'or a chance to observe Japan. the number offelhiwships being offered annually has increased. A majorturning point took place in 1980 when the Keizai KohoCenter (tlw j a pa n Institute for Social and Economic Af-fairs) undertook, as a major international activity. sup-port of the NCSS fellowships program. KKC expanded theprogram to include Canadian educators and, recently.teachers from Australia have been invited to participate.

If this program can rightfully claim till reess in helpingto build bridges of understanding. it is due, in greatestmeasure, to the immeasurable contributions of the morethan 500 educators from every U.S state and provincesof Canada who have been recipients of these fellowshipsto date.

The "Japan Alumni." as we informally refer to theseFellows. are, in my opinion, a most remarkable group ofprofessional men and women. The intensity with whichthey have demonstrated their commitment to the enhance-ment of global studies is spectacular. Their individual andcollective effort in curriculum development, in network-ing. in outreach endeavors. in utilizing t iw media. in workwith civic organizations. and in the creation of' innovativeeducational approaches has been truly outstanding.

In tlw mid-1970s. a nationwide survey revealed thatpractically' nothing was being taught about Japan and herpeople in America's precollegiate schools. That is no longerthe case.

Japan (and even the Japanese language) is now lwingstudied in K through 12 classes throughout, North America.Numerm. teacher-workshops on Japan are being orga-nized at all educational levels. Much attention is beinggiven to the development of new curriculum.

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'here are today a large number of foundations, re-gional outreach organizations, colleges of education. andcivic institutions involved in promoting knowledge of con-temporary Japanese society. It is noteworthy that wher-ever there is such organized effort to improve U.S.-Japanrelations through education, you will usually find one orseveral of the "Japan Alumni" in the forefront of thatendeavor.

The impact of the "J apa n Alumni" on bringing aboutgreater international awareness and understanding is sub-stantial not only in North America but in Japan as well.There is now meaningful rapport between teachers on bothsides of the Pacific.

There is collaboration on the development of newcurriculum and exploration of more effective teachingtechniques. Japanese school administrators, who onceshied at having foreign visitors disrupt their classrooms,now eagerly welcome dialogue with their overseas counter-parts. Reflecting a new high esteem of the importance ofglobal education. Japanese industrialists are gladly open-ing their laboratories and factories to inspection by thevisiting NCSS educators. And families throughout Japanare providing and enjoying home stays with the visitingteaclwrs. Close bonds of friendship have developed fromthese home stay experiences. Many of the "Japan Alumni"have reciprocated by sharing their North American homeswith the families they lived with in Japan. Indeed, we arelearning from and about each other.

Needless to say, there are countless gratifying aspectsof this ongoing program. It also has its limitations. Nomatter how full and varied is the itinerary, there is no waya two-week travel/study experience can produce "experts"on Japan. What we are providing is a first-hand glimpse ofcontemporary Japan and, more importantly, an opportu-nity for persons of differing cultures to know and appreci-ate each other. We wish we could offer this opportunity tomore educators.

From time to time, but not frequently, some voiceshave been raised in criticism of the objectives of thesefellowships. Such labels as "propaganda" and "brain-washing" have been applied.

Concern has been expressed that the program couldresult in teachers being influenced to inspir?. their studmtsto have a curiosity about Japan and a respect for herculture and society.

Whether such concern is justified can, perhaps, bebest determined from comments made by some Of the 1993Keizai Koho Center Fellows following their Japan experi-ence. Their observations, written in letters, included:

"The fellowship by Keizai Koho Center afforded mean inconceivable opportunity of experiencing as much ofthe whole of Japan as possible in eighteen (lays. I remainamazed at the breadth and depth of the planned itinerarythat seemed tailored to the fellows' needs yet, gave us theoccasions to experience every dimension of contemporaryJapanese society educational, cultural, political, eco-nomic and religious." (1)

"This trip was certainly more than I could have imag-ined. What a marvelous educational instrument to under-standing cultural differences and similarities!" (2)

"What we Fellows received was the very best type ofeducational program, intellectual, emotional and experi-ential all at the same time. The fellowship program pre-pared me well for the very important task I have before mein creating an educational program on Japan for studentsin New York City." (3)

"As an educator, I also feel that 1 gained a great dealfrom the trip. I think that I have a much better under-standing of the Japanese people and a sense of their placein the global world. I feel that I am better able to look at andevaluate our own educational practices by looking at theirswith both its streagths and its faults." (4)

"When I recall my time in Japan, my first thoughtsfocus on my home stay family. By offering genuine, corn-.plete hospitality, they made me feel truly at home in anenchantingly different country miles and miles away. Myvisit to Sato-san's family gave me hope and optimism thatproblems in the world can be solved if individuals try tolinderstand one another." (5)

"The experience was beyond my wildest expectations.Never have I experienced such warmth and coney, le. If thepurpose of the program is to develop more positive atti-tudes about the Japanese people and culture, it certainlyaccomplished its purpose. These feelings and knowledgewill be conveyed in the materials I plan to develop and usethis coining year."(6)

Twenty-two U.S. and Canadian social studies educa-tors will be selected to visit Japan in the summer of 1994 asguests of the Keizai Koho Center.

Notes:Quotations from letters from:

1. Mrs. Lois M. Christensen, 1.4.cturer, College of Edu-cation, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas.2. Ms. Vicki Lynn Slocum, Social Studies Teacher, BaselineMiddle School, South Haven, Michigan.3. Mr. Mark Gura, Project Director, Division of In-struction and Professional Development, New York CityPublic Schools.4. Mr. Michael S. Kraft, Teacher, Lawrence North HighSchool, Indianapolis, Indiana.5. Ms. Renata Marie Germino, Social Studies Teacher,Kettering Middle School, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.6. Dr. Clair W. Keller, Professor, Department of History,Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

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Resources for Teachhig about JapanLinda S. Wojtan

National Precollegiute Japan Projects Network10 Village View Lane

Farmington, Connecticut 06085

At the turn of the century, then Secretary of StateJohn Hay declared that the Mediterranean was theocean of the past, the Atlantic the ocean of the presentand the Pacific the ocean of the future. As we faceanother turn of the century it is clear that the future ishere - we are, indeed, in the age of the Pacific! It is notsurprising that there is reltwtance to perceive, let aloneaccept this concept. Indeed, as Jiro Tokuyama haspointed out in The Whoh, Pacific Catalogue. "History'sbiggest changes are generally hardest to perceive. TheEgyptians in the ancient times were not aware of theemerging Phoenicians, who, engrossed in commerceand trade, paid little attention to the rise of the Greeksand Romans, who, in turn, were ignorant of the Portu-guese and the Spanish on the Iberian Peninsula."Tokuyama continues: "The Spanish did not realize thepotential power of Great Britain, which was not far-sighted enough to see the United States taking shape inthe tobacco and cotton fields on tlw new continent. Thislesson of history teaches us to open our eyes to thechanges taking place right before us in the Pacific."

Today, , social studies educators face not simply theehallenge of preparing students for the 2 I st century butmore specifically, responsibility for exploring the Asia/Pacific dynamism that is and will be a part of theirstudents' lives. An important part of that exploration isteaching about Japan. Japan is a pre-eminent nation inthe Asia/Pacific region and, more importantly, a har-binger of happenings in the region. Through Japan, thelarger topic of Asia/Pacific can he explored and stu-dents can be introduced to the realities of their life.

At least three important reasons for teaching aboutJapan can be cited: economic interdependence, politi-cal and military importance and the growing presenceof Japanese nationals and immigrants and the atten-dant multicultural implications. Although economic in-teraction with Japan typically receives wide press cov-erage, the interpmtations are often facile and shed littleunderstanding on this important bilateral relationshin.Today, Japan and the U.S. have the two largest econo-mies in the world and together account for 40% of theworld's GNP. The interdependence of the two econo-mies is best seen in the automobile industry where jointventures and overseas manufacturing has created anintricate web. The volume and importance of trade inthis industry was recently underscored when Japanese

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automobile man ufavtu rers assessed the impact of therising yen rate against the U.S. dollar. The dramaticpronouncement confirmed that every time the dollarfalls by one yen. Toyota loses 10 billion yen. or about$96.2 million in profits!

For the past four decadeslapan has been an allyof the U.S. Issues such as the extension of the nuclearNon-Proliferation Treaty and the involvement of Japanin U.N. peace operations will continue to define therelationship. In addition, recent domestic developmentssuch as the Liberal Democratic Party (1 M) loss andthe Prhne Minister's ideal vision of J apan - "a nation ofno-frills excellence" - will have ramifications.

The growing presenee of Japariese nationals in theU.S. can be traced to several sources. Short-term resi-dents, so-called corporate or diplomatic sojournerswho are in the U.S. for typically several years arehaving an increasing impact on school systems andneighborhoods throughout the U.S. Further, 1990census data shows that the Asian, Pacific Islandercategory grew by 108 percent to nearly 7.3 million.Within that category, Chinese. Filipinos and Japanesestill rank as the largest Asian groups. with Japanesehaving an increase of over 20 pervent. Finally. Imin!--

gration and Naturalization Service figures confirm thatof the nearly 21 million short-term visitors (those on (-month visas) in 1992, the largest number, almost 4

million, came from 1 apa n .What resources are available to social stndies edu-

cators to assist them in teaclUng about these evolvingtopics? Perhaps one of the most important and excitingdevelopments in the K-12 curriculum field is the in-creased number of resources on Japan currently avail-able. Also, there are services designed to assist educa-tor:- in the selection of print and audio-visual materials.the preparation of daily lessons and the development ofcurriculum. Just a few of these will be highlighted here.

The National Clearinghouse for United States -Japan Studies provides a variety of services and prod-nets to elementary and secondary teachers, administra-tors, policy makers and others interested in teachingand learning about Japanese culture and society andabout U.S. Japan interrelationships. The foundationfor all Clearinghouse activities is a computer - search-able database of curriculum materials, journal articles,research reports, and other materials that are useful to

classroom teachers anti curriculum planners. The Clear-inghouse also distributes. free of charge. a newslettetSHINBUN - USA and a series of topical discussionscalled Digests. Titles of recent Digests include: " Japa-nese U.S. Ec( attic Rehttions," "The Growing Role ofJapan in bite; , ational Politics and Economics,- Japa-nese Education,- and "Rice: It's More Than Food inJ apart.-

In addition, the (lea ringhouse has published anumber of useful curriculum Inmks and guides. Somerecent titles are cited here. The Constitution and Indi-vidual Rights in Japan: Lessons for Middle and HighSchool Students is an activity book designed to assistmiddle and secondary teachers in integrating a cross-cultural perspective into the study of constitutionalgovernment. Introductory essays focus on the cuhuraland historical context of constitutionalism and indi-vidual rights in Japan. with a comparison to the UnitedStates. Modern Japan: an hlea Rook for K-I2Teachersis a book of supplementary lessons that are self-con-t anted or based on readily available resources. usableby. teachers who have not had a first-hand Japan expe-rience: and brief enough to fit into a few class sessionsand pages of the book.

Resources fOr Teaching about Japan lists numer-ous organizations that work with K-12 teachers, under-stand their needs, respect their challenges and designmeaningful materials. Internationalizing the 17.S. Class-room: Japan as a Model is a handbook with topicsranging from mud neting in-service workshops and sum-mer institutes and setting up a resource center on Japanor a language program to organizing exchanges andstudy tours. For more information contact: NationalClearinghouse for United States -Japan Studies. SocialStudies Development Center, Indiana University, 2805E. 10th Street. Suite 120, Bloomington, IN 47408; Tel.(812) 855 - 3838; Fax (812) 855 0455.

Another useful clearinghouse is the new Center forEducational Media (CEM) which has established an on-going. up-to-date database of information on educa-tional media materials related in Japan. It now containsmore than 800 entries of audio-visual materials onJapan and will provide cross-referencing and referrals.At the present time. CEM will provide information fromthe database. on request, free of charge to educationaland civic organizations throughout the U.S. Informa-tion sent in response to specific requests for mediaincludes a list with the titles, brief content synopses,intended audience levels, and where and how the mate-rials can be obtained.

Currently, CEM has received many inquiries re-garding appropriate audio-visual materials for intro-duetory programs on apan. In response to these needs,

GEM staff members are preparing information on anumber of subject areas. These will be called LearningPackages. Each Learning Package will include infor-mation about three to five good introductory mediaprograms on the subject, which could be used with avariety of audiences. The first Learning Package willfocus on Japanese society and history. For more infor-mation contact: Center for Educational Media. Insti-tute for Education on J a pan . Earlham College, Rich-mond, IN 47374-4095; Tel. (317) 983 - 1288; Fax (317)983 - 1553.

Another source of information and assistance is therecently completed Survey of Asia in Textbooks, ad-ministered by the East Asian Curriculum Project atColumbia University. This comprehensive study evalu-ates the coverage of Asia in world history, world cul-tures. and world geography textbooks. Reviewers con-sidered eight categories of questions: coverage, t ranslit-eration/spelhng of Asian names and words, content,style and tone, visuals and graphics. primary sourcematerial, format, and overall scale. Also, commentsfocus on the specific coverage accorded China, Japan,Korea, India and Southeast Asia. Detailed evaluationforms will be sent directly to the publishers so thatcorrections and improvements can be incorporated intofuture textbooks. In addition. a general report willsummarize the comments of all reviewers and containrankings. For more information contact: Associationfor Asian Studies, 1 Lane Ilall, University of Michigan,Ann Arbor, MI 48109; Tel. (313) 665 2490; Fax (313)665 - 3801.

As the above information indicates, there are sev-eral comprehensive sources of information readily avail-able. It is important to note that all of these projects arecurrently funded through special grants. Social studieseducators can influence the direction of these centers,help shape the collections and guarantee the existence ofthese clearinghouse efforts by taking advantage of theseopportunities during the current school year. Whywait? The Age of the Pacific is upon us.

10

1993

Building an Integrated Curriculum:The Japanese Festival

Jane Plenge and Nancy StephanSouthern Regional High School District

75 Cedar Bridge RoadManahawkin, New Jersey 08050

The lure of the unknown, the in) stery of the undiscov-ered, and the desire to dream impels us toward what canbe. We yearn to stay safe in what we already know, but thisworld will not allow us to remain motionless for very long.The frequency and rapidity of change in today's worlddemands that students no longer be consumers of knowl-edge. Rather they must become synthesizers and genera-tors.

Ask yourself who you are as a teacher and what youwant to accomplish with your students. If you want to bea teacher as deliverer of instruction and informationrather than a facilitator of students as workers and discov-erers, then this type of project may not be suitable to yourway of working. But if you believe, as Oliver WendellHolmes did. that a three-story man reaches beyond theskylight, then read further. More than h ilding founda-tions and structure, teachers have the power to open theskylight so that their students can reach beyond the roof.If we are architects of learning, then knowledge is ourmedium. To tackle this project is challenging, oftentimesdaunting. but the rewards are bountiful and rich. From asuccessful, small, two-disciplined beginning, the interdis-ciplinary project iw.4reased in scope and sophistication toinclude a school anti community-wide event.

Approach and RationaleSouthern Regional Middle School has developed a

series of interdisciplinary projects which provide school-wide enrichment and promote a spirit of cooperation. Ourinstallations are the result of a seven year collaborationbetween a team of teachers, district administrators, antistudents.

The projects, which are thematic in nature, provide avehicle whereby connections are made between disciplinesstudied throughout the school day. Thus far, topics havebeen representative of cultural diversity, global and com-munity concerns, anti issues of the future. What thesethree experiences have in common is that a central topic isexplored with such depth that virtually every discipline inthe school is involved. Students utilize content area knowl-edge and a variety of life skills to create a cohesive anticomprehensive end product. They actively participate ina diverse learning experience where interpersonal, math-ematical, scientific, auditory, linguistic, visual and kines-thetic activities bring the idea to life in a unique andmeaningful way. As the project progresses, students be-

come aware of the interdependence of human intellect,creativity, and invention with the practical arts of con-struction and cooperation.

Our installations are validated by experts in order toensure authenticity. Educators and consultants who spe-cialize in history, science, technology, writing, theater andvisual arts advise a core team of teachers and students.Field trips, research, video tapes and school visitationssupplement what has been presented by experts.

Students are actively involved in the experience fromits inception to its closure. A sense of collegiality antiownership is borne out of a very focused, goal-orientedcommitment. We have found that in a non-graded setting,real life problem solving is powered by the strongest offorces: intrinsic motivation. Students invest large amountsof time and energy and so school takes on a new meaning.We have observed that students have become more criticalthinkers and have de :ted to work harder than ever beforeon independent study because their interest has beensparked in a unique anti creative way.

Goals of Interdisciplinary Project1. To learn skills necessary to work cooperatively2. To foster school community relationships3. To develop research skills to gain authentic knowledge4. To illustrate interconnections among disciplines5. To enable students to work within and develop skills

individual talent areas6. To broaden students' awareness and skills outside

of talent areas7. To increase levels of perseverance and commitment

when working toward a common goal.

ObjectivesStudents will:1. perform in-depth research2. help in constructing an exhibit3. participate in workshops4. develop organizational skills through planning and

implementing tasks related to project5. write anti perform original pieces related to the

project6. take part in specific lessons related to the project7. produce visual components of the project8. become change agents in confronting real

world issues.

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Japan was chosen as the theme for the 1992-93 inter-disciplinary project. As we close the 20th century. coun-tries will find it more difficult to exist as separate entities.The core team's decision to select Japan as the theme forour integrated curriculum project was based on our beliefthat through planning sound research and interdisciph-nary learning activities for our students, we could buildbridges of understanding and communication betweenAmericans and Japanese.

Economics, industry, technology, and informationimpact on the necessity for countries to work together formore global understanding and harmony. We believed thestudents needed to understand this concept; hencelapanbecame the vehicle to concretely illustrate the view that weare one common people inhabiting this earth.

The Tea House which was built by students for theJapanese Exhibit.

PHASE 1: PLANNING AND PREPARATIONThe choice of teachers for the core team is essential to

the success of the interdisciplinary project. The generalareas to be covered in the project are curriculum, visuals,organization, workshops, performance and construction.It does not matter from which discipline each teacher

/ comes, but it is vital that these be the areas of concentra-tion. Some characteristics of the teachers involved shouldinclude:

- diverse interests- fluent thinkers who generate a myriad of possibilities

flexible thinkers who approach problem-solving inmany waysoriginal thinkers who look for new, unusual, orunconventional combinations

- elaborative thinkers who can embellish on previouslyestablished ideas

- highly curious and energetic- intellectually playful- capable of having spirited disagreements and able tosynthesize project componentsmaintaining structure while tolerant of ambiguities

- highly intrinsically motivated- persistent and determined.

Core Group MeetingFollowing the organization of the core team. an initial

planning meeting should be scht,duled. It is best. hut notcritical, if this meeting can occur at least six months inadvance. At this time the topic is decided. The meeting isinformal and usually in a relaxed setting. This is the timeto dream big dreams without worrying too much aboutpractical limitations. While brainstorming every possibil-ity related to the topic, it is essential that someone recordwhat occurs at all meetings.

Between this mc eting and the next, gather any and allresources possible. These may be video tapes, audio tapes,magazines, photos. travel brochures, books. field experts,etc. They will form the basis for the direction of the nextmeeting. Try to peruse materials before going to the meet-ing so that colleagues can be directed toward specificinterest areas. For example. The Foreign Policy ResearchInstitute (Philadelphia) supported a presentation by Dr.Sheldon Garon. Princeton University. who addressedstaff on the future of United States-Japanese relations.Both the Japan Foundation and Japanese Embassy (NewYork City) were helpful in providing resources such asguest speakers. videotapes and brochure.

It is vitally important now that board approval andinitial administrative support be secured. It is critical toobtain administrative involvement if the project is tosucceed as a school-wide endeavor. Approximate budget-ary considerations, setting and testing out dates, planninglocation logistics will be some of the topics discussed withthe building principal. supervisors. and superintendent.

At the next core committee meeting, further refinewhat is to become the vision. Essential during an earlymeeting is the discussion of the physical layout of theinstallation complete with preliminary floor plans. Theconstruction specialist nee(Is to bring a diagram and per-haps a 3-1) cardboard model of space usage.

Depending on financial and space considerations, theinclusion of special ever ts such as guest lecturers andworkshops may be an option for discussion at this point.Workshops and guest lecturers became part of the inter-disciplinary project only after the process was firmlyestablished. However, an evening performance piece isstrongly recommended for the success of the project. Notonly does it enhance strong student motivation and in-volvement. but it also provides for familial and communityparticipation. Since ownership of the project need be withthe students, it would be wise if the core team were vigilantin limiting teacher dominance over decisions about what isto be included in the installation.

In this initial stage. it is imperative to notify thelibrarian and media specialist of the topic so that anextensive body of resources can be collected. I earningmodules and/or artifacts must be authentic. Therefore,begin to consider assembling and ordering resources in the

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form of videotapes, books. etc. In-depth background re-search in the library or with subject experts is requiredbefore any kind of construction begins.

At this point, community involvement v:4-a-vis par-ent gi Z' t ps or intergenerational mentoring might be re-quested as a possible aid in the project. Try to scheduleappearances at their upcoming meetings in order to intro-duce the project and solicit assistance such as serving aschaperones for field trips. sewing costumes, and assistingvisitors during the week of the installation.

This entire organizational process takes several m.-et-ings with the core team. Again. do not forget to documentthe minutes of every meeting so an accurate record ismaintai ,ed for administration and future reference. Theteam must be clear and unified in its goal at this junctureso that precise and accurate directions can he given tothose who will soon be participating.

Before speaking to any student about the project,professional courtesy dictates that the idea be introducedto the faculty. . preferably at a faculty meeting. Also, duringthe course of the project, updates need to be given toapprise the staff of any significant changes in scheduling orlogistics (i.e., rescheduling classroom space). Resourcessuch as videotapes. lesson plans or books need to be madeavailable for perusal.

If special events, workshops, and/or guest lecturerswill be part of your interdisciplinary project, then earlymeetings with satellite faculty need to lw scheduled toassign special jobs. In the past, faculty assistance has beenused for:

public relations liaisonspecial lighting for a drama performancetechnical assistance on cons ruction (luring afutures project

- sign language interpreter for puppet dramabased on local environmental concernscomputer and technology advisors

- workshop presentersdesign and construction of costumessupervision and implementation ofspecial events.

The core team must now plan a detailed materials listfor ordering purposes, and any potential field trips mustbe scouted, organized, and scheduled. Time needs to be setaside for members to immerse themselves in research forthe topic.

Because the team will be working so closely togetherfor an extended amount of time, communications must beattended to diligently. Problems can begin to arise as earlyas now. However, if care is taken to debrief and to listenattentively to each other, potentially troublesome situa-tions can be avoided. Now is the time for more specificplans for music, content of performance piece, and ar-rangements for public relations.

PHASE II: WORKING PROCESSAnnouncements to the whole school alert the student

body that the interdisciplinary project will commence withits first student organizational meeting. Do not be sur-prised if eight to ten percent of the student body and allability levels attend. The purpose of this meeting is a broadoverview for the students to understand the theme and thetopic and also to visualize what work needs to be done andwhat level of commitment is required for participation.

"nt

An example of the puppets developed by studentsfor the evening puppet show.

Elicit student ideas and have a student record them onlarge sheets of paper. Display the lists on the walls in theworkroom for easy reference. Students begin to decide inwbat area they would like to bc most involved (i.e.. con-struction, research, artifact production, (1 rama. writing.or organization). Assign or enlist a responsible studentwho is capable of taking photos and videotaping the entireprocess from inception to conclusion. It is essential todocument the project.

After every student session, the core team must meetto debrief and to plan for the next work session. It must lwstressed once more that team communication cannot beneglected. Once the momentum of the project is underway. ,it is too easy for the day-to-day concerns to heroine un-wieldy or neglected. Student work sessions must be plannedjust as lessons are planned. Students need to know what isexpected of them each day.

Topics for the core team to discuss are such items asdivision of labor, research and content of learning mod-ules, and special sessions for high-ability students. Anexample of a special session is "Living in the Library''.Students strongly motivated to do research on the topicchoose to sleep over in the library gathering materials togain authentic knowledge for learning modules and to planconstruction of' artifacts for the exhibit.

At this point in the working process, actual hands-onproduction begins in earnest. For the next six to eightweeks, in-depth class work, after-school work sessions,

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and even some weekend meetings will be necessary toconstruct the installation. Storage of visuals and artifactsneed to be considered now since you will begin to gatherthese items for the installation. Also. the actual installationarea needs to be prepared (i.e., cleaning, set up, etc).Building of the structures will commence now as well.Remind your photographer/video student to be present atall after-school sessions and to take as many photos aspossible. Ideally, research for learning modules has beencompleted by this time.

Students involved in classroom activities throughoutthe school day now begin to put the research to use. Thefollowing are examples of classroom projects used in pre-vious installations:

Technology education students wrote museumdescriptions using word processing programs.They also created interactive programs andhelped with pudicity.English classes wrote a script for a play andwrote Palm-of-Hand stories based onJapanese models.Gifted aml Talenh-d lizsses produced independentstudy projects to use in the exhibit and to present toother classes as a real-wiwid amlience.Art classes painted. sculpted. and createdartifacts. posters. and pottery appropriate tothe Japanese cidture.Math classes were exposed to the earliest formof the calculator, the abacus.Social Studies classes traced tensions betweenU.S. and Japan to the end of World War II.made topographical maps. and studiedpopulation concerns of the future.Home economics classes designed and sewedkimonos worn by every person who N iewed theexhibit, and made refreshments for the eveningperformance.Music classes rehearsed for and performed theJapanese national anthem at the evening eventand made musical instruments from differenttime periods.

Science clftsses studied the geology and theimpact of weather on Japan.Special education classes wrote haiku. designedand constructed fans and sculpted masks.Foreign language classes taught rudimentarylessons in Japanese and practiced calligraphy.

After school classes construeted. painted and assembled:- a life-sized I3uddha- a Shinto shrine

folded one thousand paper cranes inrecognition of childrens' desires for world-wide peace.created artifacts for the museum section of theexhibit (e.g.. a Samurai helmet and sword,dolls, bonsai, games, wedding kimono. scrolls).

It is now time for the core team member who isresponsible for scheduling to begin organizing in-districtclassrooms to visit the installation during the week thedisplay is on exhibit. Elementary schools and neighboringschools who will be visiting need to be contacted. Otherspecial groups who have seen previous exhibits are hearingimpaired students. senior citizens groups. and Girl andBoy Scout troops. We have also made provishms for theexhibits to be open on a Saturday morning for the localcommunity.

About three weeks before the exhibit opens to thepublic. posters designed by students should be sent to theprinter. The design can also lw used for programs for thenight of the evening performance and T-shirts which willbe worn by student participants during the week of theinstallation.

A few days before the opening. devise a way of tallyingvisitors. Computers or sign-in books have been used pre-viously to help with demographics of visitors. For ex-ample. over 6.000 visitors attended the Japan Exhibit.

It is strongly suggested that an evaluation form bedesigned for the following five groups:

student visitors to exhibit- community visitors to exhibit

student participants and workersfacultystudent and community workshop participants.

The data compiled will prove useful in recognizingstrengths and weaknesses of your project and for justifica-tion of the value of future endeavors.

PHASE III: WEEK OF INSTALLATIONIn the past. the exhibit has opened on Tuesday of the

week of the installation. Monday has been reserved forfinal preparathm.Monday

Refine all aspects of up-coming events of the week:add any last minute details to the artifacts

- clean the exhibit areacheck on workshops and/or presenterscore committee teachers do mock run throughfor timing

- cheek with principal for final questionsAfter school meeting with guides and explanationof student duties:

invite visitors to sign inprepare students for entering the exhibitlead through learning modulesgive educational talks in each areaoperate any sound and lighting technologyprotect the exhibit's artifactshelp ensure safety during walk throughmaintain cleanliness of installationcollect random samplings of evaluationsalert teachers to any disciplinary problems

14

The Docket Fall, 1993

- assign specific tasks and places for each guideact as youth ambassadors to community

- assist at evening performanceHave the student who is videotaping recorda formal walk through at this juncture.A brief rehearsal of the performance piece is held.

TuesdayFirst dav of exhibit openingCore committee teacher on duty for the day:- sets up sign-in procedures- sets up exhibit

switches on lights, souad. or computersconducts a practice run through with guidesbefore first scheduled visitors for the day arrive

- obtains a list of scheduled visitors from teammember responsible for scheduling

- sets up station for evaluations at exit- checks and rechecks placement of guides during

the dayis present at all times to maintain and managethe installation

- takes care of any problems that may ariseTours begin immediately after homeroomWorkshops will also begin on this dayA final dress rehearsal of the performance pieceis held after schoolRemind the student who is videotaping to bepr(sent for the evening performance.

WednesdayVisitations and workshops continueTeacher on duty follows Tuesday's gni& linesStudent duties - see MondayEvening performance and open visitation forcommunity (NB: evening performance may beany evening of the week)At the evening performance be sure to request themajority of visitors to complete evaluations.

ThursdayVisitations and workshops continueTeacher on duty follows Tuesday's guidelinesStudent duties - see MondayWear and tear begins to become evident this latein the exhibit. Strict vigilance towardsmanagement and maintenance of the exhibit mustbe adhered to at this time.

FridayVisitations and workshops continueTeacher on duty follows Tuesday's guidelinesStudent duties - see Monday.

SaturdayFinal tours of exhibit from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.for general populationAll core teachers are presentVisitations and workshops continueTeachers follow Tuesday's guidelinesStudents duties - see MondayRequest majority of visitors to complete evaluations

Break-down Session:Before striking the installation, we have found afinal walk through with all guides has been anemotional experience for closure.All workers need to be present from 1:00-5:00p.m. to dismantle the project and clean up.We have a final pizza party as celebration of a jobwell done.As added incentive for clean up, souvenirs of theexhibit will be distributed at this time to studentparticipants/workers/guides.Make sure you allot time for a student debriefingsession.The core committee has a final debriefing sessionafter all students leave in an informal setting.

OUTCOMESDuring the week-long activities for the Japanese Fes-

tival, our grade 7-9 building was transformed through theeyes of another culture. In addition to coordinating lessonsabout Japanese culture across the curriculum, workshopswhich were planned for teachers and community membersincreased community/staff communication about socialstudies issues. A Japanese language program was intro-duced this school year with over 100 students studying thefirst level of Japanese. In March, 1994, 15 Japanesestudents from Sosa High School, Chiba, Japan will spendthree weeks in our school as part of a sister school pro-gram.

The evaluations from students, parents, staff, andcommunity members were highly positive. The JapaneseFt-stival was independently evaluated by a research teamfrom Stockton State College, which included ProfessorWilliam Daly, Professor of Political Science, and Dr. AnnBirdwhistell, Professor of Asian Civilization. They re-ported, "In sum... the students put on a remarkableexhibit that quite faithfully reflected a variety of aspects ofJapanese culture. In studying anotber culture, the stu-dents seemed to be learning about many thingsJapaneseart, literature, religion, architecture, geographyto namea few. In addition, they seemed to be learning the impor:tant values of tolerance for and acceptance of other peoplesand cultures."

We believe in the dream. We believe in the vision. Andwe go forth despite our fear. As teachers and leaders, weinvite our children with us on the journey, and in returnthey remind us of the child-like wonder that is the nucleusof creativity. If we want our students to become creativeproducers in the future, we must allow them to be creativeproblem solvers in the present.

To say that the interdisciplinary project is an enor-mous amount of work understates the energy, time, andcommitment required. But it is the work that is meaning-ful, gives back to the world, and has a momentum of its ownwhich propels students forward as thinkers and producer;in our world. What more can educators ask of theircharges?

15

.13 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

BE ASOCIALII 111

STUDIES WIN'

Attention Social Studies Teachers:

Take Charge of Your Profession!The New Jersey Council for the Social Studies. in support of professional membership in theNational Council for the Social Studies, offers a year's membership free in NJCSS when you jc inNCSS. This offer is open only to persons who are NOT NCSS members, nor have been members inthe past six months. Student memberships and NCSS renewals do not qualify. To qualify, send yourpayment to NJCSS, in care of Sandy Haftel, NJCSS, 4 Cambridge Drive, Allendale, NJ 07401.

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NCSS makes al ailable the full or partial list of its members to PfT-tain carefully selected companies or organizations sers ing socialstudies educators. If y do not %%lint your mime included pleasecheck this box: J

Membership is: ....I New -j lienessal

0 Regular Memberinstitution S60

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Choose one J Social EducationSocial Studies and The Young twarner

will reCeiVt bulhtins. The Social tudies Professional.Annttal Meeting discount s. and all other member benefits.

Join through your local Counciland they will receive 50%

of your NCSS dues!

New Jersey Council for the Social StudiesMembership ApplicationPleton. Print or Typ Title (Choose one)

J Teacher/InstructorName J Chairperson of Department/Program

Home J Supers isorJ Dept. of Edovation/ASSoviation

Cit "'tate Zip J Apnc/Societlome Phone I J l'oblisher/Voblisher Represent:ilk e

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BEST COPY AVAILABLE

New Jersy Council for the Social StudiesBoard of Directors, 1993-1994

President, 1993-1994Mr. Marvin FenichelNorth Burlington CountyRegional High SchoolGeorgetown RoadColumbus. NJ 08022609- 298-3900

President Elect, 1993-1994Ms. Sandra HanelBrookside Middle School100 Brookside AVelltleAllendale. NJ 07401201-327-2021

Vice-President, 1993-1995Mr. Tom CropBrIgewater-Raritan 1Iigh SchoolP.O. Box 6569Merriwood RoadBridgewater. NJ 08807908-231-8660, ext. 75

Secretary, 1991-1993Ms. Linda MurchioFriphold 'rownship High SchoolElton Adelphia RoadFreehold. NJ 08857908-431-8464

Treasurer, 1991-1993Mr. Earl CrawfordMonroe Town Alp High SchoolPerrineville RoadJamesburg, NJ 08831908-521-2882

Director, North, 1992-1995Mr. Alan LucibelloMontville High School100 Horseneck RoadMontville, NJ 07950210-331-7100

Director, North, 1993-1996Mr. Alan DeaettGeln Rock High School400 Hamilton AvenueGlen Rock, NJ 07452201-445-7700

Director, North, 1991-1994Ms. Elaine GiuglianoNew Milford High SchoolRiver RoadNew Milford. NJ 07646201-262-0177

Director, North, 1991-1994Ms. Diane CastinoHoniss SchoolDepew StreetDumont. NJ 07628201-387-3020

Director, North, 1992-1994Mr. Jeffery BrownGlobal Learning, Inc.1018 Stuyvesant AvenueUnion, NJ 07083908-964-1114

Director, Central, 1992-1995Ms. Michele BrennanHurnson-Fair Haven Regionallligh School74 Ridge RoadRumson, NJ 07760-0074908-842-1597

Director, Central, 1990-1993Mr. Lance FialkoffRumson-Fair Haven RegionalHigh School74 Ridge RoadRumson, NJ 07760-0074908-842-1597

Director, Central, 1991-1994Mr. David MiersVoorhees High SchoolRoute 513Glen Gardner, NJ 08826908-638-6116

Direct- Central, 1991-1994Ms. Pat JanosHunterdon Central High SchoolRoute 31Flemington, NJ 08822908-782-5727

I

Director, Central, 1992-1995Ms. Mary Ann SavinoCentral Elementary School371 Cranbury RoadEast Brunswick, NJ 08816908-613-6820

Director, South, 1993-1996Ms. Betsy CarpenterEd. CoordinatorPinelands CommissionP.O. Box 7New Lisbon, NJ 08064609-894-9342

Director, South, 1991-1994Ms. Avis CooperCinnaminson Middle SchoolFork Landing RoadCinnaminson, NJ 08077609-786-8012

Director, South, 1991-1994Mr. Per OwerGalloway Township Public Schools101 South Reeds RoadAbsecon. NJ 08201609-748-1250

Director, South, 1992-1995Ms. Eve StuartIndiana Avenue School117 North Indiana AvenueAtlantic City, NJ 08401609-343-7280

Director, South, 1992-1995Ms. Jeanne DoremusVineland Board of Education625 Plum StreetVineland, NJ 08360609-794-6773

Immediate Past President,1992-1993Ms. Janice Tupaj-FarthingHunderdon Central High SchoolRoute 31Flemington, NJ 08822908-782-5727

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