The last TEA workshop of the school year featured Julia Misawa, the art director of Boulder Taiko HIBIKI, a Japanese drum group. The workshop, Taiko Japanese Drumming, was part of the Arts of Asia in the Classroom workshop series. Participants learned about the history and significance of Taiko in Japanese culture and the background of the instruments used in the art form.

The educators who took part experienced Taiko first-hand. Julia taught some of the beats and songs, and participants practiced as a group. Following the hands-on drumming portion, educators took part in a curriculum session, The Drums of Noto Hanto: The Farmer and the Samurai in Medieval Japan, led by Catherine Ishida, TEA's Japan Project Coordinator. Catherine demonstrated how to teach about taiko through the story of an ancient village that was attacked by an army of samurai warriors, and how they worked together to ward off the threat. Other resources for teaching about taiko in the classroom were also explored.

On Tuesday, April 8, educators explored arts of the Silk Road guided by scholars Judith Frey and Stephen Whiteman at the Denver Art Museum. The workshop aimed to deepen understanding of the history of the Silk Road in China and West Asia. Judith lectured and showed slides on Islamic Art and Architecture in the Silk Road Cities of Western Asia; Stephen continued east, speaking on Religion and Culture Along the Silk Road from India to China.

CCTEA Japan Study Tour: Text and Contexts
Fourteen Colorado elementary-level teachers will join TEA staff on a study tour to Japan, June 12-July 10, 2008.  The tour, entitled Texts and Contexts: Japan through Children’s Literature, is an opportunity for elementary educators to engage in experiential and in-depth study of Japan and its culture.  This year’s study tour and the state-side accompanying trainings will emphasize integrating Japan across the elementary curriculum through children’s books.  Participants will create curriculum based on children’s literature set in the cities/prefectures of Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Okayama, Yamagata, and Kanagawa.  These destinations comprise the planned itinerary for the four-week tour, which is funded by the Freeman Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.  We congratulate the following teachers, who have been selected for this opportunity: 

Barrett Beshoar, Montrose, CO
Wendy Blasingame, Breckenridge, CO
Blanca Carbajal Rodriguez, Frederick, CO
Michael Carlson, Englewood, CO
Christine Cervera, Thornton, CO
Gina Dupre, Colorado Springs, CO
Leah Ebel, Colorado Springs, CO 
Noel Gannett, Basalt, CO 
Brenda Gates, Boulder, CO
Kathy Keidel, Buena Vista, CO
Stacey Mandel, Lafayette, CO
Karen Munch, Pueblo, CO
Gail Stine, Englewood, CO
Wendy Thoresen, Boulder, CO

NCTA Study Tour: Visualizing Japan: History, Contemporary Culture, and the Arts
This year's NCTA study tour for Univeristy of Colorado seminar alumni will go to Japan. During June 25-July 16, participants will visit schools, meet with specialists and artists, experience homestays, and talk with atomic bomb survivors. Cities on the itinerary include Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Yamagata. Participants will explore questions such as:

• How do arts and architecture capture what it means to be Japanese?
• How are Buddhist and Shinto beliefs reflected in temple and shrine design and decoration?
• What is the relationship between pop culture, such as anime, and traditional art forms, such as woodblock prints?
• What Japanese philosophies and values link tea ceremony, sumo, and baseball?

Congratulations to this year's selected participants:

Antony Deter, Dixon, IL
Margaret Engman, Appleton, WI
Jane Hedgecock, Norfolk, VA
Kathleen Hertlein, Washington, MO
Christine Joslin, Des Moines, IA
Kyeongja Kim, Madison, WI
Kimberly Meller, Iowa City, IA
Steven Palmer, Ahoskie, NC
Sue Protheroe, Iowa City, IA
David Romine, Colorado Springs, CO
Abbie Gail Salazar-Francone, Westminster, CO
Darcy Scheer, Denver, CO
Matthew Smith, Oakland, CA
Rebecca Lewis Smith, Springfield, MO
Lisa Westerfield, Colorado Springs, CO
Abigail Galipault Whited, Westminster, CO

2008 Summer Institute: China's Transformations on the Eve of the Olympics
July 21-30, participants will analyze China's recent economic, political, and social changes, including such issues as the embrace of capitalism, the widening income gap and urban-rural divide, social unrest, and environmental challenges. Congratulations to this year's selected participants:

Gabrielle Bougher, Concord, NH
Thomas Brodnitzki, Barkhamsted, CT
Jordan Brown, Taipei, Taiwan
Dorothy Connor, Dunedin, FL
Joseph Esposito, St. Louis, MO
Renee French, Montrose, CO
Russell Irving, Waldwick, NJ
Matthew Jason, Lansing, MI
Charlene Johnson, Alexandria, LA
Rosalyn Kim, Teaneck, NJ
Jeannine Kuropatkin, Mesa, AZ
Laurence Leonhardt, Indianapolis, IN
Kristy McGuire, Omaha, NE
Robert Moyer, Elkins Park, PA
Cynthia Ryan, Barrington, RI
Brady Schmidt, Henderson, CO
Eric Schulz, Marion, IA
Melanie Schulze, Austin, TX
Sharlyn Scott, Chandler, AZ
Joseph Selfridge, Philadelphia, PA
Ronald Sivillo, Pittsburgh, PA
Christopher Stabile, Kentwood, MI
Justin Voldman, Rochester, NY

May 2: Jackson/Ho China-East Asia Forum. The free forum will be held from 4-5:30 pm in room 301 of Ben Cherrington Hall at University of Denver. Lijia Zhang will present her book Socialism Is Great! A Worker's Memoir of the New China. Ms. Zhang was born and raised in Nanjing, China. At the age of 16, she was pulled out of school and began her decade-long job at a rocket factory, where she taught herself English. In 1990, Lijia went to England, where she pursued her childhood dream of studying journalism. Her features have appeared in many international publications. Her memoir Socialism is Great! has just been published by Atlas Books in New York. She is a regular speaker on the BBC, Channel 4 and National Public Radio. Please RSVP by email to ccusc@du.edu or call 303-871-4474 no later than Wednesday, April 30.

Through May 4: The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art presents the works of Susan Lee-Chun, Yumi Janairo Roth, Hiroshi Watanabe, and Wang Jing. The artists in the show have roots in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and China, and their work explores the complexity of contemporary Asian and Asian American identity and heritage. Each artist demonstrates a unique response to a cross-cultural perspective, exploring issues of tradition, markers of ethnicity, and the importance of place. In addition A Taste of China, guest curated by Dr. David Raddock, will include works by Wang Jing. The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art is located at 1750 13th Street in downtown Boulder, Colorado. Current museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm; Sunday noon to 3 pm; closed Monday. Regular museum admission is $5 for adults; $4 for students and seniors. Free to museum members and children under 12. For public information call 303-443-2122 or visit their website.

May 9: The Emperor's Gardens: Landscape and Power in Late Imperial China. This lecture is part of the Asian Art Association series at the Denver Art Museum and will be held in DAM's Schlessman Hall, 6:30-7:30 pm. Mr. Stephen Whiteman will again present “The Emperor's Gardens: Landscape and Power in Late Imperial China.” Contact Heidi Quist for more information or with questions.         

May 17: Amache Pilgrimage. A visit to the Amache Japanese-American internment site sponsored by the Japanese Association of Colorado. Ceremonies will be held on site. Pick-up will be at 6:00 a.m. from Simpson United Methodist Church, estimated time of return to Denver is 6:30 p.m. Cost is $25 per person. Contact Rose Shibao at 303-426-7874. 

May 16: A Lecture, Discussion, Book Signing, and Reception with Mr. Adam Schrager. Adam Schrager, a 9NEWS reporter, and the author of The Principled Politician: The Ralph Carr Story will lecture on Former Governor of Colorado, the Honorable Ralph Carr, who was the only governor to protect the Japanese-American’s constitutional rights in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. Admission is free. The event will be held at Simpson United Methodist Church: 6001 Wolff St., Arvada, CO 80003. Contact Kent Kuroda at 303-423-7666.

New Opportunities

June 2 (deadline). June 16 and July 14-18: IOWA ONLY: Summer 2008 NCTA East Asian Studies Seminar. The residential seminar will meet at TEA's NCTA partner site University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA. This 30-hour seminar offers secondary teachers in Iowa the opportunity to engage in study, analysis, and discussion of new scholarship related to Chinese and Japanese history, geography, and culture. The seminar will emphasize a humanities approach, incorporating primary source "texts" from history, literature, art, and government. Seminar content will be tied to state and national standards in history and geography. Contact ncta@uiowa.edu to register.

June 5 (deadline). July 3-6: Whose America? Who's American? Diversity, Civil Liberties, and Social Justice. Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center. Part of the three-year project Enduring Communities: The Japanese American Experience in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. The conference is a collaboration between educators, communities, students, and the Japanese American National Museum to create curricula about the Japanese American World War II experience for every classroom in these five states. It will feature a fascinating array of guest speakers who will examine the connections between the Japanese American experience and the historical and contemporary issues surrounding democracy and civil rights.

May 8 -June 8 or July 6-Aug. 6: Shaolin Kung Fu Summer Camp. Are you interested in Martial Arts and Chinese culture? Then why not join this Shaolin Kung Fu Summer Camp in China organized by DH International and Shaolin Temple Tagou Martial Arts Institute? The summer camp is located right by Shaolin Temple. You will learn genuine Kung Fu plus free optional Mandarin language courses in China’s most professional and influential martial arts institute, and also enjoy the 5000 years' culture and much more. No gender or age limit! No previous Kung Fu skills or Chinese language required. Package fee: from US $1238 (including training, accommodation and transport except airfares and insurance).

May 16 (deadline): Host a Chinese or Arabic Language Teacher. Applications to host an exchange teacher of Chinese or Arabic during the 2008-2009 school year through the American Councils for International Education Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP) are now available. TCLP looks to build U.S. schools' capacities to offer Chinese and Arabic programs, as these languages are indeed critically important for both the current and future generations. Moreover, both China and the Middle East have rich, vibrant, and deep cultures and histories, and our students can learn a great deal from them. Reciprocally, our exchange teachers can learn a great deal about American culture while improving their English and gaining experience in teaching methodologies.

June 15-July 2: Chinese Pedagogy Institute at The Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. The East Asian Studies Center at IU is still accepting applications for their residential program that offers 4-5 hours of graduate-level credit (at no cost to participants) to 24 prospective and current middle and high school Chinese teachers recruited nationally. Sixteen teachers will be placed in the beginning track, which will focus on lesson planning and classroom instruction, and eight teachers in the advanced track, which will highlight curriculum design, material development, and assessment. In addition to tuition, instructional materials, lodging, and meals will be fully covered.

Valparaiso University Summer Advanced Chinese Program. Valparaiso University (VU) invites K-12 teachers who have studied at least two years of college-level Chinese or its equivalent to participate in the 2008 VU Summer Advanced Chinese Program (SACP) in Hangzhou, China. Two seats remain for K-12 teachers; they will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified applicants. Admitted participants are required to pay a non-refundable $150 deposit to hold their seat upon being admitted to the 2008 SACP.

Reminders of Formerly Mentioned Opportunities

May 20 (deadline): Final Call for World History Manuscripts: EAA Fall 2008. Education About Asia (EAA) is the peer-reviewed teaching journal of the Association for Asian Studies. Readers include undergraduate instructors as well as high school and middle school teachers. Articles are intended to provide educators, who are often not specialists, with basic understanding of Asia-related content. EAA is in the process of developing a special section in the fall 2008 issue entitled “Asia in World History: 1750–1914.” For this special section, EAA is seeking articles in which authors help teachers and students to better understand Asia in modern world history. EAA is seeking manuscripts about all areas of Asia. EAA is also interested in Asia-related manuscripts on maritime, environmental, and economic history. All manuscripts should be written for high-school and undergraduate world history and social science instructors. EAA is most interested in manuscripts that are useful for survey-level courses. Prospective authors should consult the EAA guidelines, available online. Contact Lucien Ellington with questions.

June 23-26: AP Summer Institutes at the University of Denver’s Center for Teaching International Relations (CTIR). AP Economics, AP European History, and AP World History. Each session of the Institute will be held on the University of Denver campus and will cover different aspects of each AP course as well as its respective exam. Participants will actively engage in discussions and sample lessons. Institute leaders may also provide Internet resources and ways to effectively utilize computer lab time in AP courses. Both new and experienced AP teachers are encouraged to attend.  Experienced AP teachers are encouraged to share materials from their classrooms. Institute cost: $600 early bird (register by May 26); $650 regular cost (register after May 26).

July 20-Aug. 24: 2008 Beijing Olympics China Study Program for Students. Open to all college students in the United States. Offered by College of Business at Northeastern State University, Oklahoma. The group will travel to Beijing with visits to Shanghai (soccer venue) and Qingdao (sailing venue). The focus of the program will be on the development of cross-cultural knowledge and competence, and sport business/management skills through activities, guest lectures, and Chinese business/sport networking opportunities. Participants will provide support to Team-USA members for the Beijing Olympics at the USOC training center in Beijing. Email: ballsl@nsuok.edu or pan@nsuok.edu with questions.

The Program for Teaching East Asia
University of Colorado at Boulder
595 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309

(303) 735-5122

TEA Offers Resources for Teaching about China's Transformation on the Eve of the Olympics. The complexities and challenges of China today require resources to tap into Olympic preparations and news coverage to explore and examine modern China's transformations. Key issues that create a lens for us to analyze these transformations include the economy, media literacy, the Olympics, the environment, democracy, and Tibet and recent human rights issues. Check out this compilation of web sites, books, videos, and other resources from this year's series of workshops for educators and a presentation at the 2008 Colorado Council on Social Studies Conference from TEA.

China's Journey: A Great Nation on the Move, June 2008's issue of National Geographic. Chinese history has become the story of average citizens. But there are risks when a nation depends on the individual dreams of 1.3 billion people rather than a coherent political system with clear rule of law. Check out this great series of articles and photographs from National Geographic.

NCTA Chicago Blog. Teachers are invited to visit the Asia: Learning From, Teaching About blog, which has postings on topics of interest not limited to Chicago! The blog includes ideas and resources about teaching about China, Japan, and Korea from fellow educators.

Choices offers Curriculum for Teaching about Current Issues in Taiwan, Tibet, and China. Events in Taiwan, Tibet, and China are in the news. In and around Tibet, protests against the Chinese government have been met with a crackdown from Chinese security forces. The violence in Tibet has escalated to levels not seen in 20 years, and influenced the recent elections presidential elections in Taiwan. China on the World Stage: Weighing the U.S. Response (2008 edition) provides background on these issues, including an extensive lesson plan on the relationships among China, Taiwan, and the United States. These resources can help your students make sense of the news and explain why American leaders are paying close attention to the conflicts.

Please Vote for Me. Independent Lens created this documentary about an experiment in democracy in Wuhan, the most populous city in central China. For the first time ever, the students in grade three at Evergreen Primary School in Wuhan, China have been asked to elect a class monitor. Traditionally appointed by the teacher, the class monitor holds a powerful position, helping to control the students, keeping them on task, and doling out punishment to those who disobey. This site offers a 10-minute video module, educator's guide, and discussion guide.

TEA Suggestions of Asian Films That Teach About Children's Roles in Other Countries

China

China's Stolen Children takes the audience into the heart of modern China. With extraordinary access to devastated parents desperately searching for their stolen son; a man who brokers the deals and has sold his own offspring; and prospective parents grappling with giving up their soon-to-be-born daughter through lack of options, the audience is brought face to face with the crisis that the government's One Child policy has created among its poorest people.

The King of Masks is the story of Wang, a locally renowned street performer and wizard of the venerable art of mask magic, who yearns to pass on his technique. But custom prescribes that he can only hand down his craft to a male successor. Anxious to preserve his unique art, the heirless Wang buys an impoverished eight-year-old on the black market. When the child divulges a dreaded secret, Wang faces a choice between filial love and societal tradition. Available on Netflix.

Peacock is set in the 1970s in a small town in China. A middle aged couple has three children. The eldest son is obese and mentally challenged, therefore he is teased and outcast by others. The second child is an outgoing and energetic daughter, who is not afraid of doing anything to pursue her dreams or to survive. The youngest child is a shy and quiet boy who is ashamed by his older brother and tries to break away from the misery in his family. Breaking into three sections focusing on each of these siblings, the film allows us to look into the lives of ordinary Chinese people the in 70s.

India

Belly Full of Dreams is about Ramu, a boy of nine, who had a simple dream of going to school. As with everything in his life, he invested the dream in the belly of the puppet Narrator Know-it-all. Know-it-all, knowing it all, realized that the dream would lie wasted if he didn't talk about it and so began the fable of Ramu—a rag picker who carries the burden of supporting a lazy father, a sickly mother, and a life not facilitating his immediate fundamental right of education.

Salaam Bombay! is the story of Krishna, Manju, Chillum, and the other children on the streets of Bombay. Sometimes they can get a temporary job sellng tea, but mostly they have to beg for money and keep out of the way of the police. Tired of being continuously bullied by his elder brother, Krishna sets fire to his motor-bike, and this gets him into big trouble with his mother. She takes him to the nearby Apollo Circus, and tells him that he can only come home after he earns enough money to pay for the damaged bike. Available on Netflix.

Japan

Village of Dreams is directed by Yoichi Higashi and is about twin boys in rural Japan after WWII. This movie reminds the audience of children’s loss of innocence, exploration, and imagination that comes with industrialization. This idea is also expressed by the creator of Pokemon, Satoshi Tajiri, and in the films of the renowned anime director, Hayao Miyazaki. Available on Netflix.

The Children, Youth and Environment Center for Research and Design located on the Boulder and Denver campuses is in the planning stage of a film festival for Fall of 2008 and Spring of 2009 with the above-mentioned theme. Stay tuned for updates!

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