On February 23, 25 K-8 educators attended the Folklore as a Window into Chinese Culture Workshop, featuring Ji-li Jiang. Ji-li is the author of The Magical Monkey King and Red Scarf Girl, two books that are used in middle and high schools to teach about China. Attendees also received personalized, signed copies of The Magical Monkey King.

Lynn Hannapel, a third-grade teacher and literacy coach at Indian Peaks Elementary in Longmont, CO, led a session on shadow puppet theater. Six of her students performed a short theater piece about the birth of the Monkey King. Curriculum sessions in the afternoon included Geography and History, Lessons from Folklore, and Chinese Themes, Global Themes using Monkey King by TEA staff.

The Colorado Council of the International Reading Association held its annual conference February 6-9, 2008. Presenting at the conference were three alumni from the TEA 2007 Texts and Contexts study tour to Japan for elementary teachers. These alums shared lessons developed by the study tour group, using children's literature featured on the study tour to develop understanding of Japan.

Rebecca Laverdure, a first-grade teacher at Lafayette Elementary School, led a two-hour workshop on the first full day of the conference.  Using the Japan Digest, “Fiction about Japan in the Elementary Curriculum” by Mary Bernson, Rebecca engaged the participants with a discussion of authentic literature and teachers’ responsibility to choose culturally appropriate books.  She used The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars to apply this reading and to discuss the unit the study tour group developed around this book.  She demonstrated the “Kamishibai Man” lesson by reading The Story of Tanabata in kamishibai format.  Rebecca also demonstrated “The Rules of Haiku” lesson, which features the book, Grass Sandals.  Participants were intrigued with both lessons and commented that learning the history behind the formats of kamishibai and haiku will enrich their teaching.

Gayle Green, a second-grade teacher at The Alexander Dawson School, and Mandy Lover, a first-grade teacher at Breckenridge Elementary School, co-presented on Friday, February 9. Mandy led the participants in inquiry lessons using artifacts and photos from Japan.  She demonstrated a photo essay lesson--a writing activity for students using authentic photos from Japan.  Mandy also shared a photo exchange she is coordinating for her school and an international school in Hiroshima. Gayle introduced five of the works of children’s literature featured during the study tour. She gave a synopsis of each book, using actual photos from the study tour, and described the lessons the study tour group developed for each book.

March 8: Asia Day. 10:30 am -4:30 pm at Eaton Humanities on the CU campus. The Center for Asian Studies is pleased to invite you to our seventh annual Asia Day. At Asia Day you can:

• Experience music and dance from different Asian countries
  learn an Asian language
• See, hear, and participate in demonstrations of Asian arts and cultures
• Listen to fascinating talks on issues from across Asia
• Win door prizes and sample tasty snacks from a variety of Asian countries

If you would like to volunteer or have questions about this year's festivities, please email cas@colorado.edu.

March 15: Democracy in China: Now? How? Ever? Workshop for educators. Part of the China's Transformations on the Eve of the Olympics Series. As China’s economy and society modernize, what are the implications for political reform and the growth of democracy? Rapid reforms have created opportunities for citizen participation at many levels and in surprising ways. But does flourishing capitalism indicate that democratic reforms cannot be far behind? This workshop will explore questions surrounding political reform and the emergence of civil society in China. Registration deadline is March 7.

April 8: Arts of the Silk Road Educator Workshop. Part of the Arts of Asia in the Classroom Workshop Series. A TEA and SSEWA Program at the Denver Art Museum, 5-8 pm. Scholars Judith Frey and Stephen Whiteman will trace a medieval journey along the Silk Road trade routes of Asia through art pieces at the Denver Art Museum collection. Deadline to register: April 1.

April 19: Taiko Drumming Workshop for Educators. 9am-12 noon. This workshop will feature Julia Misawa, art director and instructor of Boulder Taiko HIBIKI, Japanese drum group. Deadline to register: April 11.

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.

March 7 (deadline): Summer Institute for Secondary Teachers: China’s Transformations on the Eve of the Olympics at University of Colorado at Boulder, July 21-30, 2008. All eyes are on China as it prepares for the 2008 Olympics. At such a critical time, it is important for American students and teachers to understand the dynamic issues that define China today. Summer institute participants will analyze China’s recent economic, political, and social changes, including such issues as political changes and individual freedom issues; environmental challenges of rapid modernization; the growing divides between rich and poor, urban and rural in China today; as well as insights into world media coverage of China and the Olympics. All major participant costs of the institute are covered through a grant by the Freeman Foundation. Applications are available here and must be received by March 7. For more information, e-mail Jon.Zeljo@colorado.edu.

New Opportunities

February 29 (deadline): Study Tour 2008: China’s Geography: Southeast Coast (July 2-23, 2008). Continuing its multi-year focus on China’s diverse human and physical geography, Teach China invites all qualified K-12 educators to apply for this exciting three-week study tour through cities and sites in China’s southeast region. The proposed itinerary includes travel to the megacities of Shanghai and Hong Kong, and excursions to cities and rural villages in Zhejiang, Fuzhou, and Guangzhou provinces. Highlights include a visit to Suzhou’s scholar gardens and watching the sunrise on the peaks of the magnificent Mount Huang. Thanks to the generosity of the Freeman Foundation, China Institute is able to offer this tour to educators at the rate of $950, which includes airfare, meals, lodging, and tour activities.

March 1 (deadline): Studies Abroad for Global Education (SAGE) Educator Study Tour to India. July 24-August 9, 2008, the Heritage Institute, in conjunction with Antioch University in Seattle, will offer teachers the opportunity to receive continuing education credit on the "Encounter India" study tour for educators. During this study tour, K-12 educators will focus on such themes as Indian history and religious diversity, while experiencing life in India's modern cities and rural areas. This educational adventure is designed to be inquiry-based, with all participants guided by their own questions. A variety of themes will be explored by the entire group.

March 4 (deadline): Intensive Summer Language Institutes. The Department of State is pleased to announce Intensive Summer Language Institutes (ISLI) in Chinese, Arabic, and Russian for 2008, part of the National Security Language Initiative. The goal of the program is to strengthen foreign language instruction in critical languages at U.S. schools by providing teachers with the opportunity to study intermediate- and advanced-level Chinese, Arabic, and Russian overseas.

March 14-16: Theatre Nohgaku Announces Writers Workshop at the Studio Theater in Washington, D.C. This sixth annual workshop will be led by Theater Nohgaku Artistic Director Richard Emmert. The goal is to familiarize participants with the structure and character of noh drama in the hopes of guiding them towards the creation of new noh plays for TN. TN is a multi-national theatre company championing the creation and performance of new English-language noh. The TN Writers Workshop began in Tokyo in 2003 and has subsequently alternated between Japan and the United States. Pine Barrens, a product of the 2003 workshop and written by TN member and Philadelphia playwright Greg Giovanni with music by Emmert, was toured by TN in North Carolina and Virginia in 2006. TN hopes to add to the canon of performable English noh by introducing noh's complex structural layering of spoken text, sung poetic text, musical accompaniment, and dance to today's inspired writers. Past participants have included award-winning playwrights Erik Ehn, Ruth Margraff, Chiori Miyagawa, and Deborah Brevoort, musical lyricist and composer Eric Schorr, and poet Lee Ann Brown. The participation fee for the workshop is $150, which includes copied materials for the three days of seminars. The cost does NOT include transportation to and from the venue of the workshop, nor accommodations or food while attending.

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).

Reminders of Formerly Mentioned Opportunities

March 17 (deadline): Pearl Harbor:  History, Memory, Memorial.  An NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop offered by the AsiaPacificEd Program at the East-West Center provides teachers with a variety of narratives focusing on both American and Japanese perspectives.  Participants will also develop teaching units that incorporate material from the workshop.  Dates:  two opportunities on July 26-August 1, 2008, and August 2-8, 2008, in Honolulu. Application deadline:  March 17.  Contact:  AsiaPacificEd Program at the East-West Center, 808-944-7378, asiapacificed@eastwestcenter.org.

April 17-19: Building Global Competence of U.S. Students: Making Chinese Accessible for All. Renaissance Hotel, Washington, D.C. College Board and Asia Society are co-organizing this national conference on Chinese language programs in American schools. Hear U.S. and international, political, economic, and educational leaders share their visions, plans, or programs for Chinese language education in the global age. Learn:

• How to make the case for Chinese in your school and community
• Bring meaningful Chinese language programs to all students
• Model your program after best practices and research
• Prepare or find highly-qualified Chinese language teachers
• Discuss other relevant topics

June 18-July 17: Fulbright Program to South Korea for secondary social studies teachers.  Western Illinois University. Priority consideration will be given to early applicants.  Program approval of the grant application is pending. Fulbright-funded travel-study tour to South Korea led by director, Dr. Siyoung Park, Department of Geography, and curriculum specialist, Patricia Jones, University Advising and Academic Support Services. Twelve secondary social science teachers will be competitively selected to participate. The Fulbright-Hays grant would fund:  airfare, accommodation, food allowance, and the majority of land travel expenses for the travel to Korea and during the time of the program. Additional information and application materials are available by contacting: Dr. Siyoung Park, S-Park@wiu.edu, or Ms. Patricia Jones, PI-Jones@wiu.edu.

July 7-11, 2008: The Fifth Annual Seminar on Korean History and Culture and the Korean American Experience for K-12 Educators in Los Angeles. This five-day seminar includes over 60 elementary, middle, and high school public and independent school teachers, administrators, and curricular supervisors.  It offers a unique opportunity to learn about Korean history and culture and the Korean American experience. $75 registration fee. Sponsors: The Korean Cultural Center and the Korea Academy for Educators (KAFE), a recently established non-profit. For applications and more information, contact Mary Connor at Mary@KoreaAcademy.org.

July 13-19, 2008: Indiana University's East Asian Studies Center’s 2008 Teaching East Asian Literature in the High School workshop. Application and information about the workshop, schedules, reading lists, and lesson plans from previous years’ workshops are now available online. The workshop, to take place in Bloomington, Indiana, is generously funded by the Freeman Foundation. This weeklong workshop provides a broad overview of East Asian literature to high school English and world literature teachers. Participants are responsible for a $60 registration fee (if accepted), two meals a day during the workshop, and travel to and from Bloomington. All other costs will be covered. Deadline to apply: March 7.

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

Chinese New Year Resources from the Asia Society. Here is a terrific new link to an Asia Society website with information and lesson plans related to the celebration of Chinese New Year that began on February 7. Xin chun kuai le!

The Shape of Things: Chinese and Japanese Art from the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection. The collection is on exhibit at the Asia Society and Museum in New York City through July 20. There are also pieces of the collection available online at: http://www.asiasociety.org/arts/shape/ritual.html. The different categories include ritual and religious objects, objects for daily use, and decorative objects.

Revised Choices China Unit. A revised version of China on the World Stage: Weighing the U.S. Response is now available. The unit has been changed significantly, and now includes updated and reorganized readings, new lesson plans, and more graphics. One new lesson investigates complex U.S.-China-Taiwan relationships, helping students to understand this regional conflict through political cartoons, a newspaper article, a timeline, statements from leaders, social and economic statistics, and policies from each side. The unit also includes new graphic organizers to help students understand and analyze the readings, as well as pre-reading suggestions for teachers.

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