Unit 5: Chinese Culture, History, and Geography

A Shrinking World: Bringing 10,000 Years of Culture into the Twenty-First Century

In the China unit, the major theme of the year focuses on what happens when humans take increased control of the environment and, as a result, need to re-establish an interdependent relationship with the land. This situation is one that China has recently confronted in its quest to become a superpower in the world while realizing the necessity to address the needs of its people and the environment. To understand where China is today you will learn about its origins. You will study the Chinese cultural traditions established in the early dynasties of the Unification Period as well as the philosophies of Taoism and Confucianism that continue to shape the society’s development today. You will also examine the ongoing problems of overpopulation and conflict between preserving traditions and embracing progress, problems that challenged Chinese society throughout Mao’s communist rule. Despite political and economic policies embedded in the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution that attempted to resolve these issues, Mao ended up undermining tradition and greatly harming the environment. To gain a better understanding of how Mao’s communist China affected individual lives, you will read the memoir, Red Azalea, written by Anchee Min.

We finish the unit with a look into contemporary Chinese society, examining the post-Mao China under the leadership of Deng and his successors Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao. It is undeniable that modern China is swiftly changing and establishing itself as a prominent presence in international economic and political affairs. However, the question of how successfully the Chinese people will maintain their unique customs, centuries-old ethos, and diverse landscapes remains, and it must be examined in order to comprehend the journey the Chinese have taken to finally arrive on the world’s stage.

“We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions
to participate in the process of change.
Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”

— Howard Zinn

English

We begin this unit with an analysis of Confucius’ Analects to gain a deeper understanding of his life and philosophy that greatly influenced Chinese traditions. However, much of Chinese culture dealt with the conflict between preserving traditions and embracing progress that challenged the society through Mao’s communistic rule. This transition impacted the lives of many Chinese citizens, which can be see in the novel, Red Azalea, through the events of a young girl forced to find her identity under oppressive circumstances.

Social Institutions

We begin the unit with an overview of the land and geography of China to once again emphasize the importance of natural environment to the development of societies. Although China is neighboring to many European nations they maintained in isolation for much of its history in order to preserve their cultural traditions established in the early Unification Period. Students will study how these traditions significantly shaped the nation’s development well into the 20th century.

Art and Religion

In the China unit we study its major philosophies of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, along with their arts. Students get the opportunity to, not only learn these ideas, but practice them, by learning how to do T’ai Chi and brush painting, along with receiving a basic understanding of Chinese medicine. We also read the teachings of Lao Tzu and Benjamin Hoff’s, The Tao of Pooh to aid us in our understanding of the ancient philosophy of the Tao.

Environmental Science

In this unit students explore the present day impacts that have been left on the environment by global superpowers, such as China and the United States. We examine population growth and industrial growth in China, beginning with the Great Leap Forward, and assess what role other nations have in China’s environmental struggles.