Wednesday Afternoon at the Movies
With Tese Neighbor
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Journey all across China without the stress of packing, buying a transpacific ticket, or jetlag. You won’t have to worry about figuring out the subway system or standing in long lines to see the terra cotta soldiers. This afternoon we will explore China without leaving our seats. For most American students (and teachers) the geography, culture, economics, politics, religions and philosophies of China seem more than an ocean away. Documentaries and films about China can make this complex country—with its long history and mind-boggling present—more accessible to students.
Film can be an extremely useful source for exploring many issues facing China today:
the complex issue of globalization, environmental concerns, migrant labor, urban demolition/urban construction, China’s changing rural landscape, political and economic reform, the generation gap, human rights, etc. Together we will grapple with these changes through up-to-date documentaries as well as enjoy many of the visual beauties of Chinese land and culture through Chinese-made feature films.
We will not only share clips from a wide variety of documentaries and films, but also lesson plans/discussion ideas that correspond with these films. Educators will receive a Global Classroom resource packet that includes an annotated list of documentaries and films for classroom use with guiding questions and lesson plans. Our goal is to assist educators at all levels—from K-12—in finding documentaries/films for learning and teaching about China.
So what is the best thing to do on a dark January afternoon at 4:30? Come and sit back in your chairs while enjoying a close up look at life in China today. Please join the World Affairs Council’s Global Classroom program and the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington as we bring China to you and into your classrooms. This is the second WAC Global Classroom workshop sponsored by the Confucius Institute during the 2010-11 school year.
Please join me at the following Global Classroom workshops:
Wednesday Afternoon at the Movies: Exploring China through Documentaries and Film Jan 12, 2010
