Social Studies Curriculum

Area Studies Electives

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Adopted January 1999

Asia Studies

Course Description:

Asia Studies will focus on the physical geography and cultural factors that characterize this huge region.  Students will examine the diverse social, political, cultural, and economic forces that affect regions of the world's most populated continent.  Students will discuss early civilizations, dynasties, religions, beliefs, environmental issues, sub-regions, changing history, and the region's contributions to the world.  Issues facing contemporary Asia will also be explored.

The course title and description have been approved by the Anchorage School Board.  This course outline is meant to serve as an example of one possibility for organizing this class.  It does not represent the only way the course may be organized.  Each course outline has been written by a different teacher so there will be differences in the approach used from one course to another.

Course Goals:

Through this course students will:

• Use the five themes of geography to learn about the importance of the land in Asia.
• Understand the many cultures in Asia and the peoples contributions to the world.
• Understand ideas contained in the religions of the area and how people relate to their religion(s).
• Understand the people and the political, geographic, economic, cultural, social, and environmental events that have shaped the history of Asia.
• Understand how nationalism, imperialism and communism have influenced the people and governments of Asia.
• Understand the role of industrialization and trade in the development of the economies of Asia.
  

Course Objectives:

The student will: 

• Identify a minimum of 13 countries on a blank map which are considered part of Asia. 
• Use topographical maps to locate important mountain ranges, rivers, plateaus, and harbors for each country studied.
• Research and use important geographical information to explain population concentration and farming and industrial development.
• Identify and locate the capital, major cities and other locations in the nations studied.
• Research and use statistics for each country to determine the quality of life.
• Identify major religions in each country in the region and describe the basic beliefs of each.  Explain how Buddhism and Islam provide systems of values and ways of life for many people in Asia.
• Identify on a map the countries or areas where the Portuguese, Spanish, British, French, Swedish and Danish traded and their reason for trading.
• Relate the colonization and trading by Western countries with the growth of nationalism in the 1900’s.
• Compare and contrast the Japanese occupation of China and Southeast Asia to the period of Western colonization.
• Select two countries and compare their struggle for independence.  (e.g.. Vietnam & the Philippines)
• Explain how the Chinese Communists were able to gain control of China in 1945.
• Provide examples of improvements in the lives of the Chinese since 1945.
• Describe changes that have occurred in China since Deng Xiaoping encouraged an “Open Door Policy” and “Special Economic zones.”
• Compare and contrast the traditional Chinese family with the typical American family.
• Describe the United States' trade policy with China and differing points-of-view about this policy.
• Explain how Japan has been able to industrialize despite its lack of natural resources.
• Interpret the statement, “Japan’s recovery from defeat has been a miracle.”
• Describe each of the following forms of Japanese art-No Drama, Kabuki, Haiku, Ikebana.
• Compare and contrast the role of women in the various cultures of Asia.
• Prove or disprove the following statement:  “Confucianism was not a democratic philosophy.”

Course Outline:

1. Introduction to Asia Studies
   1. Definition of Asia region and regional characteristics
   2. Identification of the countries of Asia.
   3. Overview of the people who live in the area and their diverse cultures.
2. Geography of Asia
   1. Physical and cultural geography
      1. Location (relative and absolute)
      2. Place characteristics (physical and cultural)
      3. Human/environment relationships
      4. Movement (physical and cultural)
      5. Regions (physical and cultural)
      6. Identification of major geographical features.
      7. Compare population centers to geographic features.
      8. Importance of Monsoons in Asia.
      9. Natural resources and industries of the countries.
      10. How geography has helped the development of the country.
3. The people of Asia?
   1. Overview of the diverse groups in China and Southeast Asia.
   2. Homogeneous groups such as Japanese and Koreans
   3. The people of India and Pakistan
4. Religions and Philosophies of Asia
   1. Buddhism, Islam, Shintoism, Hinduism, Christianity
   2. Confucianism and Taoism
   3. Hinduism, Jainism, and the Sikh religion
5. China
   1. Geography specific to China
   2. Dynasties and their contribution to Chinese life.
   3. China under Communism
   4. The Chinese family today.
6. Japan
   1. Geography specific to Japan
   2. Japanese arts
   3. Japanese family life
   4. Class structure under the Shogunates
   5. Meiji Restoration
   6. Japan during W.W. I and II
   7. Japanese economic growth.
7. India and Pakistan
   1. Cultures of India and Pakistan
   2. The arts
   3. Family life
   4. Colonialism and Independence
   5. After World War II
8. Southeast Asia
   1. Geography of Southeast Asia
   2. Village life
   3. Indian and Chinese influence
   4. Western colonization
   5. From colonial status to independence
   6. Vietnam War
   7. Current issues today.

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