Arrived safely in Seoul

Well folks i've arrived safely in Korea. The flight not bad at all.
It's 4:40 am on Easter Sunday here. Yes, we are 14 hours ahead. That
means I know who won the Final Four games.

We are getting picked up at @6am then a 3 hr ride south to Jeonju.

Many updates will follow.

MUST GET COFFEE!!!!

Last sunrise in Memphis till May 3rd

It's 10:30 on Friday night and I'm sitting in the international
terminal at Chicago's O'Hare airport. Our flight leaves at 1am. The
flight to Seoul is 14 hours.

I'm nervous and excited. Even though we have a schedule, see the
google calender on the right side of the page, there is still so many
unkown variables.

The most exciting thing about the trip is also the most apprehensive.
We will be staying with Korea familes the entire trip. It's a great
way to learn culture but it still presents many anxieties.

See you later Memphis!!!'

Heading to Korea!!!

I am heading to South Korea for a month with the Rotary Club’s Group Study Exchange Program. Here is the basic info on the program from the Rotary web site.

“The Rotary Foundation’s Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

In a typical four-week tour, applicants participate in five full days of vocational visits, 15 to 20 club presentations, 10 to 15 formal visits and social events, two to three days at the district conference, three to four hours per day of cultural and site tours, and three to four hours per day of free time with host families.

For each team member, the Foundation provides the most economical round-trip airline ticket between the home and host countries. Rotarians in the host area provide for meals, lodging, and group travel within their district.” (Link for more info)

While I’m in Korea my students will be engaged in role play from Brown University’s Choices program (Link).

I taught one of their programs about Mexico at the School of Public Service at St. Albans in Washington, DC (LINK) last summer (I'm part of the program's summer faculty) and found it quite effective. The students will study the history of the Korean Peninsula in general and then specifically the history of North Korea and South Korea relations in regards to the North Korean effort to become fully nuclear. They students will role play the stake holders in the region and what should be done. (Japan, Russia, United States, China, North, and South Korea). They will then write a five paragraph research essay about their personal opinions based on research. In addition I’ll be Skyping with them the entire month. I will communicate and discuss the topics with them with this interactive blog. I also have set up a Facebook fan page titled, “Mr Steph in Korea”.

Later Hutch, I'll be Skyping soon!!!!

Follow up to article on Google and China

Here are a few articles about the "break-up" between Google and China.

In China, Mixed Reaction To Google's Decision
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125048961

Google's China Move Could Yield Benefits
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125048965

Foreign Policy: Google And China's Goodbye
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125051712

Class and HW intstructions for Chinese Dynasty Intro

For this assignment:

1. Read and mark up as a group
2. Decide on 5 key or most important points as group.
3. Prepare a five minute instruction for the other groups,
4. Make a small handout.
5. For HW summarize reading into a single paragraph.
   
   Alpha Group - Shang and Zhou
   http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/China/Shang.html
   http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/China/Zhou.html
   
   Bravo Group - Shang only
   http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display.aspx?categoryid=23&entryid=595893&searchtext=shang&type=simple&option=all&searchsites=1,3,4,5,6,8,
   
   
   Charlie Group - Zhou only
   http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display.aspx?categoryid=23&searchtext=shang&type=simple&option=all&searchsites=1%2c3%2c4%2c5%2c6%2c8%2c&entryid=595901&issublink=true&fromsearch=false
   
   
   Delta Group - Xia (Hsia)
   http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display.aspx?categoryid=23&searchtext=shang&type=simple&option=all&searchsites=1%2c3%2c4%2c5%2c6%2c8%2c&entryid=595898&issublink=true&fromsearch=false
   
   Echo Group - ancestor veneration
   http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display.aspx?categoryid=23&searchtext=shang&type=simple&option=all&searchsites=1%2c3%2c4%2c5%2c6%2c8%2c&entryid=583682&issublink=true&fromsearch=false

Chinese Writing and "Dragon Bones"

Use this link to read the story of "Dragon Bones" in China. When you have have finished the story take the challenge.

Link to story:
http://www.ancientchina.co.uk/writing/story/sto_set.html

The challenge will give an English word and an image. Using the up and down arrows you must choose the Chinese Character that matches with the English word and image. Once you have chosen the Chineses character click on the word "Choose" underneath the arrows. It will tell you if you are right or wrong.

Link to challenge:
http://www.ancientchina.co.uk/writing/challenge/cha_set.html

Activity: Indo-Aryan Belief Systems

Here are the links that are needed for the worksheet.

Translation from the Rigveda, Book 10
1. Hymn 129
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10129.htm

2. Hymn 130
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10130.htm

3. Hymn 131
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10131.htm

Instructions
1. Visit the Internet Sacred Texts Archive and read a translation from the Rigveda, Book 10, hymn 129 and hymn 130, which gives an account of creation. As you read the passages, approach the task as if you were a detective examining evidence and make notes guided by the following line of questioning:

• What does the text say about the state of the world before the act of creation?
• Who is given credit for creating the world and humans?
• What gods are named in the text?
• What could be the significance of the image of weaving?
• How does this account of creation compare with that given in other religious traditions?

2. Continue your investigation, this time reading Book 10, Hymn 131.

Paying close attention to the objects, animals, practices, and pleas, make a list of five inferences (the act of passing from one proposition, statement, or judgment considered as true to another whose truth is believed to follow from that of the former) you are able of draw about life for the Indo-Aryan people who composed the text.

(Note: kine is an archaic word for "cattle.")

"Indo-Aryan Belief Systems (Activity)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 3 Feb. 2010. .