Starting material for The East-West Debates
Sepoy Rebellion of 1857
Was it a mutiny or a war for independence?
- An Account of the Opening of the Indian Mutiny at Meerut, 1857
- Article at Wikipedia, “Indian Rebellion of 1857″
- The Indian Mutiny (a British point of view)
- The Sepoy War of 1857: Mutiny or First Indian War of Independence (a Marxist or revolutionary view)
- The Indian Revolt by Charles Creighton Hazewell
The May Fourth Movement
To achieve change, do we reform minds or reform institutions?
- Article at Wikipedia, “The May Fourth Movement”
- Rise and Fall of the Canton Trade System
- Macartney and the Emperor
- The Opium War and Foreign Encroachment
- From Reform to Revolution
- Before and After the May 4th Movement
The Meiji Restoration and the Satsuma Rebellion
How do we argue against the adoption of Western ways?
- The Meiji Restoration and Modernization
- The Meiji Restoration Era
- Article at Wikipedia, “Satsuma Rebellion”
- Satsuma Rebellion: Satsuma Clan Samurai Against the Imperial Japanese Army
- Watch: The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise*
Overview of SS2 Unit 2: The History of Modern Asia
This point forward to the end of the school year consists the second major unit of our lessons in SS2 — The History of Modern Asia.
There will be a lot of differences in terms of both content and style as we focus on topics that are more current and complex. We will touch on the New European Imperialism, a key moment in world history where the industrializing and ballooning civilizations of the West began to move and collide into Asian civilizations. Imperialism has largely shaped the trajectory of societies and nations for the past two hundred years, and a discussion — and debate — around is necessary before touching on Nationalism and Globalization.
Thus, the three major themes for this unit are:
I. Imperialism
II. Nationalism and the Modern Nation-State
III. Globalization and Globalism
A lot of what we are about to do can be given some perspective by being honest about what we mean by the word modern. We often define that as one which is new, current, and cutting edge. But I’ve come to rely on the etymology of the word genius to explain what modernity means. Rooted in the Latin genii of the Ancient Romans, genius refers to a spirit that animates and propels human creativity and intellect. With the advent of the Scientific Era and the Renaissance though, the shift transfered to the individual — now the person itself is the genius. The source of creation and innovation used to be beyond us, but now we have become that source.
Of course, that comes with its pitfalls, and all that we will explore in the months to come. But we indeed live in promising times. Never has it been more possible for us to seize our own destiny and shape the world. Through history, we learn how those who have gone before us — from Mohandas Gandhi to Mao Zedong — have done precisely that.
The Paskorus Practice Rule
Consult the session list in this post.
I will only allow you to use either session 1 or 3 (just pick one) for a Paskorus practice. However, take note of the following:
- Seek the permission of a Social Science teacher before doing so.
- You will still be expected to answer and submit the seat works during sessions 2 and 4.
I trust you guys to be responsible enough to do what you feel you must. Good luck!
The Amazing Race Project Grades and Scores
I am pleased to present your scores for The Amazing Race Project!
It was really exciting for me to see you guys build your races from scratch. I was in awe watching you combine your research, talent, and energy into a game you would put your own friends through. More importantly, it was deeply fulfilling to see you guys work. You’ve really impressed me. And as I’ve said this morning, if ever I set any expectations, you guys easily surpassed it.
Nonetheless, I will have to give credit where credit is due. I have quietly observed you every step of the way and it is very clear to me that the teams who worked together best delivered the best output in the end. That is what I would like to reward.
Use the following legend to interpret your scores:
- PT: Primary task
- ST: Secondary task
- CF: Coordination function (average of peer evaluation scores)
- AC: Additional concern
These four points were introduced at the very beginning of the project. Check out this post to remind yourself of what I have been looking at since the beginning.
I also remember the additional reward I promised — the class who earns the most points from placing at least 3rd in races will receive a free step up in their marks. I will grant that reward to the winning section after I see the outputs of the Documenters. Their wiki page should also list the winners in their races.
Until then!
Final announcements for The Amazing Race
We will draw lots at 7am tomorrow.
Project directors (or a class representative), please see me at the Faculty Room. Here are the slots for the races. Please note that they include setup time.
- Race #1 – 12:00 to 1:30
- Race #2 – 1:30 to 3:00
- Race #3 – 3:00 to 4:30
- Race #4 – 4:30 to 6:00
Classes must identify their top three teams by the end of their time slot. (The earlier the better.) Once we have that, the next class can begin their race.
Ground teams, clean up your venue right after the last team is done with your challenge.
You can setup your venues in advance. Technicians, be aware that your venues will definitely conflict with those of other races and even the SA’s Ultimate Challenge. (You are now exempted from that.) It is part of your job to sort things out and make sure that your race still flows as smoothly as possible.
If you need to do some final cuts and edits with your race in order to fit the time and logistical constraints, do so now.
Documenters — secure your list of participants from SignUp Genius and ensure that they are at your starting line when your race is supposed to begin.
All those ‘not busy’ during Race Day, think twice. There will be many things happening tomorrow that the class may have not foreseen. All hands on deck, guys. Get ready to get your hands dirty.
We are pushing through with this tomorrow because I trust you all. Do your best, and surpise me. Good luck and may the Force be with you all.
Amazing Race sign-ups now ONLINE!
Due to the cancellation of classes, the sign-up forms for The Amazing Race project by my SS2 classes are now online. Click on the race you want to join below to proceed to the sign-up form:
