Literature and Information

Content

Culture

Culture can be a touchy subject to teach. My class will develop a list of “ingredients” that make up Chinese and Mexican cultures. There are some things to keep in mind when generating our list. China and Mexico are huge nations. Within each nation there are different regions. Each region has unique attributes. This diversity is reflected in regional cultures. With a nation such as China, there are many different cultures. Even within a community, differences exist between individuals. If I were doing a web on culture in America, I could include hamburgers. To generalize that all Americans like hamburgers is a stereotype. It is false. The kids will understand this idea but they will need reminders of this fact as we add “ingredients” to our list.

Chinese Culture

Background knowledge for the class

One of my early steps in preparing for the unit was exploring my class library to see what books I already had that could help me teach the unit. I examined literature and nonfiction written for children to find the mechanisms for delivering knowledge of Chinese culture. I found many valuable sources. Because my students are very young, most of these sources are picture books. Picture books are a great choice because students will pick detail out of not only the text but also from the rich artwork and photos on the pages. Pictures help make abstract ideas more concrete for the kids. Through the books listed in the bibliography of my unit the students will see and hear of Chinese food, clothing, songs, traditions, language, and holidays. With some guidance, I can also expect my students to gain an appreciation of some Chinese customs such as the respect for elders as well as their devotion to ancestors who no longer walk among them. For a better idea of what you may find in my chosen collection of picture books look to the annotation in the bibliography.

I will also be using the novel In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord. This novel was the first resource that came to mind when I settled on Chinese culture. I can remember reading the story and really picturing the differences between my world and the world of the tale. I recall the extended family all living together in China in the first chapter. This was not how my family worked. This point had me considering how it would feel to live in an arrangement like that. When a reader connects to the story in that way, it is a sign of engagement with the words. This is a novel more typically associated with fourth or fifth grade curriculum. However, in the past I have used similarly leveled texts with my students and found them able to digest the content with some help. Just as I can take an off-level resource and adapt it to my needs in kindergarten, other grade levels can take the process through which I am guiding my students and adapt it to deliver their content. Bette Bao Lord’s novel follows a young Chinese girl, Shirley Temple Wong, who leaves her native China and immigrates to New York City to be with her father in 1955. Much Chinese culture can be drawn from this story. For some ideas of what can be found in the story refer to the annotated bibliography of this unit. As it is a challenging story, I will feel out the class as to whether we should focus on portions of or the entire text. I will definitely read chapter one, as the chapter is set in China.

I will be further able to expose the children to Chinese culture through the use of the Internet. Chinese music (both traditional and modern), video clips of parades, dances, clothing, and architecture are only a search away. Readily available online there are many examples of Chinese New Year’s celebrations featuring acrobats, lions, and paper dragons. You can also share footage of Chinese architecture and clothing.

Background knowledge for myself

Prior to beginning my work on this unit my knowledge of China might have been summed up as: it’s really big; it has a lot of people that are usually shorter than me; eggrolls are good; I think Bruce Lee has something to do with it; and they have pandas. While none of that is incorrect, it is insufficient if one intends to teach about Chinese culture.

To better prepare for the teaching of this unit, I chose to read a combination of literature and nonfiction text. Through both types of reading my background knowledge was increased. I grew in my knowledge of this culture and made many discoveries.

Chinese culture is similar to American culture in two main ways. Both cultures are rooted in their national story (granted China’s story is a much longer tale). Both cultures include glorious and inglorious aspects.

Adeline Yeh Mah writes “Girls were a cheap commodity in China.”¹ The word commodity suggests that the girls were property. Much as the word commodity could be used to describe the slaves in America’s shameful past, so too can it be applied to the girls of China’s history. As recently as the 1930’s “women in China were expected to sublimate their own desires to the common good of the family.”² This common good of the family would often take the form of an advantageous arranged marriage. Couples would be promised to each other without their voices being heard, frequently when they were children. Then, “the marriage system became the severe bondage of women.”³ After marriage the woman became the property of the man and was more or less his slave. The woman’s family did not see this enslavement as a problem. This old Chinese saying demonstrates this viewpoint, “a married daughter is like the water that is thrown out of doors”⁴. While this information is not going to be directly taught to the kindergarten students, it can be seen (in a gentler form) in the treatment of Shirley Temple Wong’s mother by her father.

In China, family is exceedingly important. Elder relatives are viewed with enormous respect. Family is important to the point that Chinese names are written surname first followed by the personal name. This identifies a person’s family before the individual is named. This is because in China the family is of greater importance than the individual. The concept of face is tied to a person’s honor. As the person is first identified by a family name, face also impacts a family’s honor. Nothing is of more importance than saving face in Chinese culture. For an individual, losing face would cause the entire family name dishonor. “Losing face is the ultimate disgrace.”⁵ Great respect for elders coupled with a fear of a younger family member losing face for the entire family makes for an interesting power dynamic. The elders of a family can and do make decisions for young clan members, even adults. The questions of whom to marry, where to live, and which job to take, could all be decided by an elder of the family. This respect of elders in Chinese culture will be evident in several resources but none so clearly as Bette Bao Lord’s work.

The art, food, and customs of China are impressive and have spread throughout the world: Bruce Lee is an artist. The name is evocative of physical punishment and domination. Bruce Lee studied and became a teacher of martial arts. In China Wu Shu (martial arts) is considered an art form much like painting or sculpture. In her text on Chinese culture and customs Chai writes “The true goal of Wu Shu is not to beat up somebody, but to attain spiritual enlightenment for oneself through the strict physical and mental discipline that Wu Shu requires.”⁶ Bruce and others like him through film have enabled Wu Shu to go worldwide. I have chosen to mention Mr. Lee and Wu Shu even though they are not directly related to any of the books that I intend to use in class. Martial Arts could be a strong connection to China for some students. I most always have at least a student or two in class who are attending martial arts classes in the community. It would be engaging for the students to share a few video clips of Wu Shu as part of our exploration of Chinese culture.

Traditional Chinese food has spread beyond the borders of China. Like America, China is a vast nation with communities that are as diverse as the geographical regions they occupy. Such regional diversity causes cultural diversity. This variety extends to the food. In the northern region noodles are a major component of dishes. In the south the noodles are often replaced with rice. The bold diner may sample fare from the Sichuan province, which feature spice and heat. Whatever the form, Chinese food is easily recognizable. It is also very prevalent in several of my resources.

Language and music are components of culture. Several of my classroom resources include Chinese words and phrases. Reading these Chinese terms will not only be a valuable exercise in using context to understand an unfamiliar word, but it also demonstrates this aspect of culture. Music will also feel very different to the students as the lyrics are in a foreign language. They will hear it as different. The choices of musical instruments can also make the sound of the music unfamiliar. Though we will not find the music of China in our texts, we can enrich the lesson with clips from the internet.

Finally, customs such as festivals and holidays are essential to Chinese culture. All over the world communities celebrate holidays. In China many of these special occasions are marked by festivals. Some examples would be the Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and the Spring Festival (better known in America as Chinese New Year). As Chinese men, women, and children emigrated across the globe, these festivals spread. Chinese New Year is the specific topic of a couple of my non-fiction resources.

Mexican Culture

Background knowledge for the class

Just as I started the Chinese portion of my studies by looking through my classroom library, I also sought books featuring the Mexican culture. I was able to find many stories that were either set in Mexico or set in America but focused on a Mexican community. From these materials the class will be able to identify several examples of Mexican clothing, music, holidays, traditions, language, and food. Using those examples the class should then begin developing a sense of Mexican culture and ultimately to define culture as a concept.

This may shock and confuse many, including most of my non-Hispanic students, but Taco Bell isn’t all that Mexican. It’s true! Dr. Pepper is not a traditional Mexican beverage. Nor does an authentic taco look, smell, or taste like its fast food American cousin. Authentic Mexican cuisine can be found in several of my sources. From enchiladas to tamales to watermelon punch I’m am sure to hear the question “Is it almost lunch?” repeated many times throughout our readings.

Mexico boasts some spectacular holiday traditions. The children will easily relate when we read of a birthday fiesta. It is possible that they will have heard of Cinco de Mayo. Through our readings they will learn more about the meanings of and the traditions associated with that holiday in May. Initially, I think my students will equate the Day of the Dead with Halloween. It won’t be just because of its proximity to trick or treating on the calendar. It will be because of the many skeletons and skulls that appear during the celebrations. There is also a connection to the Chinese culture when the kids see how the deceased ancestors are greatly respected on the Day of the Dead.

Background knowledge for myself

I’ve only traveled abroad one time. That trip was to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. I remember being struck by the magnificent landscapes of the region. The Pacific Ocean was a beautiful sight. I enjoyed watching pelicans fly past the hotel. When my party traveled inland we encountered rugged mountains and isolated blue lakes. The natural beauty was undeniable. Puerto Vallarta is a tourist destination. As a result I did not get a great feel for authentic Mexican culture. While Spanish was spoken everywhere, signs of the tourism industry also abounded. Along the coast, ships offered pirate themed tours and a few blocks away McDonald’s stood ready to dole out Big Macs. I needed to develop background knowledge of Mexico prior to teaching this unit.

Carlos Fuentes highlighted the dark sides of Mexico in his novel The Death of Artemio Cruz. Fuentes speaks with the voice of his title character as he ponders Mexico and says “you turned your eyes northward and lived with the regret that a geographical error kept you from being a part of them.”⁷ Artemio further states that when you look around Mexico you see “the nakedness of this poor country.”⁸ It seems little wonder that Fuentes’ character would gaze enviously at life in Mexico’s northern, wealthier neighbor.

Mexico is not wealthy. It does, however, have a successful tourist business, as evident in my personal trip to the country. This seeming benefit carries with it a hidden danger. Guillermo Bonfil Batalla and Nestor Garcia Conclini, both anthropologists, point out “as Mexicans attempt to cash in on ‘Mexicaness’ it has led to ‘a perceived lack of tradition or authenticity’.”⁹ This loosely translates into Mexico cheapening its culture by transforming into what meets tourist expectations. It cannot be denied that Mexico is a financially poorer nation than America. It is also accurate to say that many Mexicans look northward with hope in their hearts. It is little wonder that so many stories, including some my kids will hear, feature Mexican immigrants settling in America. These stories of Mexican immigrants show the Mexican culture by placing it aside the American culture. This makes it easy for students to compare and contrast the two.

Finances aside, Mexican culture has much to offer the world. “Spectator sports were a way for Mexico to present itself to the world, and they were also the source of immense national pride.”¹⁰ Baseball, jai alai, boxing, and rodeo are all popular athletic events in Mexico. However, the most beloved of all the team sports is soccer. Soccer draws huge crowds. It is of little wonder that soccer pops up in stories of Mexico frequently. Even Dora the Explorer has taken time from her wanderings to play a game of soccer with her good friend Boots.

If my future classes are anything like my class of 2014, they will be professional wrestling fanatics. I cannot count the number of pictures or sentences that were turned in starring John Cena or Triple H. If there was one wrestler who probably was featured more than any other it was Rey Mysterio. Mysterio is a luchador- a masked wrestler in the professional wrestling matches called “Lucha libre.” Lucha libre is exceedingly popular in Mexico and it features matches in which the tenicos (good guys) battle the rudos (bad guys). Generally speaking the rudos cheat to defeat the tenicos. But it is a sweet victory when after several battles the tenicos comes out victorious. I do not have a book that features lucha libre but if my kids from last year are any indication an internet video of this slice of Mexicana will be greeted with much excitement. I highly recommend that you screen and choose carefully videos prior to class. School phones would likely start ringing if six year olds went home with stories or bloodied masked warriors dispatching each other with chairs to the head.

The Mexican culture features some fine food. And so do many of the stories my class will read. Enchiladas, salsa, quesadillas, and dishes made of some of the hottest peppers around are all very popular. In a link to our study of China, rice is also a staple food. Most of my students will be surprised to learn that one of their favorite treats is a Mexican original, hot chocolate.

Literature and Information

It is nothing new to pair a story and a nonfiction text together to teach a subject. Indeed, with the arrival of the common core it seems more essential than ever. Usually these pairings are provided by the local school district as part of a packaged curriculum. In my experience however, these pairings are often made around random topics, or some sort of character trait that is being taught. For example, a canned curriculum may focus a unit on snow or being a good friend. While these are themes are fine, I believe that the pairings can be much more powerful when wrapped around a science, social studies, or even a math concept that the children are required to learn. This sort of pairing will teach the concept while giving valuable exposure to both types of writing. Stories are an ancient and powerful teaching tool. Students could learn about snow or being a good friend and that would be okay. However, if I am required to teach them about trees or community, why should I not address those standards while also addressing standards of language arts? Teaching across the curriculum is not new. What it is; is effective.

One thing that was highlighted for me in seminar was that; if I want a child to analyze a topic, nonfiction seems a good way to go. However, if I want my student to emotionally connect to a text perhaps fiction would be a better vehicle. That being said, through careful picture selection and choice of wording even a nonfiction piece can bring about an emotional response. Conversely, a well written piece of children’s literature can inspire very thoughtful discussion on a topic. When fiction and nonfiction are used together, a fuller picture of a concept can be established. Imagine, if you will, how powerful it could be to feel Spring Festival through the eyes of Shirley Temple Wong, as you also observe images and learn facts about the event in an expository text. Literature and information are two different types of readings. They are however inextricably intertwined. Concepts can be better taught when we as teachers engage both the learners’ logical and emotional centers during a lesson.