Silk Roads:

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 China, the Middle East and the New World

 


Spring 2004

Wednesdays 6-9 p.m. and

9 a.m. ­ 5 p.m. Saturdays April 3, April 17, May 1, May 15, May 29

Location?

Char Simons 867-6710 simonsc@evergreen.edu

Hirsh Diamant 867-6736 diamanth@evergreen.edu

 

For centuries, the ancient Silk Roads moved ideas and goods between the great civilizations of China, central Asia, India and the Middle East.  From Marco Polo to Genghis Khan to Yo Yo Ma, the Silk Roads have connected empires and fostered the development of music, art, religion and commerce.

 

Winter quarter we explored the historical diffusion of culture, commerce, art and religion along the ancient Silk Roads. Spring quarter, we will consider contemporary travel, culture and commerce as peacemaking activities. Specifically, we will compare and contrast life at both ends of the Silk Roads (China and the Middle East) during specific points during the 7th century to the present.

 

Spring quarter we will also explore the role of global commerce on culture, including how the United States could be a part of the re-establishment and evolution of the essence of the Silk Roads. Students will have the option to travel to China and Mongolia, to the Middle East, and/or to travel locally.

 

The two main activities of the program will be:

 

q      An 8-10 page travel article written in pairs. One person will be in China or the Middle East gathering local color, quotes and on-site information, the other person will be in Olympia acting as researcher. The two will co-author the piece, which will be co-edited by another pair.

q      Community service work in schools.

q      Renaissance bazaar. An event that will include bartering, trading of goods from China and the Middle East brought by students who traveled there in exchange for services offered by students who stayed in Olympia, e.g. one hour of massage for a kaffiyeh. Other activities of the bazaar will include formal readings from the travel writing articles, and video and photography exhibits from student travels.

           

Skills acquired in the program will include critical thinking, research skills, expository writing, expressive arts and cross-cultural communication. Credits will be awarded in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, the arts and travel writing.

 

Required books:

1.     The History of Money by Jack Weatherford

2.     Travel Writing: A Guide to Research, Writing and Selling by L. Peat O¹Neil

3.     The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred
by Phil Cousineau and Huston Smith

4.     Travel book or anthology of student¹s choice (needs prior approval from faculty)

5.     The Renaissance Bazaar: From the Silk Road to Michelangelo by Jerry Brotton (for students new to the program spring quarter. Read the book and write a 4 page response paper on it)

 

Additional required books for students traveling to the Middle East:

1.     In an Antique Land by Amitov Gosh

2.     Lonely Planet guides to Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt (in groups of three, each group decides who in their group will be which book. Each group needs to have set of all three).

 

Assignments:

q      Art journal

q      Seminar questions (two per book)

q      One page response papers to required books

q      8-10 page travel article (at least two drafts)

q      Extensive written peer editing

q      First and final drafts and peer edit of 1,000 word travel article on local destination (for students not going to China or the Middle East)**

q      Typed letter to faculty for mid-quarter individual conference on academic and career goals

q      Booth and/or formal reading and/or video or photography exhibit at Renaissance bazaar

q      Display at the bazaar representing your community service work in schools during winter and spring quarters

q      Web-X participation

q      Silk Roads recipe and food for Passover potluck

 

**Credit will be deducted for students not turning in complete first and final drafts of travel articles and complete peer edit worksheets.


 

 

Spring Quarter Syllabus (Draft)

The New Silk Roads

 

Week

Date

Activities in class

Due

Week I

 

 Silk Roads in our Lives

Wed.,

March 31

Introductions;

In-class art;

Forming of pairs for paper writing and research;

Video ­ Silk Roads (UNESCO)

 

Friday,

April 2

6:30 p.m.

Potluck for students traveling to China

Location TBA

Food for Potluck

Sat., April 3

Seminar on country origins of your personal belongings and food;

In-class writing (from Travel Writing book)

Passover Potluck

Webx review and registration

 

Two-page paper on country origins of your personal belongings and/or food;

Read and bring to class hard copy of a brief travel article from a newspaper or magazine;

Travel Writing, chapters 1-3, 7 and two written seminar questions;

Food for Passover Potluck

Read Genesis 37-50, Exodus 1-18, and  Haggadah http://calendars.lulu.com/items/29000/29139/preview/Haggadah4Preview.pdf

Week II

 

Western China

Wed., April 7

Seminar ­ Travel Writing

 

Guest Lecture: Western China provinces

 

Sacred Sites and Esoteric Arts of

I Ching, and Feng Shui

Post on Web X a one-page paper about how you plan to complete your community service in the schools;

Turn in hard copy of a one-page written proposal on local travel articles, including the angle of the travel piece and three researched sources (only one Web site. Others need to be newspapers, magazines, books) 

Week III

 

Cyber and Local Silk Roads

 

Wed.,

 April 14

NO CLASS

Internet Connection with students traveling in Middle East

Read The Art of Pilgrimage; 

day or weekend trip to destination of student¹s choice

Sat., April 17

NO CLASS

 

Day or weekend trip to destination of student¹s choice

 

Week IV

Sacred Arts

Wed.,

 April 21

Liberal arts forum: 50th anniversary, Brown v. Board of Education (off-campus)

First draft, 1,000-word travel article based on students¹ local travel; The Art of Pilgrimage, write 2-page response paper and two seminar questions

Week V

Money and the Silk Roads

 

Wed.,

 April 28

Meet at Lincoln Elementary School for guest lecture/workshop on economy and accounting

 

Peer edits of local travel article;

read first half of History of Money

Travel as Sacred Pilgrimage

Sat., May 1

 

Seminar, The Art of Pilgrimage; Research workshop ­ library and computer lab; in-class art and writing 

Final draft, 1,000-word local travel article for students not going to China or the Middle East

The Art of Pilgrimage two-page response paper and seminar questions;

Travel Writing, chapter 6 and two written questions

Week VI

Wed., May 5

In-class writing; individual student-faculty conferences

 

Chapters 4-5, Travel Writing and two written questions; one page typed letter to faculty checking in about the program and on academic and career goals

Week VII

 

Real Fine Travel Writing

Planning the Silk Roads

Wed., May 12

Presentations ­ student choice travel books

Internet connection with students traveling in China

Response paper, student choice travel book/anthology

Sat., May 15

Planning for Renaissance Bazaar

First drafts, 8-10 page co-authored Middle East travel articles

Week VIII

 Numbers of the Silk Roads

Wed., May 19

Welcome back China travelers and de-brief;

Quantitative reasoning workshop

Peer edits, 8-10 page co-authored Middle East travel articles; read second half, History of Money, write two-page response paper and two seminar questions

Week IX

 

Writing the Silk Roads and

Community Silk Roads Fair

Wed., May 26

Welcome back China travelers and de-brief; Reports from curriculum groups about work completed in schools;

In-class art

Final drafts, 8-10 page co-authored travel articles

 

Sat., May 29

Arts and culture booths of Silk Roads countries in Library

Peer edits, 8-10 page co-authored China travel articles.

 Materials and displays ready for community fair

Week X -

The Global Silk Road

Wed., June 2

Final small group presentations;

Silk Roads potluck

Portfolio; draft self-evaluation; Silk Roads food and recipe; teacher evaluations of curriculum groups

** Groups need to have completed their Silk Roads presentations in the schools by now

Evaluation week

Week of June 7

Final conferences

Faculty evaluation