Silk Roads:


 China, the Middle East and the New World

Winter-Spring 2004

Wednesdays 6-9 p.m. and

9 a.m. ­ 5 p.m. Saturdays Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 7, Feb. 21, March 6

CAB 108 (Weds.) and Lab I (Sat.)

Hirsh Diamant & Char Simons, faculty

 

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 will explore the diffusion of culture, commerce, art and religion along the ancient Silk Roads. We will consider 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, students will have the option to:

 

q      Travel to China and Mongolia (2 weeks, $2,000)

q      Travel to the Middle East (3 weeks, $2,600)

q      Stay in Olympia and do independent projects on the central Asian countries

 

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.

 

Program activities will include:

 

q      Chinese New Year celebration

q      Silk Roads film festival

q      Community service working with K-12 schools on Silk Road projects

q      A public Silk Roads community arts festival at the end of spring quarter  based on student experiences in China/Mongolia, the Middle East and the independent projects of central Asia

q      Expressive arts projects

q      Expository writing, including travel writing and journals

q      Films, lectures, seminars, guest speakers

 

Winter quarter required readings will include:

q      Monkey King: Folk Novel of China, Ch'Eng-En Wu, Arthur Waley

q      The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History, John S. Major

q      Marco Polo: A Journey Through China (Expedition), Fiona MacDonald
Muhammad
by Maxime Rodinson

q      The Renaissance Bazaar: From the Silk Road to Michelangelo
by Jerry Brotton

q      Love poetry (Song of Solomon, Rumi, Omar Khayam, etc.). Class  handounts ­ not available in bookstore.

 

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

 

Assignments:

q      Art journal

q      Countries of the Silk Roads (small group presentations)

q      Web-X participation

q      Seminar questions (two per book or as noted on syllabus)

q      Four two-page response papers to required books

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

q      Presentation on music of the Silk Roads

q      Small group final presentation on community service work in schools

q      Silk Roads food for potluck


 

Winter Quarter Syllabus (Draft)

The Old Silk Roads

Theme

Date

Activities

Due

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journeys, Myths, Transformations

Sat., Jan. 10

Lab I 1047

Silk Roads countries poster presentations;

Web X workshop

Seminar role plays;

in-class art/writing;

seminar

 

Poster presentations (done in class)

 

Wed., Jan. 14

CAB 108

Orientation for China and Middle East trips;

Seminar ­ education, pedagogy and child development;

small group work on K-12 community service

Due Jan. 13, day before class: approx. 500 word essay posted on Web X on a specific age and education. Include personal experience and research.

 

 

 

 

Traditional Festivals

Wed., Jan. 21

CAB 108

Seminar and video ­ Monkey King

 

Response paper, Silk Roads and Marco Polo books and two written seminar questions;

Response paper, Monkey King (selected chapters TBA) and two written seminar questions

Fri., Jan. 23*

Suggested

Tai Ji Workshop,

10 a.m. ­ 5 p.m.

 

Sat., Jan. 24

Longhouse

Chinese New Year Festival;

Film festival planning ­ small group work on film selections

Community service contracts; one-page typed letter to faculty for individual conference

Buddhism

Wed., Jan. 28

CAB 108

In-class art, writing;

Video; individual student-faculty conferences

 

 

 

 

 

 

Islam

Wed., Feb. 4

CAB 108

Lecture ­ Emergence of Islam and Islamic empires;

Seminar on Muhammad

Response paper, Muhammad and two written seminar questions

Feb. 6-7

Suggested*

Iraqi and Palestinian art exhibit and lectures. Art House Designs Gallery, 420 B Franklin St. SE, Olympia.

www.aabolympia.org

 

Sat., Feb. 7

Lab I 1040

Videos: The Power of the Word and Rumi: Poet of the Heart; read Rumi in pairs; liberal arts forum

Read love poetry; copy excerpt of pre-18th century poem to illuminate on parchment

 

 

 

 

 

Music

Wed., Feb. 11

CAB 108

Musical seminar, One Hundred Thousand Fools of God excerpt

Read and write seminar question on One Hundred Thousand Fools of God excerpt (handout)

Wed., Feb. 18

CAB 108

Student presentations on music of Silk Roads

Student presentations; community service check-in

 

 

 

 

Languages of the Silk Roads

Sat., Feb. 21

Lab I 1047

Calligraphy workshop; Arabic,  Hebrew and Chinese language modules; video: Word Power in Islamic Art

 

 

Europe and the Silk Roads

Wed., Feb. 25

CAB 108

Lecture ­ Islamic contributions to math and science; Marco Polo

 

Wed., March 3

CAB 108

Seminar, Renaissance Bazaar;

Small group work on final presentations

Response paper and seminar questions, Renaissance Bazaar

Silk Roads

Film Festival

Note: class will meet from 11 a.m ­ 9 p.m.

 

Sat., March 6

Lecture Hall 3

Silk Roads Film Festival, Turkish music concert and dinner potluck

Community service evaluation due

Silk Roads and the Community

Wed., March 10

CAB 108

Final projects: visual presentations of community service

Portfolio; draft self-evaluation; Silk Roads food

Evaluation week

Week of March 15

Final conferences

Faculty evaluation

Faculty contact information:

 

Hirsh Diamant                                                                         Char Simons

Library 3209                                                                            Library 3228

Diamanth@evergreen.edu                                                        simonsc@evergreen.edu

867.6736                                                                                 867.6710