Silk
Roads:
China, the Middle East and the New World
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
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.
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
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.
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
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. |
|
|
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