November 2004
An enewsletter for CultureGrams™ subscribers
This month's Culture Matters enewsletter will help teachers, librarians, administrators, and students stay informed about the world's cultures, while providing classroom resources and giving tips for using CultureGrams. Check out our online archive for access to past issues.
Regional Focus
This month: East and Southeast Asia
Next month: Scandinavia
In this issue:
- Notes for CultureGrams Users
- Did You Know?
- Holiday Focus/Upcoming World Holidays
- Teaching Idea: Travel Expo
- East and Southeast Asia Quiz
- Cultural Wisdom: Asian Proverbs
- In the News: China's Economy
- Email Service Information
1. Notes for CultureGrams Users
Remember that with your access to the online database, you also get unlimited printing rights for all content. So you can print as many copies as you need of any country report—all of which are available as printer-friendly PDF files. You can also print out recipes or data tables as needed for use by students. So take advantage of this great feature!
2. Did You Know? Tidbits from CultureGrams
- The Great Wall of China, which is 3,950 miles (6,357 km) long, was built by prisoners of war, criminals, and farmers. Many of them died building it. Their bodies were then made part of the structure of the wall.
- Seven densely populated East and Southeast Asian countries—China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and South Korea—have a total of 1.95 billion people when their populations are added together. That's about 30 percent of the world's population!
- The yo-yo was invented in the Philippines. Yo-yo means "come back" in Tagalog.
- The Toradja people of Indonesia use only wood and bamboo—no nails—to make their homes.
- Four out of five modern communist nations are located in East and Southeast Asia. Although many Asian countries have allowed multiparty elections, China, Vietnam, North Korea, and Laos have retained communist governments. Cuba is the only other modern communist nation.
3. World Holidays
Holiday Focus: Philippines' All Saints' Day
All Saints' Day was originally created by Roman Catholic Pope Urban IV to honor all canonized saints as well as unknown saints. The holiday is popular in many predominantly Catholic countries, such as the Philippines. However, the original solemn commemorations of saints have largely been replaced by other celebrations. The holiday now focuses more on ancestors who have passed away.
For example, Filipinos make a special effort the week before the holiday to spruce up graveyards. Then on the holiday itself, entire families visit the graveyards, have picnics and play games there, and even spend the night by the graves of their loved ones.
Some November World Holidays
Algeria - Revolution Day - 1 November
Philippines - All Saints' Day - 1 November
Mexico - Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) - 1–2 November
Haiti - Fete Gede (Festival of Ancestors) - 2 November
Japan - Culture Day - 3 November
Panama - Independence from Colombia Day - 3 November
Cambodia - Independence Day - 9 November
Pakistan - Allama Iqbal Day - 9 November
(Celebrates man who helped found Pakistan)
Estonia - Mardi Day - 10 November
United States - Veterans' Day - 11 November
Taiwan - Sun Yat-sen's Birthday - 12 November
Jordan - King Hussein's Birthday - 14 November
Tuvalu - Prince Charles' Birthday - 14 November
Czech Republic - Velvet Revolution Day - 17 November
Morocco - Independence Day - 18 November
Georgia - St. George's Day - 23 November
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Statehood Day - 25 November
Albania - Independence Day and Liberation Day - 29 November
United States - Thanksgiving - 4th Thursday
4. Teaching Idea: Travel Expo
Note: this activity can be adapted for use with any world region.
Summary: Students use CultureGrams to compare countries and evaluate their cultural influence.
Curriculum standard: Conforms to the curriculum standards for Global Connections established by the National Council for the Social Studies.
Curriculum objective: Explain how language, art, music, belief systems, and other cultural elements can facilitate global understanding.
Materials: CultureGrams World Edition
Instructions:
1. Divide students into groups of 3 to 4 and assign each group to read a CultureGram for a different East or Southeast Asian country.
2. While reading the CultureGrams, students should focus on the categories of History, Language, Religion, Diet, Arts, Holidays, Economy, and Events and Trends to identify how each country's culture, ideas, events, or people may have influenced other countries. This will help the student understand each country's influence on the global culture and facilitate global understanding.
3. After reading the CultureGram and conducting additional research, each student should prepare a presentation as if they were a representative from that country's travel bureau or embassy. Presentations should focus on two areas: a) How the country's culture and people have influenced other countries; and b) why fellow students should wish to visit the assigned country. Each student should also make a travel brochure for the presentation. The brochure could include descriptions or images of the country's attractions and important historical figures or events.
4. Following the presentations, hold a vote to see which country the students select as a) the most culturally influential, and b) the most desirable to visit.
Follow up: Lead a discussion about the students' choices. What makes a culture influential? Why do people prefer visiting some countries over others?
How do you use CultureGrams? Submit your teaching ideas using CultureGrams today!
5. East and Southeast Asia Quiz
1. Which of the countries in this region has the smallest landmass?
2. In which country is Shinto a predominant religion?
3. Which two East Asian cities did the United States use atomic bombs on at the end of World War II?
4. What is the only landlocked Southeast Asian country?
5. Which country has a policy of allowing most couples to have only one child?
Answers: 1) Singapore—244 sq. mi. or 633 sq. km.; 2) Japan; 3) Hiroshima, Japan, and Nagasaki, Japan; 4) Laos; 5) China—The policy was introduced to ensure that China could feed all its people. Couples that live in cities may only have one child unless at least one parent is an ethnic minority or both spouses were only-children themselves. Rural couples are also often allowed to have two children.
6. Cultural Wisdom: Asian Proverbs
Note: You could write one of these on the blackboard every week, discuss how proverbs reflect cultural values, or ask students to find an English proverbial equivalent.
"All journeys begin with a single footstep." (Chinese proverb) Which cultural value does this promote?
"The nail that sticks up gets hammered down." (Japanese proverb) How does this compare to the English proverb "The squeaky wheel gets the grease"?
"Even a piece of paper would be lighter when two people held it." (Korean proverb) How does this compare to the English proverb "Two heads are better than one"?
"Birds have nests, we have ancestors." (Vietnamese proverb) How does this reflect the importance placed on families?
7. In the News: China's Economy
In today's world, the economy of one country can have a huge effect on many other countries. That's why the media is closely watching the huge growth in China's economy.
China began moving away from a centrally planned Soviet-style economy about 25 years ago. The first years mostly involved allowing small-scale independent businesses and some foreign investments. Now China's financial system is growing at one of the fastest rates in the world—almost 10 percent per year. Since the economy opened up, it has grown to more than five times its 1978 size.
However, experts worry that if the growth is too great, people will make poor investments, companies will collapse, bank loans will go unpaid, and unemployment will rise—all of which could create a worldwide recession. The Chinese government hopes to avoid this situation by raising interest rates and making investments more difficult in order to slow the growth to a manageable pace.
To read more about China and its economy, click here.
8. Email Service Information
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Cordially,
Your ProQuest K-12 Team
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