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Promoting Global Perspective and Raising the Visibility of Asia in World History: An Assignment for Pre-Service Teachers

Authors :
Keirn, Tim
Luhr, Eileen
Escobar, Miguel
Choudhary, Manoj
Source :
History Teacher. Aug 2012 45(4):613-630.
Publication Year :
2012

Abstract

Given California's role in the Pacific economy, its historic Asian heritage, and the strong and growing presence of Asian communities and businesses in the state, it is imperative that students statewide understand the history of Asia. Unfortunately, the California state curricular framework and standards in history and social science limit the coverage of Asia. Most K-12 students' learning of Asia comes through middle and high school world history courses aligned to state standards that not only are Eurocentric, but also present Asia through an Orientalist lens. With funding from the Freeman Foundation, the History-Social Science Credential Program at California State University, Long Beach developed a professional development program for university faculty involved in the preparation of pre-service history teachers. "Raising the Visibility of Asia in World History Teacher Preparation" seeks to develop curricular materials and instructional activities for the university pre-service classroom that engage novice teachers with the recent scholarship and historiography of the "New World History." This scholarship presents a global and integrated conceptualization of world historical development that both resituates Europe away from the center of investigation and raises the visibility and significance of Asia. Providing pre-service teachers with this historiographic and scholarly understanding imparts them with the tools to teach world history from a global perspective that deepens and expands student learning about Asia in a fashion that is current with contemporary scholarship, yet mindful of the curricular mandates of the state standards. This article presents three lessons created by Miguel Escobar and Manoj Choudhary that are part of a larger unit of study in world history within the California tenth-grade curriculum. The goal of this unit is to provide students with information and knowledge concerning the Industrial Revolution and its global historical significance. At the completion of the unit, students understand the Industrial Revolution and the importance of industrialization in a global context. Students demonstrate knowledge of key terms and vocabulary and are able to provide and evaluate alternative theories of industrialization. Additionally, as is part of a goal in the classroom throughout the year, students are able to synthesize how the Industrial Revolution fits within a broader concept of modernity and diffusion. The unit places specific emphasis upon the study of Asia with relation to the Industrial Revolution. This unit provides alternative ideas for the long-term process of industrialization in Asia. This unit includes topics and concepts associated with the New World History that include Southernization, hybridity, cultural and technological diffusion, and the notion of a Pacific Rim. (Contains 3 notes.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0018-2745
Volume :
45
Issue :
4
Database :
ERIC
Journal :
History Teacher
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
EJ994112
Document Type :
Journal Articles<br />Reports - Descriptive