Bruce W. Simmon's CU

A Humanities Approach to Modern Indonesia

Bruce W. Simmons

“If people were really to depend on European literature, even at its best, they would get a very distorted picture of the modern world, its evolution, and its contemporary being.”
James Ngugi

Academic Setting

Rio Rancho, New Mexico is a suburb of Albuquerque and has one high school (Rio Rancho High School) serving its 3,100 high school students. Built in 1997, it was funded by the Intel Corporation, which wanted to trade tax breaks spanning several decades for its expertise in technology and a desire to establish a modern high school for its employees’ children. The Rio Rancho School District, which broke away from the Albuquerque Public School system in 1994, gladly supported such an agreement. The high school was featured in Time Magazine (including a picture on the cover) in 1998. The article identified it as a high school for the future, but not just because it had a hardware/software configuration designed for education. It also has the highest graduation standards in the state – credit in 29 instead of 24 classes. The school hired many members of its staff from other states. At the time, it was felt that the teachers qualified to teach a block schedule resided elsewhere. Rio Rancho’s block schedule means that there are four classes per day, each lasting 87 minutes. Teachers are able to go into depth during these periods and avoid the constant start-up and administrative activities involved with six or seven classes each day. Students receive one credit for each semester they pass – a total of eight credits each year instead of six or seven credits (a half-credit per course per semester) in a conventional environment. There are very few schools in New Mexico that follow this concept although there are many throughout the country which practice it.

            The school boasts an academic configuration designed to accommodate students’ interests while introducing them to the real world. The campus has five academy buildings – each with separate administrators and goals. A First Year (freshman) Academy starts the process of channeling students into desired subjects and areas of study. A “Pathfinder” course allows the students to explore the Business and Technology Academy, the Fine Arts Academy, the Science Academy, and the Humanities Academy. In 2002, it is possible that another academy may be added in Health Services or Hotel/Leisure Services. When the student selects his academy at the end of his freshman year, he will take core courses and electives that are taught with that academy’s purpose in mind. In effect, each academy is a school within the school – much like a British university. For instance, a humanities core course in the Science Academy will contain the basic state requirements for language arts and social studies, but will also include a great deal of science-based literature and history to enhance the student’s desires to pursue a science career. The student, however, may switch academies at the end of any semester. As a result of the student’s ability to make a selection, the academies actually recruit students. Recruiting results in a competition among the academies which leads to better courses and more in-depth teaching at all levels.

            The term “humanities” is part of the district’s vocabulary. The unit that follows is prepared for a twelfth grade humanities class, which is required for graduation. It can be taught in all academies. The course is called “Current Modern World Issues, Government and Economics.” It is a two-credit course taught over two semesters in daily 87-minute blocks. The unit will be the second unit taught in the second semester – the first semester having been devoted to an in-depth study of the Constitution and American government. Class sizes range between 25 and 30 students. The unit is set up for our average student, although a more detailed approach could be taken for advanced students. It is designed to last ten days and will include both social studies and language arts materials (humanities). Students will have access to the media center, in-room computers, texts, and handouts, and will meet various district and state standards. Because we have many opportunities to use software, the students must be able to use the various systems and packages on those systems. Many of our students have excellent skills in typing, creating PowerPoint presentations, and creating research papers that include charts, graphs, pictures, and other additions that can be scanned into the documents. Many have come back from their first year of college thanking the district for these tools.

The student body certainly is not handpicked or in possession of the highest academic scores in the area. Our population is middle class and does not compare in wealth to the LaCueva or Eldorado districts in Albuquerque. The students come from blue-collar families for the most part, and are of various ethnic backgrounds. Fifty to sixty percent are white, and thirty to thirty-five percent are Hispanic. American Indian, Black, and Asian students complete the picture. Our ACT and SAT scores are above the national average, and a little more than fifty percent of the high school’s graduates go to college. The combined efforts of parents, administrators, students, and teachers made the school an exemplary school in the first year of that rating program. In 2000 we became the state’s first charter district and have decided to try to change New Mexico educational practices by “raising the bar” on all of our programs and starting as many new, innovative and worthwhile programs as we can. We feel that by doing this students will have more choices to explore their futures and have a better set of reasons to stay in school and become life-long learners.

Context and Background

Rationale

This unit can logically be divided into two main themes. They are (1) why we read world literature, and (2) the humanities approach to modern Indonesia, where world literature is included with history, geography, economics, art, and other cultural aspects. I have designed the unit so that the first week could be used by any teacher of humanities to convince students that world literature has its place in their [the students’] lives. By separating the two themes, teachers will have a section devoted exclusively to this part of the unit. Although the remaining days of the unit are important, I believe the rationale is more easily understood and conveyed to the students through the ideas, objectives, and information provided. If a teacher can study and use the remaining information in this section, they can use it in any unit where students are to use modern world literature.

In the next section called “Rationale for the Second and Third Weeks of This Unit and How It Is Taught” you will encounter in-depth information needed to cover post-colonialism in Vietnam and Indonesia, along with how those countries responded to other cultures. The economics and government of Indonesia will also be covered, along with art and religion. I will discuss reasons for why certain works of literature are being used to cover post-colonialism and give some background information to discuss the early histories of Vietnam and Indonesia, so that the students can see how the two countries compare in their post-colonial histories. The Vietnam War is in another unit.

Goals

One of the goals of this unit is to provide enough information to these students so that they will understand and accept the premise that reading in general will enhance their lives. I will concentrate on this goal in the first week of the unit. The enhancements will involve their intellectual lives as well as their social capacity to communicate with a variety of people. They will also begin to understand themselves better by engaging a spectrum of knowledge that will create insight and curiosity. Over time, empathy for others will lead to a better understanding of other people and their cultures.

Going even further, world literature in all its forms provides information that will let the student understand himself and others in a global context. An “educated” person is not just educated exclusively in a limited field. The information presented will be persuasive and, hopefully, entertaining. It will be persuasive because the stories, novels, poetry, and essays they read will provide information that will encourage the students to search further and better understand their world. It will be entertaining because the student will see that a good story or poetry with many possible meanings, or an essay with diverse or unfamiliar views or new views will create an atmosphere of accomplishment. They will be able to read, analyze, and discuss the pieces with others who are also trying to add to their knowledge. If the students can accept literature in their lives, they will gain knowledge. Daily lives require more than specialized skills surrounding one’s work. Skills in reading and writing are enhanced by the actual act of reading and analyzing literature.

            Another goal is to enforce our humanities’ concept that combining literature with art, economics, government, the study of unique cultural differences, and history is an appropriate way to educate students. Although this is an institutional goal designed to support the curriculum guidelines of Rio Rancho High School, I believe that the student outcomes will satisfy any course on modern Indonesia. Students will gain knowledge in the history, literature, customs and culture of the nation. To support this goal, the lesson plans will have historical information, examples of art, economic studies, cultural examples, and various types of native literature that will give the student a complete look at society in Indonesia. The literature will come from a variety of sources. There is no textbook in the course, so I will draw the literature from anthologies, magazines, novels, collections of poetry, and essays. Some of the history is found on the Internet (sites are provided at the end of this unit), in reference books, magazines, essays, political commentaries, and movies. Likewise, art, economic information, and cultural traditions are found in the same way.

            A last goal for the unit will be to enable students to discover, through their own efforts, that the country of Indonesia is important in today’s world, and that they need to include it in their list of important nations of their futures. After all, as the fourth most populous nation and a natural resources “cash cow,” Indonesia will have a great affect on the world’s economy. Along with China, Korea, and Russia, the leaders of our planet will monitor this nation closely. Indonesia is in the news quite often these days, but rarely is it studied in high school. The textbooks give it short shrift, and it seems to be included in the area known as Southeast Asia, and overwhelmed by Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. If studied at all, it is normally in conjunction with the Dutch East India Company and called the Spice Islands. Indonesia is also the largest Muslim state in the world. Its huge population of 211 million and its world-leading Muslim following inspire me to include a unit in my curriculum. It would be a disservice to the students if I did not cover it.

Rationale for the First Week of This Unit and How It Is Taught

Many twelfth-graders still arrive in August with a distinct dislike for research and reading. It is a complex issue. Convinced that reading literature is a “waste of time” and “doesn’t fit” into their plans, they disregard the teachers’ insistence that reading literature really can help prepare them for a profession and lead to a quality life. More than likely, twelfth graders throughout the country have those same opinions. Regardless of their feelings though, these more mature seniors do tend to bite the bullet and do their reading.

            The argument to convince students to read world literature for its humanities’ value has to be very persuasive, so I have decided to skip the brow-beating, chest-beating, threats-and-rewards system (candy, soft drinks, etc.) and go straight to the academic reasoning found in several well-written essays about the subject. It is my hope that this subtle approach will open their eyes, as mine were when I took the course. Essays written by Gary Harrison, Sarah Lawall, Thomas Green, Eugene Chen Eoyang, Margaret Spencer, and Ngugi Wa Thiongo supplied both classic and youthful arguments for reading modern world literature. It is my hope that by including information from each of these essays in a lecture or brainstorming activity followed by the actual reading of Harrison’s essay, the students will get a new base of information about the “why’s” of modern world literature.

The essays mentioned earlier are the key sources of information for the first week. Each essay provides compelling arguments and, together, they provide an easily understood and worthwhile vocabulary about the importance of world literature. In fact, I will provide a list of terms that the students must become familiar with by week’s end. Those terms are the cornerstones of my rationale for teaching world literature because they point to the key arguments for teaching it. The terms are the canon, ethnocentrism, post-colonialism, Eurocentrism, translation, Orientalism, Occidental, national/regional anthologies, community of writers, materialistic view, common global culture, and modernism. I will discuss these terms below.

The Canon

In Sarah Lawall’s Reading World Literature: Theory, History, Practice, she emphasizes that identifying a list of world literature writings to be included in a canon is an education in itself (4). She goes on to say that some canons would be on a certain subject or for a certain audience. For centuries, for example, the writings of the Greeks and Romans have been used in the areas of philosophy, science, mathematics, and logic. Lawall also deals with the 1960’s reaction to a Great Books canon where “world literature courses were simply abandoned in favor of interdisciplinary and general humanities offerings” (9). She also addresses Goethe, who had many good ideas about world literature, but who felt that his native Germany was superior enough in the field to be the standard bearer for world literature (14). By the end of her introduction, Lawall touches on the ideas of literacy in the United States, diversity in literature, use of literature to introduce unfamiliar subjects, and use of literature to enhance creativity and imaginative thought leading to growth in the reader (35).

Post-colonialism

One of the more interesting aspects of Lawall’s essay involves how colonialism and post-colonialism have added to the confusion on modern world literature. She uses the terms “modernism” and “modernization” as she writes about the way colonial nations (previously colonies) are involved in world literature and are influenced by early twentieth-century western models because the authors of the former colonies were educated in western universities. She descibes the collective consciousness of a society that is reflected in modern writing. Monarchies have failed, governments have fallen, empires have been defeated, and industry is thriving. All result in literature taking on a modern flavor where women have acquired more freedom, and where surrealism and other forms that allow writers to break all the rules, is accepted. The Japanese, for example, have been swayed by the individualistic tendencies of the West, and have abandoned the Confucian focus on filial piety. These changes are reflected and debated in Japanese literature. In China, Mao’s solution to modernist tendencies was to go back to a more conservative approach of thinking and writing during the Cultural Revolution. Many Western writers have been born in former colonies. Salman Rushdie is an example of an Indian Muslim who is English-trained and who sees himself as a British writer. Achebe from Nigeria would be in the category of a world writer who is totally involved in his own culture.

Ethnocentrism

Thomas Greene also provides persuasive arguments for reading world literature in his essay “Misunderstanding Poetry: Teaching Outside the Western Canon.” I was impressed by his ability to provide clear and reasonable information about misunderstanding poetry located outside of the Western Canon – poetry certainly being included in world literature. He introduces several key terms. One is “ethnocentrism” as it applies to literature. Greene sees ethnocentricity both as a burden and an asset because, as he remarks about Said’s Orientalism, we should be able to “transcend” ethnocentricity to truly learn others’ cultures without losing the values of our own (Greene 72). I was reminded of the idea that world literature is a pathway to understanding others. In an essay by Gary Harrison entitled “What is World Literature?” he notes that Fredric Jameson suggested, “we may be able to preserve national distinctions and cultural particularities even as we recognize the internationalism of world literature” (9).

Translation

Another key term Greene uses is Occidentals, and he introduces the way “Occidentals” should look at Oriental poetry. He identifies the issues involving translation of the poetry of China. The issues involve literal translation as opposed to making the translations aesthetic or more European. Eugene Chen Eoyang in his essay “The Many ‘Worlds’ in Literature: Pound and Waley as Translators of Chinese” gives examples of various translations of the same poems. They are eye opening. He writes that we must consider the intended audiences of the translations in order to determine whether or not the translations are useful. The student of Chinese, for example, may rely more a literal translation, while the student of poetry may favor another (Eoyang 256-257). In teaching this concept, I think it would be advantageous to use several of the examples in the essay and see how the students react. Using a matrix of Chinese symbols and their various meanings, ask different groups to interpret the original poem and translate it into English. I doubt you will get the same results. The issues of translation are significant. The United States relies on professional translators in foreign affairs, technical manuals, and assembly instructions – not just in translating literature. Translation involves interpretation. Interpretation involves knowledge of the culture – a sound argument for studying world writings. By taking the route of a purist, either in poetry or in the Chinese language, students will experience the dilemma of translations.

Global Culture

In an essay titled “Creating Space for a Hundred Flowers to Bloom,” James Ngugi discusses how the world is becoming closer because of technology and new modes of faster transportation. As a result, he feels that “many nations, even when they may not be consciously aware of it, are linked to the same controlling forces” (12). Giving European literature its due for providing a great tradition and structure for teaching literature, he announces that literature is not enough when we see the struggles of those in the world who are not involved with the West. The modern world must include Third World literature in its educational systems, because it reflects a new world culture (Ngugi 18). He talks of the traditional literature of Africa, which includes oral stories, stories written in European languages, and stories written in the native languages. They are part of world literature. Since colonialism, many nations have entered the world’s economic, cultural, and political arena with much the same desires to succeed. As a result, they must all learn to share a global culture while maintaining their diversity (Ngugi 24).

Activities – Briefly Identified

There will be three key activities in the first four days of this unit concerning why world literature should be a part of any humanities unit. One of those activities is the reading of Gary Harrison’s “What is World Literature?” Remember, the lead-in to the unit is designed to get students to realize the importance of world literature – particularly in conjunction with social studies. By asking them to think through the question, giving them Professor Harrison’s essay to read, discussing it, and then looking at some examples, the students should be ready to take on the remaining parts of the unit. One of those examples will be to Tanizaki Junichiro’s “In Praise of Shadows,” and they will also translate several poems found in the essay written by Eugene Chen Eoyang entitled “The Many ‘Worlds’ in World Literature: Pound and Waley as Translators of Chinese.”

My strategy is to have the students brainstorm the question before they read Harrison’s essay. Upon reading/studying/taking notes on the essay, we will meet and discuss the work. Aims of the discussions will center on the different views of what world literature is. In his work, Professor Harrison identifies many scholars who are involved in how literature affects the world. He offers information that shows how world literature, if compartmentalized in only certain definitions, will not lead to the true education of its readers. My hope would be that the student understands that by accepting that there are many views, he would then accept that world literature is important.

            Students should be able to respond to the many pieces of information that Harrison includes in his essay. One is the “great books.” He reminds us that the canon of some educators is a set of books that have sort of “international acclaim” (1). In the past, those books have been the basis for a proper education in literature. He also discusses national/regional anthologies that may be different from others. That concept would somewhat guarantee that different nations’/regions’ cultural values would be available to all readers. Harrison also takes up the argument of global culture and identifies Goethe’s idea of a community of writers exchanging ideas. By exchanging ideas, the world’s citizenry will be able to learn about others and develop empathy for their issues and needs. He doesn’t overlook the materialistic view of literature reminiscent of Marx/Engels. These men certainly changed the world with their writings on communism (Harrison 2).

Matthew Arnold’s desire that we all learn our own literature and at least one other culture’s in order to bring together the best “thoughts” and knowledge of the world is another argument Harrison identifies. He goes further to say that we should always be adding to this set of information as new thoughts are uncovered, and change the way we do things as put forth by T.S. Eliot (Harrison 3). Certain world writers (Solzhenitsyn being an example) write without borders because their issues are issues experienced by all people. Finally, Harrison deals with why post-colonial literature brings with it several key arguments about its need to describe and its effect on world issues. Once the seniors read his essay they should be ready to discuss the concept of world literature. There is very little need for me to lecture other than to introduce the concepts. By this time in their high school careers, it is important for me to be only a guide; they need to be the discoverers. If the first week were to be presented in a tenth grade world history class, I would be more involved in lecturing and holding their hands throughout the discussions.

            By the end of three days it would be my hope that students would have brainstormed the positive aspects of modern world literature, read Professor Harrison’s essay, and compared various translations of poetry in order to be prepared for reading Tanizaki Junichiro’s “In Praise of Shadows.” Assign it as homework beginning the second day. On the fourth day, students should be able to apply “world literature” information to the discussion about this very well written/translated representative piece of literature. By reading this story a student can begin to learn about another culture without losing sight of his own. The story starts out as a terrific piece of literature that readers from any culture can relate to. It is by an author who is writing about the importance of the use of shadows when the Japanese design and build homes and the rooms in those homes. He is Japanese and has firsthand knowledge of the techniques of using shadows. Before long, he branches into the way Americans do not consider this important design feature, and, eventually, uses the piece to criticize Americans.   As the author begins to add opinions to his writing, a true student of world literature will be able to learn more about the feelings and opinions of the storyteller with respect to the United States. Discussions should relate to both the literary aspects of the piece and the cultural differences identified throughout. Examples may be to look at character development or turning points in the story. Those would be strictly literary analysis. Cultural elements to discuss would be the Japanese invasion of Indonesia or the ways shadow plays are used in the Indonesian culture. Those discussions may include the differences between the Japanese and Americans, why the Japanese might resent Americans, how America has influenced Japan, why he started his essay one way and ended it another way, and/or if the students agree or disagree with his implicit criticisms of our country.   The modern story does reflect thoughts that Americans and Japanese can relate to, thus getting to know one another better through literature.

This will end the first week of study. Students will be ready to combine assigned readings in literature with readings in history, current events, art, music, politics, culture, and economics, and understand that they have their rightful place in a complete education.

Rationale for the Second and Third Weeks of This Unit and How They Are Taught

The last two weeks of this unit involve data associated with modern Indonesia. I will lecture on colonialism in the two countries using the information provided later in this section. World literature is present in the unit, but only as a supplement. By including the literature we have a true humanities unit. Briefly, the second week will have the students studying different documents to gain insight into the history of the region, the current economic setting of Indonesia, the governmental structure of the state, geography, and a look at the capital city, religion, and some literature of Indonesia. The students will also begin reading and analyzing a novel called The Fugitive by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Poetry from Vietnam and Indonesia will be used to separate the two nations and the journeys they took after the Dutch (Indonesia) and French (Vietnam) left. The students will accomplish these studies through several activities. Again, these are seniors, so I expect a great deal of effort and initiative from them. They should be involved in working on their own, in groups, and in analysis of information. They must be ready to defend their work and present it in a scholarly way. I will start the week with a brief history of both nations going back to colonial times.

Vietnam

Vietnam is an ancient country sharing common language, religion, politics, art, economics, and literature for many centuries. First appearing around 110 BCE the Vietnamese came under the influence of the Chinese Qin Dynasty. The Han Dynasty actually took them over at a later date and forced their culture and politics on them for a thousand years. The Vietnamese did not always cooperate with their Chinese rulers and culture. They did, however, take up the thoughts and practices of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Because the Chinese were interested in the farm products of this coastal nation and the excellent harbors it maintained, they sought to rule the area and guard it from any influence from other nations like India. As a result, the Indian influence that extended into other parts of Southeast Asia did not affect Vietnam.

In the tenth century the Vietnamese finally overthrew their Chinese lords. Their new government emulated China’s, and they introduced civil service. They became warlike and dominated the region until 1600. They also continued to be an agricultural society dominated by Mahayana Buddhism. In the 1800’s, European colonial powers began to move into Southeast Asia. They included Great Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands. France was especially interested in stopping the British from taking over the Vietnam region, and attacked Vietnam in 1857. France was able to take over the southern portion of Vietnam and moved into the capital city of Saigon. By 1884 France had taken over all of Vietnam and what is now known as Cambodia and Laos. They immediately sent in missionaries to convert these Buddhists, but met stiff resistance. The complete area was known as French Indochina. France was very interested in the area’s farming and rubber trees. Many Frenchmen relocated to the area to run large plantations. The people resisted and resented their rule.

            The French continued to rule the area until the Second World War. Japan occupied Vietnam in 1941, but the French hoped that they would regain the country after the war. At the Potsdam Conference after the war, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Britain agreed that the Chinese army would occupy Vietnam. These were Chinese Nationalist troops – not communists. A communist in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, trained in Moscow, forced the Chinese out, but the French still remained. The Indochinese War began in 1946. Guerrilla tactics characterized the war. The French tried to bring back a former emperor and set up a puppet government in Saigon. It failed, and with a communist victory at Dienbienphu, near the Laotian border, the French left. Throughout the war they had been supported by the United States. Peace efforts led to a partition of Vietnam at the seventeenth parallel. While the communists under Ho Chi Minh led North Vietnam, a pro-West government was established in the south with Saigon as its capital. What we know as the Vietnam War was to follow.

Indonesia

The recorded history of Indonesia’s colonial period starts around 1600 when the East Indies, as it was known at the time, became a battleground for Christian, Hindu, and Muslim religions. The Muslims of India began invading the area in the thirteenth century, and by 1600 it was mostly Muslim. In the fifteenth century the Portuguese began to trade in the area. The Dutch ousted them, and took over the area in 1795. They were not interested in allowing the region to govern itself and brought in the Dutch East India Company to control the 3000 islands stretching across 2800 miles. They ran the area until 1922.   People of the region began to demand their independence at that time. These nationalists felt that the Dutch were too controlling, forcing them to buy their goods and services only from Holland. Moreover, there was discrimination – the Dutch favored Chinese businessmen and few nationals received college degrees. The Dutch would not compromise, and this led to a strong National Indonesian Party.

The party gained many followers, but, as in Vietnam, the Japanese took over the area in World War II. When the war was over, Achmed Sukarno, leader of the National Party, announced the formation of the Indonesian Republic. The Dutch sent in their troops, and fought for their East Indies until the United Nations intervened in 1948. On December 27, 1949 Indonesia became a country. Although free from Dutch colonialism, and a republic, Indonesia immediately began to have economic and social problems. A military takeover occurred in the following years when a powerful military leader by the name of Suharto convinced Sukarno that he could help him maintain power. Suharto is currently under arrest and on trial for a multitude of charges. The country continues to struggle. It has vast natural resources, over 220 million people, and is the largest Muslim nation in the world.

The Novel

This activity will consist of reading the novel The Fugitive by Toer in a four-night homework assignment. During their reading, the students will extract key information using notes, and be ready to discuss the novel each day. The novel is about a young soldier in the Indonesian army who has led a revolt against the Japanese invaders. He is betrayed and must disguise himself while he tries to find his fianc�e. The rationale for this selection is two-fold. First, the author, Toer, is Indonesia’s most famous modern writer. Second, in an historical context the novel introduces many of the customs and cultural information about the country. We will learn much about the country through the reading.

The Article

We will also read an article from the New York Times Learning Network. It is called “It’s Ramadan. School is Out. Quick, the Earplugs!” The article was written in 2002 and gives insight into Indonesia’s major religion, Islam. Students will also read an article from the March 10, 2002 New York Times Magazine called “The Threat of Jaffar.” The article is about a powerful religious politician in the country who wants a radically Islamic Indonesia. With the events of September 11 less than a year old, it is important to review this article.

Research

Also, during the week the students will research, via the Internet, various subjects that will allow them to better understand modern Indonesia. Topics will be assigned, documents prepared, and presentations made about Jakarta, Suharto, Sukarno, the government, geography, and economics. The Internet sites will be identified to the students in order to assure they produce consistent information for all. Finally, students will look at some poetry by Vietnamese and Indonesians. By week’s end, students should have a complete view of Indonesia and how it developed differently from Communist Vietnam.

Implementation

General Remarks

The lessons identified are for a block schedule. An extra day or two may be needed to complete the unit because there is so much discussion from the students – students tend to want to talk a great deal at times. The reason that some pieces are read in class is because of their scholarship level. The unit is meant for an average class so some writings must be discussed while they are read. Homework assignments are indicated. The students should keep a notebook throughout the unit – you may want to grade it.

State Benchmarks

The state benchmarks that will be met in this unit for the Language Arts and Social Studies areas are included in this one area of the document. They come directly from the most recent lists found on website http://www.sde.state.nm.us. Because this is a humanities unit both types of standards are met.

Language Arts

Reading and Listening Strand:

Benchmark IA (1,2,3,7)
Benchmark IB (3,4)
Benchmark IC (1,2,4,6)
Benchmark ID (1,2,5,6)

Writing and Speaking for Expression Strand:

Benchmark IIA (1,2,6,8)
Benchmark IIB (1,2)
Benchmark IIC (3,4)

Literature and Media Strand:

Benchmark IIIA (1,3,4)
Benchmark IIIB (1,2)

Social Studies

History Strand:

Benchmark IC (6,7,9,10,12,)
Benchmark ID (1,2,5,6,7)

Geography Strand:

Benchmark IIA (1,2)
Benchmark IIB (1,2,3,4)
Benchmark IIC (1,2,3)
Benchmark IIE (5,6,)

Civics and Government Strand:

Benchmark IIIC (12,13)

Economics Strand:

Benchmark IV (1,7,14)

Lesson Plans

Day One:

Students will be able to translate a simple phrase after being given some symbols (ice breaker), brainstorm the idea of world literature, define certain key terms associated with world literature while listening to an opening lecture. Activities will be to begin to create a set of notes on the reasons for world literature in a humanities environment, do the translation in the first objective, and brainstorm the idea of world literature. This lesson is the kick-off lesson that will set the cornerstone for the first week. The students will be told that they will be responsible for a certain set of words, keeping good notes on the subject, and that their readings will be given to them throughout the unit except for the novel which they will get from the bookroom.

Day Two:

Students will be able to begin defining terms from yesterday as they start to read Harrison’s “What Is World Literature?” in class, begin to incorporate information from the essay into notes, and discuss the essay as it is being read. The essay will be discussed in detail. Students will be asked to participate in the discussion, take notes, and identify/define the terms from the previous lesson as they encounter them in the document. This is a key essay, but the teacher should be including other information from the “Rationale” section of this unit in order to enhance the discussion.

Day Three:

Students will finish analyzing Harrison’s essay, translate poetry in groups and compare the results with other groups, and reflect on the issues involving the need to read world literature. Homework will be to start reading “In Praise of Shadows” – approximately half of it. During the final discussion of the Harrison essay, the teacher will conduct a summary session. After that the students will be asked to write for fifteen minutes about the essay. The teacher will divide the class into groups of four, and give each group a set of symbols to translate. These symbols will be Chinese writing (with English meanings provided). The students will try to write what they think the symbols mean. They will compare the translations with other teams. The importance of translating will then be discussed.

Day Four:

Students will read (selected students) some of their reflections on world literature, discuss the individual reflections, analyze the first part of “In Praise of Shadows,” and begin reading the last part of the essay.

Day Five:

Students will finish the discussion of “In Praise of Shadows,” participate in a wrap-up discussion on why world literature is important, and take notes on colonial Vietnam and Indonesia. During the discussion on “In Praise of Shadows” students will also be asked to critique the piece and to identify what they have learned about the Japanese. They will get into groups of four to do this, and post their results on the board. During the lecture on Vietnam and Indonesia, the teacher will use a regional map and world map to go over the physical geography of the two nations. A map will be provided to the students. It will be put into their note section after they have located certain important sites on it.

Days Six and Seven:

Students will begin researching Indonesia by breaking into groups of three, selecting a topic from the board, and selecting a team leader and scribe. The teacher will go over the requirements for each piece of research, which will lead to a seven to ten minute presentation from each group. The subjects will be current Indonesian government, the economy of the country, religion, Suharto, Sukarno, shadow plays, art of the country, women in Indonesia, and Jakarta. The students will be able to go to the media center (library), access the Internet (looking at sites provided by the teacher), and look through any reference materials brought into the classroom. The teacher will visit only with the team leader from each group to ascertain status on the mini-project. Students will have two days to prepare a presentation. The teacher will review the information before it is presented.

Day Eight:

Students will present and answer questions about their presentations. All students will present. The scribe from each team will record the major points of the presentation on the board. The teacher will grade the students for content, organization, and ability to answer questions. Students will take notes. Homework will be to read the first section of the novel The Fugitive. They will concentrate on the plot of the novel.

Day Nine:

Students will identify the plot of the first part of the novel on a short quiz, begin the discussion of the plot, setting, characters, point of view, and historical significance. Several parts will be read aloud in class, and students will be asked to respond to those areas. They will begin reading the second part of the novel, and will continue to concentrate on the plot.

Day Ten:

Students will discuss the second section of the novel, analyze poetry from Indonesia, and write a poem about what they know of the country. Volunteers will read their poems in class. Students will begin reading the third section of the novel for homework.

Day Eleven:

Students will discuss the third section of the novel after taking a short quiz on the reading. The article entitled “The Threat of Jaffar” from the New York Times Magazine” will be read in class, and a discussion on terrorism and the Muslim connection will follow. Students will take notes on the discussion. For homework the students will finish The Fugitive.

Day Twelve:

Students will answer questions about the last part of The Fugitive on a short quiz. The teacher will ask the students to stand and will conduct a friendly competition surrounding the novel. The students will be called upon to answer questions about any aspect of the entire novel. Those not giving a proper answer will be seated. The winner will get five bonus points on the upcoming unit test. Second place will get two points. The students will prepare a study sheet for the upcoming test. The sheet will be finished for homework and handed in before the test. The test will include all information concerning the Harrison essay and why we read world literature, the historical perspectives on Indonesia and Vietnam, the presentations given by the groups on various areas of Indonesia, geography, and the novel. The test should consist of content questions (some multiple choice, true/false, matching, and several substantial essay questions about the novel and why we read world literature.)

Day Thirteen:

Students will answer questions about Indonesia on an assessment. After finishing the test, they will be given a short piece from The New York Times called “It’s Ramadan. School is Out. Quick, the Earplugs!” They are to read the story and identify six key facts from it. This is to be handed in before the end of the block.

Documentation

Teacher’s Resources:

Biddle, Arthur, et al, eds. Global Voices – Contemporary Literature from the Non-Western              World. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1995.

Brown, Ina C. Understanding Other Cultures. New Jersey, 1963.

Caws, Mary Ann. “Section X Southeast Asia.” The Harper Collins World Reader –The Modern              World. Eds. Mary Ann Caws, Christopher Prendergast. NewYork: Harper Collins, 1994.            1407-1410.

Crane, Brinton, John B. Christopher, Robert Lee Wolfe. Civilization in the West. New Jersey:              Prentice-Hall, 1964.

Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel. New York: W.W. Norton, Inc., 1999.

Geok-Lin Lim, Shirley. “Introduction.” One World of Literature. Eds. Shirley Geok-Lin Lim,              Norman Spencer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. 192-200.

Greene, Thomas M. “1. Misunderstanding Poetry: Teaching outside the Western Canon.” Reading              World Literature: Theory, History, Practice. Ed. Sarah Lawall. Austin: U of Texas,              1994. 361-363.

Lawall, Sarah, ed. “Introduction.” Reading World Literature: Theory, History, Practice. Austin:              U of Texas, 1994. 1-64.

Lawall, Sarah, et al, eds. The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Volume F. New York:             W.W.Norton, Inc., 2002.

Snyder, Louis L. The Making of Modern Man. New Jersey: D. Van Nostrand, 1967.

Spielvogel, Jackson J. World History, the Human Odyssey. Cincinnati: West Educational                Publishing, 1998.

Student Resources:

Ellis, Linda, et al, eds. Literature, Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes (Platinum Level). New              Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2000.

Harrison, Gary. “What is World Literature?” Unpublished manuscript. April 1, 2002.

Lee, Tzu Pheng. “My Country and My People.” One World of Literature. Eds. Shirley Geok-Lin              Lim, Norman Spencer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. 364-371.

Marshall, Andrew. “The Threat of Jaffar.” The New York Times Magazine March 10, 2002:            Pages 44-73.

Sims, Calvin. “It’s Ramadan. School Is Out. Quick, the Earplugs!” New York Times December               20, 2002.

Toer, Pramoedya Ananta. The Fugitive. New York: Penguin Books, 1990.

Toer, Pramoedya Ananta. “Inem.” One World of Literature. Eds. Shirley Geok-Lin Lim, Norman              Spencer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. 288-297.

Vo Phien. “The Key.” One World of Literature. Eds. Shirley Geok-Lin Lim, Norman Spencer.             Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. 364-371.

Internet Sites – Students and Teachers:

East Timor Information. East Timor Government. http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9273

Indonesia. Government Guide. AOL International. 10 June 2002.
             http://www.governmentguide.com

Scott, Peter D. “U.S. and Overthrow of Sukarno, 1965-1967.” Pacific Affairs, 58, Summer              1985, 239-264. http://www.pir.org/scott.html

Suharto. Encarta Encyclopedia article. http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/home.aspx

Sukarno. Encarta Encyclopedia article. http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/home.aspx