Asian American Resources

Asia: Background for Teachers Asia: Regions Asia: Classroom Resources

 

Asia: Classroom Resources

Elementary Lesson Plans Secondary Lesson Plans Educator Resources

Elementary Lesson Plans

Around the Globe: Japan
The Around the Globe: Japan collection allows students to take a virtual trip to Japan to learn more about Japan’s society and culture, as well as the art of Japan through the centuries. Explore significant events in Japanese history, the history of U.S.-Japan relations, and the experiences of Japanese Americans through videos, images, documents and lesson plans.

Asian Brush Painter Yudong Shen
Yudong Shen infuses his Asian brush paintings with color and contrast to create landscapes that recall both China and Minnesota. Learn about this tradition, how it relates to Chinese culture and how it differs from other mediums.

Islam in China in Qing | The Story of China
In this clip from The Story of China, discover how Islam came to China through trade, just as Buddhism and Christianity had.

Kangxi | The Story of China
Discover how Emperor Kangxi issued 16 guidelines for the people, posted in every village and read in every town twice a month in this clip from The Story of China.

Learn about Shanghai
In this Spark video produced by KQED, learn about Shanghai at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum, the first large-scale exhibition to feature the cultural productions of the city of Shanghai.

Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuko Ando
"Magic Ramen: the story of Momofuku Ando" written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Kana Urbanowicz is an Honorable Mention title from the 2019 Freeman Book Award. An interactive classroom application by the University of Utah Asian Center. Teacher Presentation | Read-aloud Book

Man versus Elephant!
Read like a detective and solve a BIG problem on the island of Sumatra where man and Asian elephants struggle to live together and get along! This self-paced lesson is interesting for all ages.

The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden
"The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota’s Garden" by Heather T. Smith illustrated by Rachel Wada 2019 Freeman Book Award Winner. An interactive classroom application by the University of Utah Asian Center. Teacher Presentation | Read-aloud Book

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Secondary Lesson Plans

Children and Youth in History Teaching Modules
Teaching Modules for East Asia and South/Southeast Asia provide historical context, teaching tools and strategies for teaching with sets of primary sources drawn from the Primary Source Database.

Inventions and Science: Movable Type | The Story of China
Learn about the early practices of printing in China during the Tang and Song dynasties with this clip from The Story of China. Books were primarily published with woodblocks, with entire pages carved into separate pieces of wood. The Chinese first invented movable type during the Song Dynasty, but the complexity of the Chinese language made it cumbersome and not cost efficient. However, publishers continued to use woodblocks.

Know Your Dynasties | The Story of China
Each dynasty has left its mark on China. Even today, the Chinese refer to historical events not by their date but by the dynasty in which they took place. That's why you need to know your dynasties! Play the quiz with your students and match the cards to the dynasty. See how many they can get right before the time runs out.

Which Emperor Are You? | The Story of China
Being emperor of China was one of the toughest jobs in the world. The Chinese believed that an emperor's right to rule was bestowed by heaven. If the emperor failed to govern responsibly or mistreated the people, his right to rule—the "Mandate of Heaven"—could be withdrawn.

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Educator Resources

Asia for Educators
Asia for Educators (AFE) is designed to serve faculty and students in world history, culture, geography, art and literature at the undergraduate and pre-college levels.

Oleander Initiative - UEN Homeroom Podcast
In this episode of UEN Homeroom, Dani and Matt are joined by Ray Matsumiya and Iman Al-Omari from the Oleander Initiative. Listen to learn how they inspire peace education in the classroom by taking teachers from across the world to Japan to learn about the resilience of the survivors of the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

University of Utah Asia Center K-16 Outreach
The Asia Center promotes interest in and knowledge of Asia through K12 outreach, teacher training, and partnerships with K12 public schools, post-secondary institutions and community organizations.

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