Students work together to develop a definition of "ethnic group." Then each student researches and prepares a brief report on one of ten ethnic groups in China. Next students consider what problems ethnic groups may face. Finally, they consider whether the material they used in their research was biased or not.
Students read background information about human migration and how ethnic groups form, then consider examples of ethnic groups in the United States. They respond to a word cloud prompt by naming one or more U.S. ethnic groups.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience and its focus on China’s ethnic groups. Use student word cloud responses to facilitate a class discussion that leads to a shared working definition of “ethnic group.”
Students select or are assigned one of ten major ethnic groups in China (Zhuang, Hui, Manchu, Uyghur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, or Dong). They research their group, take notes, and write a short report that includes a photograph and a list of sources. Students post their report or a link to it, along with the image, to a shared class wall, then read classmates’ posts to learn about the other Chinese ethnic groups.
Teacher MovesAssign or approve ethnic group selections and clarify expectations for the length, content, and sourcing of the reports. Monitor students’ research and posting, prompting them to use reliable, unbiased sources and to cite them appropriately. After students have posted, guide a brief discussion about the sources they used and how easy or difficult it was to find balanced information about China’s ethnic minorities.
Students read How China Distorts Its Minorities through Propaganda to examine how China’s unlimited government uses media and art to shape portrayals of ethnic minorities. They then respond on a class wall to explain why they think the Chinese government limits artistic expression and portrayal of its ethnic minorities, citing evidence from the case study.
Teacher MovesRemind students that China has an unlimited government that controls the media and frame the reading as a case study of propaganda. After students post their responses, highlight and share interesting or exemplary answers with the class, using them to prompt discussion about how controlling artistic expression can influence ethnic identity and public perceptions of minority groups.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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