1. A rationale for the proposed unit?
For the Ancient China unit, we cover major Chinese philosophers including Confucius. The curriculum outlines the basic teachings of Confucius but does not mention his beliefs on the role of women. I wrote this unit to shed some light on gender in Ancient China.
2. Skill and content objectives
Know about the life of Confucius and the fundamental teachings of Confucianism and Taoism.
Identify the political and cultural problems prevalent in the time of Confucius and how he sought to solve them.
3. Detailed lesson plan
Day 1
Objective: Students will read excerpts from "Women in Traditional China" then discuss in a Socratic Seminar.
Materials: Copies of article, notebooks, pencils
Discussion: After reading, students will participate in a Socratic Seminar by answering these discussion questions:
What was the expected role of women in Ancient China?
How have those expectations changed in modern times?
How do you feel about the way women were viewed according to Confucius?
Day 2
Objective: Students will compare the role of women in Ancient China to other Ancient Civilizations such as Greece, India, and Rome.
Materials: History textbook, laptops
Using graphic organizers, students will compare the role of women, in groups of 3-4. They will present their findings to the class.
Day 3
Objective: Students will write an opinion on essay on what they think about women's role in Ancient China.
Materials: Chromebooks, notebooks
Using classtime, students will research more on women in China. They will write a rough draft and peer edit before writing their final draft.
4. A plan for assessing student achievement
On day 1, I will assess how the students participate during the Socratic seminar discussion by observation and taking notes on what is shared. The students will earn points for participating.
I will assess the graphic organizer with a rubric and checklist.
I will grade the peer editing and their opinion essay based on a Schoology rubric.