Asian+Awareness



toc media type="youtube" key="gJ1PUpePrgc" height="315" width="560" Travel China These literacy and inquiry activities are for your classwork during this unit. Your inquiry task will be to prepare for an Asia Showcase. You need to work on this in a group no bigger than 3 students. Some of you may have other restrictions which the teacher will discuss with you. Your group can present your work in person at the Showcase or via a short video (1 or 2 minutes).Your Showcase work must be based on China. This additional page on China should help you research and work from your Inquiry plan.

**Puzzling Asia**
Homework Help : This site Fact Monster will help you learn the basics about all of the countries in Asia.

There are many different countries in Asia. Do the map puzzle of Asia to learn your way around. Play this game.

**About architecture**

 * 1) Check out photos of the Māori meeting house and the examples of Asian architecture. Sort them into different categories based on their similarities. Why have you grouped them this way? Why do you think these buildings have these similarities.
 * 2) Discuss your thoughts with others doing this activity.
 * 3) Write about at least two similarities and two differences between the structures in your book.

**Strike a posemedia type="youtube" key="ZUjhQLB0hXY" height="315" width="420" align="right"**
Butoh Butoh is an avant–garde dance form developed in Japan. In butoh there are no leaps, jumps, or spins. At times there is no motion at all, just maintaining a posture that involves standing still, or crouching. Watch a butoh dance. Look for similarities and differences between Japanese butoh dance and the Māori haka. Butoh dance – the body as art.

Haka Henare Teowai of Ngati Porou, an acknowledged master of the art of haka was asked on his deathbed, "What is the art of performing haka?" He replied, "Kia korero te katoa o te tinana." (The whole body should speak.)

Practise a haka pose and a butoh pose.


 * 1) Ask a friend to take digital photos of you doing each of the poses.
 * 2) Write in the venn diagram what was similar and what was different about the dance forms. How did you feel doing the poses. What do you think is the message the dancer is trying to convey?
 * 3) Print off your photos and present them with your venn diagram.

**Asian destination**
Take a virtual safari of the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand.
 * 1) Use the template to write a postcard to Mrs Walker. Tell her about:
 * how visitors feed the elephants;
 * how elephants keep cool;
 * what happens during elephant new year.

**Taiko drumming**
Japanese taiko drumming is an amazing expression combining elements of music and dance. > http://www.taiko.com/index.php?option= > com_wrapper&Itemid=39 > http://www.concentric.net/~Masaf/Photo1.html > Scroll down the page and listen to Audio 4. > What instruments are they using to make these sounds?
 * 1) Check out the following URLs and find out three interesting facts about taiko drumming
 * 1) Take a look at the Asian Drums: Kyoshi Yoshida website.

**Asian Language Match**
Use this website to learn to count in Japanese and Māori. When you are able to get a score of over 90 percent correct use the worksheet provided and fill in the blanks. Use the internet to find out which country the greetings and farewells are used in. Gumbare shi mashoo!

Traditional Asian costumes can be very elaborate and beautiful.
 * Asian weddings**
 * 1) Look at the Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim wedding pages, watch the short video clips to understand the costume and ceremony processes.
 * 2) Play Indian Wedding Photographer and sort the photos and then choose one of the albums to put the photos in order.
 * 3) Use the video sheet provided, stick this into your book and write about as the instructions describe. This work should be presented neatly, no felt in your book.

You have been invited to a Hindu wedding in India. Your task is to design a body adornment for the bride's hand.
 * The Hindu bride**
 * 1) Check out the Henna Page website, click on the hand for ideas.
 * 2) You can see more designs on the Free Patterns page and the Gallery.
 * 3) Use the Hand document and paste this into your book.
 * 4) You can use felt on the hand document and then paste this into your book.