Course Information
Instructor: Mr. Jared Hall
Email: jhall@hotchkiss.org
Office: Academic Office (across from the Post Office)
On-campus residence: Dana East 1
Course description
China’s modern history has been a time of great upheaval, and can be broadly understood in terms of fall and rise. The Qianlong emperor reigned for much of the eighteenth century over the world’s most populous and prosperous empire, hailed by Voltaire as the “best the world had ever seen.” The following century witnessed a dramatic reversal of fortunes: the country was repeatedly buffeted by war, rebellion, economic collapse, and social decay. China soon saw two millennia of dynastic rule collapse, and was scarred by decades of civil war that were interrupted only by Japan’s catastrophically ill-conceived attempt at seizing the broken fragments. Historians debate when and what sparked the revival: Was it a new national consciousness? An ardent passion for socialist ideals? Or, perhaps, the later turn to a kind of capitalism with Chinese characteristics? Whatever the motive force, Mao Zedong captured the spirit of the eventual rise by claiming that “the Chinese people have stood up!” The founding of his “New China” might not have marked the end of turmoil, but by the twenty-first century, it would be difficult conceive of China’s re-emergence as a great power as anything short of world-historic.
This course examines this modern history with an eye to essential questions that bring the past into dialogue with the present. Along the way, we will aim at becoming “fluent in China,” that is: to understand major patterns of continuity and change in the last two centuries of Chinese history, to engage in conversations around a handful of notable figures and events in modern Chinese history that can serve as a foundation for future study or research, to analyze and critique written and visual sources, and to engage with historical scholarship through reading, discussion, and writing.
This semester we will be giving particular attention to visual sources, culminating with project designed to apply our understanding of China’s recent past to a the research and production of a short film.
Core commitments
Above everything else, we have three essential goals, which are to:
Format
Learning in this course structured to follow Bloom’s Taxonomy (outside link) in the path toward developing higher-level thinking within a historical context. While we will speak often about “skills,” it is also important to remember that even in the age of near-instant reference resources, a certain command of “content” is still essential for rigorous application of historical tools. This course is designed to equip you with the knowledge about China’s past necessary to frame your understanding and ask good questions for further research.
On a day-to-day basis, much of our time will be dedicated to discussion of assigned texts, supplemented by interactive activities to practice analysis, research, and other advanced historical thinking skills. At the end of each unit, you will be assessed through an in-class assessment designed to track your comprehension and progress toward our course goals. One unit-length course project will allow you to then apply some of the skills and knowledge we have developed in the course for more independent exploration.
Assessing Achievement & Progress
The goal of assessment in this class is to encourage growth. Research suggests that the best way to do so is to limit the number of possible marks on each assessment, provide written feedback, and to allow penalty-free rewrites for at least a short period of time. Therefore, all assignments will be marked as one of the following:
A Strong
B Satisfactory
C Weak
Please note:
Preparation and engagement (30%)
Why preparation and engagement is assessed. Our class is designed to operate often as a seminar and occasionally as a workshop. For this approach to work, it is vital that we all come to class having thoroughly and thoughtfully engaged in our readings. Specifically, each of us will be expected to read, take notes, and develop textually-driven questions and insights before coming together for each session together. It is equally important that we take turns around the table wrestling with ideas and relying on one another to deepen our understanding.
How preparation and engagement is assessed. Your preparation and engagement will be evaluated on the basis of:
How I can help you succeed. To make these goals attainable, I will start by attempting to provide readings that are both engaging and manageable in scope. Routine homework assignments should not exceed 45 minutes before each class session, even for double periods. I respect your time and will do my best to stay within that timeframe by providing you guiding questions and tips for how to work efficiently through the readings and ensuring unit assessments are conducted during class time and allotting you significant in-class time to complete your course project. In addition, you can expect regular, qualitative feedback on your preparation and your engagement. We will also devote some time in class to expanding on the discussion skills you learned over the course of the Humanities program.
Coursework (70%)
The components below are designed to provide practical shape to our learning objectives.
Extra help and communication
Our time together is designed to be challenging. There may be times when you would like further clarification, need additional support, or are just generally feeling overloaded as you work to balance competing demands on your time. Please know that communicating any of these will be viewed on my part as a sign of intellectual and emotional maturity, not as a sign of falling short.
How do I ask good questions? The best questions are processed-based help (improvement in skills and understanding) and not reward-based help (“How do I get an A?”). You might ask these questions in relation to a historical concept, a specific skill, or performance on a graded assignment or assessment.
Can we meet? Of course! The preferred method for finding a time to meet is to send me an appointment request using Google Calendar, which I work to keep up to date. (Follow this link to see how to do that). Alternatively, you can send me an email with your complete availability for the day(s) that you wish to meet. In general, you should expect at least a 24-hour response time for emails sent during the week and longer on the weekends. I am often available for drop-in help during the school day in my office.
Further Course Policies and Comments
Academic honesty. Academic integrity is vital to the pursuit of knowledge. This class fully complies with the Humanities Program Statement on Academic Integrity. You are expected to submit your own work based on factual and clearly identified sources. You should understand that essays, projects, and other types of assessment are designed primarily to track your progress toward our learning goals. Therefore, it is essential that you rely on your own efforts and do your best to ensure the integrity of all assessments. Any instance of academic dishonesty will be treated as a serious offense.
Citations. As historians, we will make extensive use of primary and secondary sources. Please be careful to always give credit to your sources. All written work should make consistent use of the Chicago Manual of Style systems of citation and should include a Works Cited page. For support, you can consult this helpful guide provided by the Ford Library (PDF), speak with a librarian, seek support from Study Skills, or ask me directly.
Late work. Unless stated otherwise, late work may be submitted at a penalty of one-third a letter grade per school day. This means a paper submitted three days late would have dropped from an A to a B. If you are finding yourself under pressure, please speak to me as early as possible. While extension requests that fall within 48 hours of a deadline are unlikely to be granted, open, honest communication is always valued, and I will do my best to help find a fair solution.
Technology. Computers, tablet devices, ebook readers, and even mobile phones are all welcome additions to our classroom. Indeed, for many of our lessons, your computer will be an important tool in the learning experience. Nonetheless, distracting or disruptive behavior makes it difficult to learn, both for yourself and for your classmates. As a courtesy to students around you, all sound notifications (especially on phones) should be muted. Please know I will be direct with you if I feel you are not adhering to the spirit of this policy. If necessary, I reserve the right to modify this policy for any individuals or course sections as needed.
Book for purchase
The following text is available through the School Store and Amazon:
Instructor: Mr. Jared Hall
Email: jhall@hotchkiss.org
Office: Academic Office (across from the Post Office)
On-campus residence: Dana East 1
Course description
China’s modern history has been a time of great upheaval, and can be broadly understood in terms of fall and rise. The Qianlong emperor reigned for much of the eighteenth century over the world’s most populous and prosperous empire, hailed by Voltaire as the “best the world had ever seen.” The following century witnessed a dramatic reversal of fortunes: the country was repeatedly buffeted by war, rebellion, economic collapse, and social decay. China soon saw two millennia of dynastic rule collapse, and was scarred by decades of civil war that were interrupted only by Japan’s catastrophically ill-conceived attempt at seizing the broken fragments. Historians debate when and what sparked the revival: Was it a new national consciousness? An ardent passion for socialist ideals? Or, perhaps, the later turn to a kind of capitalism with Chinese characteristics? Whatever the motive force, Mao Zedong captured the spirit of the eventual rise by claiming that “the Chinese people have stood up!” The founding of his “New China” might not have marked the end of turmoil, but by the twenty-first century, it would be difficult conceive of China’s re-emergence as a great power as anything short of world-historic.
This course examines this modern history with an eye to essential questions that bring the past into dialogue with the present. Along the way, we will aim at becoming “fluent in China,” that is: to understand major patterns of continuity and change in the last two centuries of Chinese history, to engage in conversations around a handful of notable figures and events in modern Chinese history that can serve as a foundation for future study or research, to analyze and critique written and visual sources, and to engage with historical scholarship through reading, discussion, and writing.
This semester we will be giving particular attention to visual sources, culminating with project designed to apply our understanding of China’s recent past to a the research and production of a short film.
Core commitments
Above everything else, we have three essential goals, which are to:
- Demonstrate fearless, independent thinking.
- Trust and engage one another in community.
- Adopt the mindset of a historian and a cosmopolitan.
Format
Learning in this course structured to follow Bloom’s Taxonomy (outside link) in the path toward developing higher-level thinking within a historical context. While we will speak often about “skills,” it is also important to remember that even in the age of near-instant reference resources, a certain command of “content” is still essential for rigorous application of historical tools. This course is designed to equip you with the knowledge about China’s past necessary to frame your understanding and ask good questions for further research.
On a day-to-day basis, much of our time will be dedicated to discussion of assigned texts, supplemented by interactive activities to practice analysis, research, and other advanced historical thinking skills. At the end of each unit, you will be assessed through an in-class assessment designed to track your comprehension and progress toward our course goals. One unit-length course project will allow you to then apply some of the skills and knowledge we have developed in the course for more independent exploration.
Assessing Achievement & Progress
The goal of assessment in this class is to encourage growth. Research suggests that the best way to do so is to limit the number of possible marks on each assessment, provide written feedback, and to allow penalty-free rewrites for at least a short period of time. Therefore, all assignments will be marked as one of the following:
A Strong
B Satisfactory
C Weak
Please note:
- The standards above will be translated into specific criteria at the time the assignment is distributed.
- All marks will be accompanied by written explanations that include (a) the reasoning for the mark, and (b) concrete suggestions for improvement.
- If you receive a “C” mark, you may resubmit your work to earn a “B”; the same is true from “B” to “A.” You have up to four class periods from the time you have received a mark and feedback to submit changes. At that point, your mark will be fixed in the gradebook so you can turn your focus to new material.
- Work received that does not meet “C” standards will not be accepted, and will be returned to you ungraded. You will have up to four class periods from the time you have received back your mark to submit changes.
- At the end of the term, your marks will be considered holistically according to the 70/30 formula in the two subsections that follow. Please note that work that consistently exceeds the “strong” standard may be considered for a final mark of “A+.” Consistently poor work that does not meet the “C” threshold may be considered for a final mark of “F.” I expect both cases to be rare.
Preparation and engagement (30%)
Why preparation and engagement is assessed. Our class is designed to operate often as a seminar and occasionally as a workshop. For this approach to work, it is vital that we all come to class having thoroughly and thoughtfully engaged in our readings. Specifically, each of us will be expected to read, take notes, and develop textually-driven questions and insights before coming together for each session together. It is equally important that we take turns around the table wrestling with ideas and relying on one another to deepen our understanding.
How preparation and engagement is assessed. Your preparation and engagement will be evaluated on the basis of:
- your digital notebook (link to Google Doc), and
- your in-class discussion (see description of key skills and rubric used for feedback).
How I can help you succeed. To make these goals attainable, I will start by attempting to provide readings that are both engaging and manageable in scope. Routine homework assignments should not exceed 45 minutes before each class session, even for double periods. I respect your time and will do my best to stay within that timeframe by providing you guiding questions and tips for how to work efficiently through the readings and ensuring unit assessments are conducted during class time and allotting you significant in-class time to complete your course project. In addition, you can expect regular, qualitative feedback on your preparation and your engagement. We will also devote some time in class to expanding on the discussion skills you learned over the course of the Humanities program.
Coursework (70%)
The components below are designed to provide practical shape to our learning objectives.
- Minor assessments. Each unit will include one or two minor assessments that will typically be more structured and student-directed. These might include a debate, a mock TED talk, a mini screenplay, or simply a student-led discussion based on a handful of analysis questions. Minor assessments are designed to be mainly low stakes opportunities for ongoing feedback, and will be weighted at about one quarter of a unit assessment (25 points).
- Unit assessments. The course will include four unit assessments that are intentionally designed to address the skills and particular issues explored during the unit. Assessments that demonstrate strong engagement with the materials may be revised and resubmitted within one week of receiving back your grade and feedback. In fairness to everyone, revision grades will be averaged with the original. Each unit assessment will carry equal weight (100 points).
- Course project. The course project will be collaborative and creative, and take the form of a short film. Over the course of several weeks, you will identify one of our essential questions and use it to examine the past in the context of the present. Successful projects will engage in careful research that explores multiple viewpoints, engage in thoughtful analysis, and produce a polished product that can be shared within and outside the Hotchkiss community. The course project will be weighted as two units (200 points).
Extra help and communication
Our time together is designed to be challenging. There may be times when you would like further clarification, need additional support, or are just generally feeling overloaded as you work to balance competing demands on your time. Please know that communicating any of these will be viewed on my part as a sign of intellectual and emotional maturity, not as a sign of falling short.
How do I ask good questions? The best questions are processed-based help (improvement in skills and understanding) and not reward-based help (“How do I get an A?”). You might ask these questions in relation to a historical concept, a specific skill, or performance on a graded assignment or assessment.
Can we meet? Of course! The preferred method for finding a time to meet is to send me an appointment request using Google Calendar, which I work to keep up to date. (Follow this link to see how to do that). Alternatively, you can send me an email with your complete availability for the day(s) that you wish to meet. In general, you should expect at least a 24-hour response time for emails sent during the week and longer on the weekends. I am often available for drop-in help during the school day in my office.
Further Course Policies and Comments
Academic honesty. Academic integrity is vital to the pursuit of knowledge. This class fully complies with the Humanities Program Statement on Academic Integrity. You are expected to submit your own work based on factual and clearly identified sources. You should understand that essays, projects, and other types of assessment are designed primarily to track your progress toward our learning goals. Therefore, it is essential that you rely on your own efforts and do your best to ensure the integrity of all assessments. Any instance of academic dishonesty will be treated as a serious offense.
Citations. As historians, we will make extensive use of primary and secondary sources. Please be careful to always give credit to your sources. All written work should make consistent use of the Chicago Manual of Style systems of citation and should include a Works Cited page. For support, you can consult this helpful guide provided by the Ford Library (PDF), speak with a librarian, seek support from Study Skills, or ask me directly.
Late work. Unless stated otherwise, late work may be submitted at a penalty of one-third a letter grade per school day. This means a paper submitted three days late would have dropped from an A to a B. If you are finding yourself under pressure, please speak to me as early as possible. While extension requests that fall within 48 hours of a deadline are unlikely to be granted, open, honest communication is always valued, and I will do my best to help find a fair solution.
Technology. Computers, tablet devices, ebook readers, and even mobile phones are all welcome additions to our classroom. Indeed, for many of our lessons, your computer will be an important tool in the learning experience. Nonetheless, distracting or disruptive behavior makes it difficult to learn, both for yourself and for your classmates. As a courtesy to students around you, all sound notifications (especially on phones) should be muted. Please know I will be direct with you if I feel you are not adhering to the spirit of this policy. If necessary, I reserve the right to modify this policy for any individuals or course sections as needed.
Book for purchase
The following text is available through the School Store and Amazon:
