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Tales of a Teacher
Weekly blog – 10/7/18 |
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Questions?
Comments? Connect with the blog! Blogemail@email.com
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The Tale of
Genji by Murasaki Shikibu
Welcome
back fellow teachers! This week we are being transported cultures in our
literary discussion. We will be talking about The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shibiku. This is an absolute
#ClassicAmongClassics, being the very first novel and all. I am very excited
to bring this to you today because I think it is so important to keep our
students learning about history, and different cultures! So, let’s start
with…
Theme
I
would say a very prevalent theme throughout this novel is the idea of life
throughout generations. This story shows the line of the emperor, starting
with Genji, and then to Genji’s descendants. It shows the culture of the time
and the beliefs of the family. Although they live a very “playboy” lifestyle
in our eyes, it was very common for their culture to not be monogamous. This
can be a tough thing to address with students but there is a way to do it!
How to Teach
this Theme
Life
throughout generations is the theme we are working with. Secondly, kids these
days seem to be so intrigued with the “antique.” So, I thought a very fun way
to get students involved in this story is to bring the culture into the
classroom by printmaking! Have students carve a design into a thin piece of
wood (safely of course, maybe team up with the art teacher or if you have a
woodworking teacher). However, have the students base their design on their
own generational lives! Get them to research their family history, where they
came from, etc. They will be so intrigued at the fun they won’t even know
they’re learning.
Here’s the Gist
This story is the
classic novel and if taught well, can encompass not only the story, but
the culture, what it represents, and even connect into your students’ lives.
This is definitely one you should make time for!
I would love to hear about
your experience
teaching “The Tale of Genji!” Shoot me an email through the
link on the left or catch me
at the “Teachers for a Cause”
event in San
Antonio, Texas this December!
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Last week’s blog:
The Young
Housewife by William Carlos Williams
www.younghousewifewilliams.blog.net
Where can you get “The Tale of Genji”? Here’s the link!
http://www.public-library.uk/ebooks/39/11.pdf
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Tales of a Teacher Weekly blog – 9/23/18 Questions? Comments? Connect with the blog! Blogemail@blogemail.com Peach Tree Soft and Tender by Michael Miller Welcome back fellow teachers! This week we are going to dive straight into our literature discussion. Today we will be talking about “Peach Tree Soft and Tender” by Michael Miller. This is a very lovely poem about the life cycle of a peach tree alongside the cycle of a bride in Chinese culture. This poem is a great opportunity to learn about new cultures as well as a quick one-day lesson. First we’ll dive into… Theme The theme of this poem is “virtue growing and blossoming.” As the peach tree grows in its life cycle, the wife grows in her marital duties. She starts as a new bride, grows into a mother, and ends as ...
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