UCLA Center for East Asian Studies Educational Resources

Hong Kong and China

Description of the Unit

This unit will concentrate on Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China (China, the PRC). Because Hong Kong's sovereignty returned back to China last month under the banner "One Country, Two systems," considerable media attention has been given to this topic. Secondary school students may have many questions about the events prior to and after the handover. This unit is designed to help them make sense and hopefully understand the history of Hong Kong-China relations as well as Chinese Foreign relations with the west.

The unit will use several information sources acquired from the ISOP East Asian seminar. Prof. James Tong's lecture on Making Sense of Hong Kong provided historical and descriptional background material that is quite comprehensive and up to date. Prof. Jonathan Weil's lecture about Bringing East Asia into the Classroom and Advisor Clayton Dube's models of Historical Encounters (i.e., Historical Simulations) would enable the students to actively participate in a brief recreation of the history of the Opium War (1839-1842).

General Objectives

1) Develop dispositions associated with effective thinking. (Critical thinking, etc.)
2) Raise interest in the sources of attitudes, beliefs, values, and actions. (Identity matters.)
3) Become sensitive to problems and issues. (Goal setting, conflict resolution, etc.)
4) Develop habits and skills associated with producing and evaluating ideas.
5) Articulate a position/interact with others expressing different views while offering and judging evidence. [Dube]