Connecting Family and the World: Using East Asian Children's Literature in the Classroom

The first block of the day, titled “Classroom Hands-On Teaching Kit: Korean Art, Culture, & History,” focused on the children’s novel A Single Shard. Minyoung invited Rory Walsh, an archaeologist/anthropologist and manager of the master's programs at the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Maria DeRosia, a teacher from Eberwhite Elementary. Rory and Marisa spoke about one of the K-12 outreach programs from NCKS, The Single Shard Experience. In this experience, teachers receive a teaching kit from NCKS about A Single Shard and Korean culture. After reading the book and exploring the kit, teachers bring their students to the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) for a tour and hands-on activities led by Rory and UMMA staff. 

Next, Sara presented: “Japanese [Re]Connections: Family, Heritage, and Language.” In this block, Sara focused on the books Soul Lanterns and While I Was Away to explore connections between these texts and Michigan education standards. She used the lenses of family, heritage, and language to connect the books to students’ lived experiences. The group also discussed how to teach challenging aspects of history, especially to younger students. Sara also led the group through hands-on classroom activities that combined language and visual arts. The group created origami daruma, a Japanese Buddhist doll used to wish for good luck or success in accomplishing a goal. She also introduced Tanabata decorative crafts, a Japanese summer celebration also known as the Star Festival.

After a break for lunch, Carol led the third block, “Crossing the Road: Language, Literature and Learning, New Stories and Classic Adages.” Carol highlighted the picture book, Look! What Do You See?: An Art Puzzle Book of American and Chinese Songs. This text encourages readers to view language in new ways through “square word calligraphy” created by contemporary artist Xu Bing, and educators enjoyed figuring out the puzzle in the book! Carol also highlighted The Confucian Analects: An Illustrated Edition, showing how illustration offers new perspectives on Confucian thought. She also explored zine-making, demonstrating how students can create their own mini-magazines expressing their morals and ways of thinking.

Following these three content blocks, local author Kyunghee Kim addressed the group. Her presentation, “Exploring Asian Diasporic Narratives: Bridging Cultures and Fostering Belonging in the Classroom,” explored how picture books can positively contribute to an inclusive classroom environment. She explained the poetry in her book, See Us Bloom, which sparked engaging conversations around multiculturalism, the importance of one’s name, and belonging in the classroom. Kyunghee also emphasized the necessity for exploring narratives that highlight the contributions of Individuals who have made an impact and narratives that combat stereotypes, as well as books featuring food, traditions, and holidays to foster belonging.

The day concluded with breakout discussions, during which the group shared ideas and resources on celebrating diversity year-round, reflecting on how to interpret difficult histories for children, ensuring students of all cultures feel safe and celebrated, and exploring the best ways to incorporate literature from diverse cultures across different grade levels.

The East Asia NRC team is grateful for such an engaging day, full of discussion and connection. Educators shared their teaching experiences and offered positive feedback on the workshop’s content and structure. Common themes in the responses included appreciation for the variety of take-home resources, the engaging speakers, and the opportunities for networking and collaboration.