Monday, February 23, 2009
Good news everyone. With help from my awesome student Doris, I was able to set up QQ today on my computer. My QQ number is 1102988470 if you want to add me to your class or to your friends.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Unit 2 Vocab List
Head of State
Governor General
Parliament
Member of Parliament (MP)
Prime Minister (PM)
Opposition
Kohanga reo
Correspondence School
Agriculture
Hydro-electric power
Free trade
Trade barriers
Governor General
Parliament
Member of Parliament (MP)
Prime Minister (PM)
Opposition
Kohanga reo
Correspondence School
Agriculture
Hydro-electric power
Free trade
Trade barriers
Unit 2 Outline
I. Government
A. Governed by democratically elected parliament
B. New Zealand has no constitution but the Constitution Act of 1986 acts as one as it defines the duties of the three branches of government
C. Queen of England is symbolic head of state but Governor-General acts as the head of state
D. Single chamber parliament has 120 Members of Parliament (MPs) with six who represent Maoris
E. Elections are held every three years, 80% of people vote
F. Two main parties are the National Party (centre-right) and Labour Party (centre-left)
G. Prime Minister is the leader of the party in power, party not in power is called the Opposition
H. In 1996 New Zealand began the MMPR (mixed member proportional representation) giving each person two votes
I. Former Government Enterprises have been privatized
J. Local taxes are called “rates” which are paid by “ratepayers”
K. The three levels of local government are regional councils, territorial authorities, and Community Boards
II. Education
A. School is mandatory for children ages 6 to 16 and is also free
B. Board of trustees governs each school
C. Kohanga reo, or language nests, are schools that focus on Maori language and culture
D. Schools used to go from Junior 1-2, Standard, 1-4, and Forms 1-7 but now they use years 1-13
E. New Zealand has a distance education program for those that have special medical needs or live overseas called “the Correspondence School”
F. Students take exams in forms 3, 4, and 5 called the National Certificate of Educational Achievement
G. There are nine universities and 23 polytechnics in New Zealand
III. Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing
A. Agriculture plays a significant role in New Zealand economics accounting for 21% of exports; the government does not subsidize farming
B. Farmers raise deer, sheep, and cattle and grow kiwi-fruit, apple, pears, and many other fruits and vegetables; NZ also produces a large amount of dairy products
C. New Zealand has 50.2 million sheep, that means there are more than ten times as many sheep than people in New Zealand
D. Forests cover more than one fourth of New Zealand and forest products are exported to Australia and Asia
E. Fishing includes over 100 commercially significant species and accounts for 5% of exports
IV. Energy & Overseas Trade
A. Hydro-electric power produces 80% of the nation’s electricity
B. Geothermal steam and natural gas also contribute to energy sources but oil must be imported
C. New Zealand relies heavily on international trade and consequently relies on doing business free of trade barriers
D. Horticulture is important as NZ has pioneered new apple varieties and has developed the kiwifruit as well as other fruits not native to NZ
E. Manufacturing accounts for 25% of exports
F. 1.5 million international visitors come to NZ every year making tourism an important part of the economy
G. NZ’s four major markets are Australia, the EU, Japan, and the United States
A. Governed by democratically elected parliament
B. New Zealand has no constitution but the Constitution Act of 1986 acts as one as it defines the duties of the three branches of government
C. Queen of England is symbolic head of state but Governor-General acts as the head of state
D. Single chamber parliament has 120 Members of Parliament (MPs) with six who represent Maoris
E. Elections are held every three years, 80% of people vote
F. Two main parties are the National Party (centre-right) and Labour Party (centre-left)
G. Prime Minister is the leader of the party in power, party not in power is called the Opposition
H. In 1996 New Zealand began the MMPR (mixed member proportional representation) giving each person two votes
I. Former Government Enterprises have been privatized
J. Local taxes are called “rates” which are paid by “ratepayers”
K. The three levels of local government are regional councils, territorial authorities, and Community Boards
II. Education
A. School is mandatory for children ages 6 to 16 and is also free
B. Board of trustees governs each school
C. Kohanga reo, or language nests, are schools that focus on Maori language and culture
D. Schools used to go from Junior 1-2, Standard, 1-4, and Forms 1-7 but now they use years 1-13
E. New Zealand has a distance education program for those that have special medical needs or live overseas called “the Correspondence School”
F. Students take exams in forms 3, 4, and 5 called the National Certificate of Educational Achievement
G. There are nine universities and 23 polytechnics in New Zealand
III. Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing
A. Agriculture plays a significant role in New Zealand economics accounting for 21% of exports; the government does not subsidize farming
B. Farmers raise deer, sheep, and cattle and grow kiwi-fruit, apple, pears, and many other fruits and vegetables; NZ also produces a large amount of dairy products
C. New Zealand has 50.2 million sheep, that means there are more than ten times as many sheep than people in New Zealand
D. Forests cover more than one fourth of New Zealand and forest products are exported to Australia and Asia
E. Fishing includes over 100 commercially significant species and accounts for 5% of exports
IV. Energy & Overseas Trade
A. Hydro-electric power produces 80% of the nation’s electricity
B. Geothermal steam and natural gas also contribute to energy sources but oil must be imported
C. New Zealand relies heavily on international trade and consequently relies on doing business free of trade barriers
D. Horticulture is important as NZ has pioneered new apple varieties and has developed the kiwifruit as well as other fruits not native to NZ
E. Manufacturing accounts for 25% of exports
F. 1.5 million international visitors come to NZ every year making tourism an important part of the economy
G. NZ’s four major markets are Australia, the EU, Japan, and the United States
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
English/Chinese Sessions
If any of you are interested in doing one on one English I would be willing to meet with you for an hour. The meeting would be a trade: this means I would speak English with you for a full half hour or go over anything you want in English, and the second half hour you would be helping me learn Chinese! I am not sure how much time I will devote to this but I do want to learn Chinese while I am here. So let me know if you are interested. I don't know how much time I will have and if we do one session it does not guarantee that I will do more sessions. I want to test the waters. My friend Mike might also be interested, but you will have to ask him about it. One last thing, if you know of any fun activities going on in Huai Hua make sure to tell me! I want to experience Huai Hua to the fullest! You can be me eyes and ears and let me know what is going on. Thanks students!
Vocab List
So I am toying with the idea of making a vocabulary list of keywords to remember about New Zealand. Here is the initial list I came up from unit 1. I might add a separate vocab list of useful English words we learn from unit 1. Let me know what you think of this list in class. Also, let me know what you think about my blog in class. You can tell me what you think of the class, activities or lessons you think might be helpful, things I should explain better, pictures you think I should put on the blog, or if you think this blog is useful or whether or not you think you will use this blog. Let me know in class! Thanks!
Unit 1 Keywords to remember
Aotearoa
Maori
Cook Strait
Stewart Island
Southern Alps
Mt. Cook
Auckland
Wellington
Moderate climate
Isolated
Kiwi
Moa
Maoritanga
Haka
All Blacks
Milford Sound
Unit 1 Keywords to remember
Aotearoa
Maori
Cook Strait
Stewart Island
Southern Alps
Mt. Cook
Auckland
Wellington
Moderate climate
Isolated
Kiwi
Moa
Maoritanga
Haka
All Blacks
Milford Sound
Unit 1 Outline
Unit 1 Outline New Zealand
I. Geography
A. 1600 Kilometers North to South
B. Native name is “Aotearoa” meaning “land of the long white cloud”
C. Cook Straight, Stewart Island
D. 2000 Kilometers away from Australia
E. Similar in size to Japan or British Isles
F. Formed by volcanoes
G. Southern Alps run along the entire South Island
H. Mt. Cook is the tallest mountain at 3754 meters high
I. Midway between equator and South Pole
J. Auckland is the largest city
K. Wellington is the capital, most southern national capital in the world
II. Climate, Land & Environment
A. Maritime Climate
B. Surrounded by sea, creates moderate temperatures
C. West coast has very high annual rain fall
D. Seasons are opposite to northern hemisphere
E. Isolation allowed for unique fauna and flora, plants and animals
F. Many native birds, plants, insects, spiders, snails, and earthworms
G. Very few mammals, natural predators for birds, many species of flightless birds evolved (including Kiwi, Moa, Kakapo)
H. The Kiwi is a national symbol so people from New Zealand are called “Kiwis”
I. Introduction of ferrets and other mammals killed many of these birds, causing some to go extinct and others to become endangered species
J. New Zealand is very conscious of environmental issues
III. The New Zealanders
A. Population in 2008 was 4.2 million
B. Lightly populated (compare Japan’s population of 127 mil and United Kingdom’s population of 61 million in about same area)
C. 85% of New Zealanders live in cities, three quarters live on the North Island
D. One quarter of population lives in Auckland, has some 200,000 Polynesians making it the largest Polynesian city in the world
E. 80% of New Zealanders claim European ancestry (Germany, Britain, Netherlands, and others) and 15% are Maori, 5% are Polynesian
F. Other ethnic groups include Chinese and Indian as well as many countries across the globe
G. Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs helps Polynesian and Maori peoples participate in education, employment, health and in the public sphere
H. Christianity is dominant religion (Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic) but other world religions also represented
I. In 1893 was first country to allow women to vote
J. Standard of living comparable to Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States
IV. Maoritanga
A. The Maoris are the native or indigenous people of New Zealand
B. Maoritanga is the name of the “Maori Culture”
C. Many have adopted western way of life but keep many Maori traditions as well including their oral traditions and history, language not written down until the 1700s
D. Ranginui, sky father, and Papatuanuku, earth mother, had son named Tane who created the bush, living creatures, and the first woman
E. Story of Maui who sailed far south, caught a monstrous fish which became the north island, and his canoe become the south island
F. Tribal lands and kinship still very important in Maori society
G. 80% of Maori live in urban areas, but some still live in tribal areas
H. The Haka is a well-known war dance that used to be performed prior to a battle to scare the enemy as well as prepare the warrior for battle, now it is performed by the All Blacks rugby team before games
I. Treaty of Waitangi helped to resolve land conflicts between Europeans and Maoris
J. Maoris moved to cities after WWII and the youth in 1970s started a Maori “protest movement” bringing the Waitangi Tribunal to settle disputes
K. Since 1970s Maori language revitalized with some schools implementing “total immersion” policies
V. History
A. Settled 1,000 years ago by Voyagers from East Polynesia
B. The Maori’s rich culture was passed down through oral tradition
C. Maori language finally written down in the 19th century
D. The Dutch were the first Europeans to arrive in 1642
E. English Captain James Cook reached NZ in 1769 but the British did not start settling much until the 1840s
F. There were several gold rushes in the 1860s
VI. Other Facts and Random Info
A. There are more sheep than people in New Zealand
B. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was filmed in New Zealand by Peter Jackson, a Kiwi
I. Geography
A. 1600 Kilometers North to South
B. Native name is “Aotearoa” meaning “land of the long white cloud”
C. Cook Straight, Stewart Island
D. 2000 Kilometers away from Australia
E. Similar in size to Japan or British Isles
F. Formed by volcanoes
G. Southern Alps run along the entire South Island
H. Mt. Cook is the tallest mountain at 3754 meters high
I. Midway between equator and South Pole
J. Auckland is the largest city
K. Wellington is the capital, most southern national capital in the world
II. Climate, Land & Environment
A. Maritime Climate
B. Surrounded by sea, creates moderate temperatures
C. West coast has very high annual rain fall
D. Seasons are opposite to northern hemisphere
E. Isolation allowed for unique fauna and flora, plants and animals
F. Many native birds, plants, insects, spiders, snails, and earthworms
G. Very few mammals, natural predators for birds, many species of flightless birds evolved (including Kiwi, Moa, Kakapo)
H. The Kiwi is a national symbol so people from New Zealand are called “Kiwis”
I. Introduction of ferrets and other mammals killed many of these birds, causing some to go extinct and others to become endangered species
J. New Zealand is very conscious of environmental issues
III. The New Zealanders
A. Population in 2008 was 4.2 million
B. Lightly populated (compare Japan’s population of 127 mil and United Kingdom’s population of 61 million in about same area)
C. 85% of New Zealanders live in cities, three quarters live on the North Island
D. One quarter of population lives in Auckland, has some 200,000 Polynesians making it the largest Polynesian city in the world
E. 80% of New Zealanders claim European ancestry (Germany, Britain, Netherlands, and others) and 15% are Maori, 5% are Polynesian
F. Other ethnic groups include Chinese and Indian as well as many countries across the globe
G. Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs helps Polynesian and Maori peoples participate in education, employment, health and in the public sphere
H. Christianity is dominant religion (Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic) but other world religions also represented
I. In 1893 was first country to allow women to vote
J. Standard of living comparable to Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States
IV. Maoritanga
A. The Maoris are the native or indigenous people of New Zealand
B. Maoritanga is the name of the “Maori Culture”
C. Many have adopted western way of life but keep many Maori traditions as well including their oral traditions and history, language not written down until the 1700s
D. Ranginui, sky father, and Papatuanuku, earth mother, had son named Tane who created the bush, living creatures, and the first woman
E. Story of Maui who sailed far south, caught a monstrous fish which became the north island, and his canoe become the south island
F. Tribal lands and kinship still very important in Maori society
G. 80% of Maori live in urban areas, but some still live in tribal areas
H. The Haka is a well-known war dance that used to be performed prior to a battle to scare the enemy as well as prepare the warrior for battle, now it is performed by the All Blacks rugby team before games
I. Treaty of Waitangi helped to resolve land conflicts between Europeans and Maoris
J. Maoris moved to cities after WWII and the youth in 1970s started a Maori “protest movement” bringing the Waitangi Tribunal to settle disputes
K. Since 1970s Maori language revitalized with some schools implementing “total immersion” policies
V. History
A. Settled 1,000 years ago by Voyagers from East Polynesia
B. The Maori’s rich culture was passed down through oral tradition
C. Maori language finally written down in the 19th century
D. The Dutch were the first Europeans to arrive in 1642
E. English Captain James Cook reached NZ in 1769 but the British did not start settling much until the 1840s
F. There were several gold rushes in the 1860s
VI. Other Facts and Random Info
A. There are more sheep than people in New Zealand
B. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was filmed in New Zealand by Peter Jackson, a Kiwi
Pictures of New Zealand
Milford Sound
Mt. Cook, the tallest Mountain in New Zealand at 3754 meters high
Here is a map of New Zealand
Here is how a person would look standing next to a Moa! Moas were as tall as 3.7 meters and could weigh as much as 230 kg. They were BIG birds!
Here is a picture of the beautiful Milford Sound of the south island
The Kiwi, a national symbol
The Syllabus
Syllabus
The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries
Spring 2009
Mr. Sean Wood
I. Introduction of class
The Title of this class is “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries”. I was instructed to use the book as the content of my class. As this is my first semester teaching this class I might have to adjust some things as we go along as I get a feel for how much my classes understand the material. The textbook is required for the class. If you don’t have the textbook, get one. The book is pretty straightforward and I expect every student to read the chapter we will be discussing before arriving to class. As part of your exposure to western culture this class may include some things that are different from your usual classes here in China. These differences may include myself (yes, I am different than your usual teachers), oral presentations (this is very common in western education), class discussions that will require your participation, being aware of current events, and possible outside research. Naturally, the class will involve some comparative discussions involving Chinese Culture and Western Culture. It is important that we keep our comments respectful and objective.
II. Schedule
As this is my first semester at Huai Hua College, or at any College in China for that matter, I am not accustomed to the semester schedule yet. This is my “tentative” schedule for the semester but it is subject to change. But no matter what unforeseeable obstacles we might run into during the semester, this is the order in which we will proceed. As you can see, week 2 and 3 we will spend time on New Zealand. Weeks 4, 5, and 6 we will cover two units a week each on Canada. From there we will spend the rest of the semester on the United States.
Week 2 Intro to class & Begin on New Zealand
Week 3 New Zealand
Week 4 The Country and Its People & The Government and Politics of Canada
Week 5 The Canadian Mosaic & The Canadian Economy
Week 6 Canadian Literature & Canada’s International Relations
Week 7 American Beginnings
Week 8 The Political System in the United States
Week 9 American Economy
Week 10 Religion in the United States
Week 11 American Literature
Week 12 Education in the United States
Week 13 Social Movements of the 1960s & Social Problems in the United States
Week 14 Technology in America
Week 15 Post-WWII American Foreign Policy
Week 16 Sports and Scenic Spots in the United States & American Music
Week 17 Review for Final Exam
III. Class Rules
It is important to know the class rules at the beginning of the semester so that we will know how to conduct ourselves and so we can maximize our learning experience. These are the rules I have established. We may add more rules as we go through the semester.
Participate! Ask questions! Make comments!
Be on time
Be prepared (bring pen, notebook, and text book
Be ready to discuss the class material (this means read the chapter before class)
Raise hand to make comments, ask questions, or answer questions
Be Respectful of teacher, classmates, and classroom
Be Respectful of others’ opinions
No cell phones or earphones
IV. Grading
As you can see below, exams comprise half of the complete grading score. As you can also see participation is also very important. One can learn much from class discussions.
Final Exam 30%
Mid Term Exam 20%
Participation 20%
Oral Presentation 15%
Homework 15%
(Reading and Current Events)
V. Final Note
I am so excited to be here at Huai Hua College. I hope our experience here together will help us to better understand each other and each other’s culture. If you put forth the effort I am certain that you will not only learn a lot from this class but that this class will leave an impression that will help you in many aspects throughout your life. I look forward to working with you.
The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries
Spring 2009
Mr. Sean Wood
I. Introduction of class
The Title of this class is “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries”. I was instructed to use the book as the content of my class. As this is my first semester teaching this class I might have to adjust some things as we go along as I get a feel for how much my classes understand the material. The textbook is required for the class. If you don’t have the textbook, get one. The book is pretty straightforward and I expect every student to read the chapter we will be discussing before arriving to class. As part of your exposure to western culture this class may include some things that are different from your usual classes here in China. These differences may include myself (yes, I am different than your usual teachers), oral presentations (this is very common in western education), class discussions that will require your participation, being aware of current events, and possible outside research. Naturally, the class will involve some comparative discussions involving Chinese Culture and Western Culture. It is important that we keep our comments respectful and objective.
II. Schedule
As this is my first semester at Huai Hua College, or at any College in China for that matter, I am not accustomed to the semester schedule yet. This is my “tentative” schedule for the semester but it is subject to change. But no matter what unforeseeable obstacles we might run into during the semester, this is the order in which we will proceed. As you can see, week 2 and 3 we will spend time on New Zealand. Weeks 4, 5, and 6 we will cover two units a week each on Canada. From there we will spend the rest of the semester on the United States.
Week 2 Intro to class & Begin on New Zealand
Week 3 New Zealand
Week 4 The Country and Its People & The Government and Politics of Canada
Week 5 The Canadian Mosaic & The Canadian Economy
Week 6 Canadian Literature & Canada’s International Relations
Week 7 American Beginnings
Week 8 The Political System in the United States
Week 9 American Economy
Week 10 Religion in the United States
Week 11 American Literature
Week 12 Education in the United States
Week 13 Social Movements of the 1960s & Social Problems in the United States
Week 14 Technology in America
Week 15 Post-WWII American Foreign Policy
Week 16 Sports and Scenic Spots in the United States & American Music
Week 17 Review for Final Exam
III. Class Rules
It is important to know the class rules at the beginning of the semester so that we will know how to conduct ourselves and so we can maximize our learning experience. These are the rules I have established. We may add more rules as we go through the semester.
Participate! Ask questions! Make comments!
Be on time
Be prepared (bring pen, notebook, and text book
Be ready to discuss the class material (this means read the chapter before class)
Raise hand to make comments, ask questions, or answer questions
Be Respectful of teacher, classmates, and classroom
Be Respectful of others’ opinions
No cell phones or earphones
IV. Grading
As you can see below, exams comprise half of the complete grading score. As you can also see participation is also very important. One can learn much from class discussions.
Final Exam 30%
Mid Term Exam 20%
Participation 20%
Oral Presentation 15%
Homework 15%
(Reading and Current Events)
V. Final Note
I am so excited to be here at Huai Hua College. I hope our experience here together will help us to better understand each other and each other’s culture. If you put forth the effort I am certain that you will not only learn a lot from this class but that this class will leave an impression that will help you in many aspects throughout your life. I look forward to working with you.
The Haka
If I didn't show you in class, go to youtube and enter "haka". The first few hits are usually pretty good. They are videos of the All Blacks performing the haka before a game.
Here are a few links to these videos on "Youtube"
Here are a few links to these videos on "Youtube"
Opening Comment
Hello students! I finally created a blog for our class! I hope we can use it as a way to learn about western cultures. This blogging stuff and websites is still very new to me so you will have to be patient with me! Let me know what you think of the blog!
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