Contemporary Society

A computer screen displays a financial chart with candlestick patterns, volume bars, and moving averages, indicating upward price movement—reminiscent of the economic trends often analyzed by Our World in Data and the University of Oxford.

Our World in Data – China | University of Oxford

“Our World in Data” is a comprehensive resource that aims to improve data literacy by making research and data on global issues like poverty, disease, and climate change accessible and understandable. It highlights the progress possible through existing research and focuses on making vital knowledge available to everyone.

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Chinese propaganda poster showing three figures in military uniforms, one holding a red book, with a large portrait of Mao Zedong in the background and Chinese slogans above and below, capturing the fervor of China's Cultural Revolution.

China’s Cultural Revolution | Stanford Education Project

This lesson plan from the Stanford Education Project explores the motivations of Chinese youth in participating in the Cultural Revolution through a series of primary documents, allowing students to consider the experiences of this tumultuous period in Chinese history.

Lesson Plan
A Chinese soldier in uniform holds a book with Mao Zedong’s name; behind him, workers and soldiers are depicted in action on a red background. Chinese Posters Foundation text is featured at the bottom.

Chinese Posters | Chinese Posters Foundation

This resource is an evolving digital archive showcasing over 7,000 authentic Chinese propaganda posters, prints, and other images. The site provides historical context and artist information, enhancing understanding of modern Chinese history through visual propaganda.

Primary Source
Black and white portrait of an East Asian man with a mustache, short hair, and wearing a high-collared traditional garment; often associated with "Madman's Diary" and featured on the Marxists Internet Archive.

A Madman’s Diary | Marxists Internet Archive

Lu Xun presents a diary-style short story where the protagonist imagines being surrounded by cannibals. Through the protagonist’s delusions, Lu Xun delivers a potent critique of conventional Chinese society, specifically targeting the oppressive and dehumanizing aspects of traditionalist and Confucian values.

Primary Source
A large crowd gathers in front of Tiananmen Gate holding banners and signs during the May Fourth Movement in Beijing, China, 1919—a pivotal event explored in Asia for Educators' "Before and After" series.

Before and After the May Fourth Movement | Asia for Educators

This resource examines the New Culture Movement in China, featuring primary sources from Chen Duxiu, Chiang Kai-shek, and Mao Zedong, which highlight the intellectual debates and ideological shifts that shaped China’s modern transformation from 1916 to the 1940s. 

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A group of men, some armed and wearing traditional clothing, walk down a dusty street flanked by buildings in a historical setting, evoking scenes from the Boxer Uprising featured in Visualizing Cultures at MIT.

The Boxer Uprising | MIT Visualizing Cultures

This resource explores the Boxer Rebellion, an anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising in late 19th-century China, where martial arts-practicing peasants known as “Boxers” attacked foreign legations and Christian communities, prompting a multi-national military response and marking a pivotal moment in China’s history and its interactions with global powers.

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Five performers in black and white traditional-inspired outfits dance in sync on stage, holding large white fans, with a red and black background displaying the K-Pop group name ONEUS, highlighting globalization through their dynamic performance.

K-Pop and Globalization Lesson Plan | World History Digital Education Foundation

This high school lesson from the World History Digital Education Foundation uses K-pop as a case study to help students understand globalization and cultural exchange. Students analyze how Korean popular music has been shaped by global influences and how it, in turn, influences cultures worldwide through media, economics, and politics.

Lesson Plan
A performer in a white suit sings on stage with dancers, in front of a green-lit screen displaying the words GANGNAM STYLE, capturing the global energy of Hallyu.

Introduction: The Hallyu Origin Story by Rosalie Kim

From the book Hallyu! The Korean Wave (London: Victoria and Albert Museum), this introductory essay provides a concise overview of the emergence of the Korean Wave (Hallyu) in relation to pivotal points in Korean history.

Teacher Resource
A large indoor K-pop concert with vibrant pink and blue stage lights, big screens displaying performers, and an audience holding glow sticks—an unforgettable experience showcasing global success and bridging cultural differences.

How Cultural Difference Became K-pop’s Key to Success around the World | Indiana University

“What is Korean popular music (K-pop) and how is it different from American popular music? How does it continue to attract new audiences despite linguistic barriers? In North America many people have only recently heard about K-pop, the genre-fluid industry that is taking the world by storm. As top stars have appeared on all the major American late night interview programs, and caused a sensation internationally K-pop has emerged as a cultural force far from its homeland. In this presentation I will sketch the history of this industry, from entertaining American troops in the 1950s and 1960s, through protest music and to the emergence of K-pop. I will outline how the Korean government changed its policy vis-à-vis the industry until it became part of policy level discussions for soft power and nation branding. Then through an examination of the adroit use of the internet to reach disparate audiences we will

Teacher Resource

Lesson Plans / Cirriculum | The Asian American Education Project

The Asian American Education Project offers a collection of K-12 curriculum and lesson plans focused on the rich history of Asian Americans in the United States. By exploring the struggles and triumphs of Asian Americans from the first settlements to the present day, these resources highlight their contributions to major historical achievements, aiming to amplify their importance in American history and inspire a deeper understanding among students.

Teacher Resource
The image shows the national flag of Japan, featuring a red circle centered on a white rectangular background, as seen in many PBS documentaries about Japanese culture.

Around the Globe: Japan | PBS

PBS LearningMedia’s Around the Globe: Japan is a large collection of resources including webpages, documents, audio files, images, videos, media galleries, and lesson plans centered around Japan, its society and its culture. Resources are available for grades 3-12.

Teacher Resource
A group of people march outdoors in China, holding a rainbow flag overhead and a red banner, with some waving small rainbow flags—a vibrant scene reflecting LGBT activism in China.

Unfinished Revolution: An Overview of Three Decades of LGBT Activism in China

Within the context of queer activism, perhaps one of the most inspiring movements is that of the Chinese LGBTQ community. In pre-modern times, China had a long history of societally accepted homosexuality, a stark contrast to pre-modern Europe that largely viewed any homosexuality as an abomination. However, in the present period, the Chinese Party-State has suppressed and censored the LGBTQ community, prompting activists to fight back. This article discusses the ups and downs queer activism in China has experienced in the last few decades, the role of nongovernmental organizations as opportunities for change, and the political sensitivity surrounding human rights activism.   

Teacher Resource
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