Asia for Educators

Asia for Educators Weekly Digest of Opportunities

1. Tuesday, June 2, 5:00pm (ET): FREE webinar on “Guardians of Tradition: How Tibetan Art Lives on Through Museum Collections” offered by Asia New York. Learn how sacred objects transition from private devotional spaces into public institutions while retaining spiritual and cultural significance https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gEJj_bx6SBCdXTaYHSkyrA #/registration

The National Museum of Asian Art/Smithsonian offer a virtual tour of Tibetan sacred spaces to explore plus information on types of shrines, deities, and practices including their chants https://asia.si.edu/explore-art-culture/interactives/sacred-spaces/

2. Thursday, June 4, 12:30-1:30pm (ET): FREE webinar on “Investigating the Impact of Chatbots on Mental Well-Being” offered by the Pulitzer Center AI Accountability Network to discuss how engagement with chatbots impacting the mental well-being of users worldwide https://events.zoom.us/ev/Ap7zVIYqqMbr5-NaCV7a3qVxIHzPK2xqm5cfrFxD8ZeHoG8woq29~AtpLN9XFIPeClJEaEaWuOMsZ4iX3lxrXZxHMGb1WvvMXEwJhAkQafDwM8A

3. Friday, June 5: Registration deadline for FREE short course for K-12 educators on “Culture of North Korea” to be held Mondays, June 8th AND 15th, 7:00-9:00pm (ET) offered by NCTA/University of Pittsburgh. Scholars from the University of Alaska and George Washington University will introduce life in North Korea, its music and its literature. Ideas for incorporating North Korean culture into K-12 classes will also be covered. Attendees at both sessions receive a FREE copy of “Hidden Heroes: Anthology of North Korean Fiction” by Immanuel Kim and Benoit Berthelier https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/ncta/culture-north-korea-short-course-k-12

4. Wednesday, June 10, 7:00pm (ET): FREE webinar on “New Thinking on Korea's Aging, Shrinking Society” with Professor Youngtae Cho, Seoul National University. By 2050, the working age population is projected to halve with 40% of the population over 65 years old bringing profound social and economic challenges. Offered by the Korea Society https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/2148-aging-society

Asia for Educators Suggested Resources:

The number of curriculum connections and culture notes about selected Freeman Book Awards winning titles is now more than 100! To get the list, just type “curriculum connections” into the search box at the upper righthand corner of the Awards home page https://www.nctasia.org/awards/. Additional resources to facilitate using these books with students such as publishers’ guides and lesson plans are also available for FREE download on their Awards website such as the latest ones for “The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan” by Sherry Thomas https://www.nctasia.org/award/the-magnolia-sword-a-ballad-of-mulan/

Several of the Freeman Book Awards titles are translated works such as “The Color of the Sky Is the Shape of the Heart” by Chesil, translated by Takami Nieda https://www.nctasia.org/award/the-color-of-the-sky-is-the-shape-of-the-heart/. Type "translated" into the search box to find them.

Words without Borders Campus is another great online resource for East Asian literature in translation with FREE author interviews, teaching suggestions, lesson plans, illustrations and other educational materials that can be used with high school and some middle school students. Selections even sort by country and themes like family and foods https://wwb-campus.org/

Asia for Educators Suggested Resource:

Why should students know more about the ten countries of Southeast Asia? As James Carvel, political campaign advisor to President Bill Clinton, once famously said, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Now you can easily find out how your state benefits from being involved with Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. “ASEAN Matters for America Matters for ASEAN” from the East West Center has posted the latest data on trade, jobs, international students, and more for each individual state at https://AsiaMattersforAmerica.org/asean in the "Your State, Your District" dropdown box.

Asia for Educators Weekly Digest of Opportunities

1. June 2 to August: FREE online book study for middle and high school educators on “Global Asia(s)” offered by NCTA/East Asia Resource Center University of Washington. FREE copies of books! Choose a couple, asynchronously post your reflections, and share such during Zoom sessions scheduled below:
**June 2-22: Read either “A History of Burning” by Janika Oza or “The Man with the Compound Eyes” by Wu Ming-Yi. Zoom sessions: Wed. June 24 and Thurs. June 25, 7:00 – 9:00pm (ET)
**June 30-July 20: Read either” “How Much of These Hills Is Gold” by C Pam Zhang or “The Fox Wife” by Yangsze Choo. Zoom sessions: Wed. July 29 and Thurs. July 30, 7:00 – 9:00pm (ET)
**July 21-August 10: Read “We Do Not Part” by Han Kang. Zoom session: Wed. August 12, 7:00 – 9:00pm (ET)
https://jsis.washington.edu/earc/global-asias-summer-book-study/

2. Thursday, June 11, 7:00-9:00pm (ET) FREE webinar for K-12 educators on Lu Xun's “Diary of a Madman” (1918), the first modern Chinese short story, offered by NCTA/University of Indiana. Yunmeng Zhang will discuss how Lu Xun uses the idea of “madman” to question tradition, decay, illness, and normality as well as strategies for using this story in the classroom https://easc.indiana.edu/ncta-programs/short-courses.html

3. Tuesdays, June 23 to July 28, 6:00-7:30pm (ET): FREE online workshop for grades 2-12 educators on “Write About Asia: 2025 Freeman Award Winners Writer’s Workshop” offered by NCTA/East Asia Resource Center University of Washington. FREE copies of books. June 23 session mandatory, then choose sessions on:
June 30: “The Beasts Beneath the Winds” by Hanna Alcaf, editor.
July 7: “My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser” by Jamie Jo Hoang, and “Picking Tea With Baba” by Bin Xu, and “The Endless Sea” by Chi Thai.
July 14: “Songs for Ghosts” by Clara Kumaga.
July 21: “Wild Song” by Candy Gourlay.
July 28: “Spacewalking with You. 1” by Inuhiko Doronoda, and “Big Enough” by Regina Linke.
https://jsis.washington.edu/earc/write-about-asia-2025-freeman-award-winners-writers-workshop/

Asia for Educators Suggested Resources

It’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and what better way to get your students interested in East and Southeast Asian culture than food. Food has long been recognized as having an importance there beyond filling one’s belly especially in China. “The Rites of Zhou” (3rd century BCE) for example noted that of the nearly 4000 people who ran the king's palaces 2,271 or almost 60% handled food and wine. Furthermore, bronze ding cauldrons (tripod-shaped cooking vessels) were even the symbol of the Zhou state.

Thus, it is no surprise that the Chinese paid particular attention to the menu of the recent state dinner for President Trump including the table setting as seen below. The menu featured more traditional Chinese foods like Peking duck and pork buns compared to the more westernized fare offered at Trump’s 2017 visit which could reflect the change in China’s self-opinion.

Here are websites you’ll want to explore for more on East Asian foodways:
1. Article - “Food in Chinese Culture” (Asia Society) https://asiasociety.org/blog/asia/food-chinese-culture
2. Curriculum connections for “Chinese Menu” by Grace Linn (Freeman Book Awards) https://www.nctasia.org/award/chinese-menu/
3. Lesson plan grades 9-12 “Chinese Food, a Cultural Lesson Plan” (NCTA seminar participant)https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/a/43197/files/2017/02/Matney-China-1gqhl0v.pdf
4. Lesson plan “Chinese American Contribution to Food and Cuisine” (Committee of 100)https://www.committee100.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Comm100.24_LP03_CAContrib_Food_V2.pdf
5. Lesson plan grades 8-11 “Food in Fiction: A Lesson Plan Based on Koo Byung-Mo's "Wizard Bakery" (Words without Borders Campus) https://wwb-campus.org/extras/food-in-fiction-a-lesson-plan-based-on-koo-byung-mos-wizard-bakery
6. Curriculum connections for “Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuko Ando” by Andrea Wang (Freeman Book Awards) https://www.nctasia.org/award/magic-ramen-the-story-of-momofuku-ando/

Welcome to GLLI’s 2026 #IntlYALitMonth It’s May – and time for the 6th annual International Young Adult Literature Month ( ) here on the Global Literature in Libraries (GLLI) blog. Just in case you missed the previous ones…

Asia for Educators Weekly Digest of Opportunities

1. Monday, May 18, 4:45-6:00pm (ET): FREE webinar on “Trade Wars, Tech Rivalries, and the Long Game in U.S.-China Relations” offered by National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. Hear from China experts about the implications of Presidents Trump and Xi meeting this month 2. https://www.ncuscr.org/event/trade-wars-tech-rivalries-and-the-long-game-in-u-s-china-relations/

2. Tuesday, May 19, 12–12:40pm (ET): FREE webinar on “Marine Predators in Prehistoric Japan’s Worldview” offered by the National Museum of Asian Art/Smsithsonian. Dr. Ilona Bausch, specialist in Japan’s Jomon Period, will discuss the role of sharks and venomous sea snails in prehistoric Japan https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zwkjd0lGTJG3Ia9TFiffzQ

3. Tuesday, June 2, 10:00 - 11:30pm (ET): FREE webinar on “Seikichi Izumi X- Sole Heir to 370 Years of Urushi (Lacquer) Brushmaking Tradition” offered by Japan Foundation, Los Angeles. Talk will explore where urushi is used, brushes designed for its application, and the importance of tools in traditional Japanese craftsmanship. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/dg3umme

4. Mondays, June 8 AND June 15, 7:00- 9:00pm (ET): FREE online short course for K-12 educators from NCTA/University of Pittsburgh on “The Culture of North Korea” offering an overview of life there, its music, the process of translating its literature, plus ideas for incorporating its culture into the classroom. Attend both sessions for a complementary copy of “Hidden Heroes: Anthology of North Korean Fiction” https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/ncta/culture-north-korea-short-course-k-12

5. Saturday, June 13 AND June 20, 9:00am - 12:00pm (ET): FREE online mini-seminar for K-12 educators on “People of the Cloth: Attire in East Asia” led by Shepherd University professors David Gordon and Jason Allen; offered by NCTA/University of Pittsburgh. The topic of clothes can readily be incorporated into K-12 classes including art, social studies, history, geography, and even STEM! https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/ncta/people-cloths-attire-east-asia-mini-course-k-12-educators

Tonight! 7 p.m. Join "U.S. Allies Japan and South Korea and Their Impact on U.S.-China Relations" - the final session of our U.S.-China Relations discussion for educators with Thomas Christensen, James T. Shotwell Professor of International Relations; Director, China and the World Program, Columbia University.

Asia for Educators Suggested Resources

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The Freeman Book Awards https://www.nctasia.org/awards/ showcases quality books for children and young adults that contribute meaningfully to an understanding of East and Southeast Asia. Titles are vetted by content specialists as historically and culturally accurate, and by classroom teachers, librarians, and teacher trainers as age-appropriate. The website also features FREE curriculum connections and culture notes for selected titles to facilitate their use in classrooms and libraries.

Also, HarperCollins has put together a useful resource on why the inclusion of Asian American and Pacific Islander books for youth is important and how to make it happen https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0531/3789/9689/files/ShakeUpYourShelves_AAPI_EducatorGuide_FINAL.pdf?v=1649089573.

Freeman Book Awards - NCTAsia National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), the Committee on Teaching about Asia (CTA) of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), and Asia for Educators (AFE) at Columbia University sponsor the annual Freeman Book Awards for new young adult and children’s literature. The awards recognize ...

Asia for Educators Weekly Digest of Opportunities

1. Tuesdays, May 26 to June 16, 7:00 to 9:00pm (ET): FREE online seminar for K-12 educators on “Modern Chinese History: From May Fourth to June Fourth” on major Chinese events in the 20th century with Dr. Elise Huerta. Participants receive complimentary copy of the acclaimed “Modern Chinese History” by David Kenley https://www.asianstudies.org/store/kenley/ Offered by NCTA/East Asian Resource Center, University of Washington https://jsis.washington.edu/earc/modern-chinese-history-from-may-fourth-to-june-fourth-online-ncta-seminar/

2. Thursday, May 14, 4:00pm (ET): FREE webinar on “The Promised Republic: Developmental Society and the Making of Modern Seoul” with Professor Russell Burge, Indiana University Bloomington, focusing on the rural migrants who built and inhabited Seoul’s shantytowns. Offered by the Korea Society https://koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/2150-promised-republic

3. Saturday, May 30th, 1:30 – 3:00pm (ET): FREE webinar for K-12 educators on “Shamanic Echoes: Spirituality and Symbolism in K-Pop Demon Hunters,” to examine traditional shamanism in modern pop culture contexts, highlighting themes of ritual, identity, globalization, and cultural authenticity https://china.usc.edu/seminars/shamanic-echoes-spirituality-and-symbolism-k-pop-demon-huntersmay-30th-2026-1030am-12pm

4. Thursday, June 25, 2026, from 10:00am – 6:00pm (ET): FREE online workshop for K-12 educators “Comparing Verses from Korea, China, and Japan” offered by Sejong Cultural Society. Participants receive copy of “Sijo: Korea’s Poetry Form;” $100 completion allowance available https://www.sejongculturalsociety.org/sijo/workshop/index.php

5. Registration now open for FREE online Smithsonian National Education Summit on “Together We Thrive: Towards a More Perfect Union” July 14–16. Four tracks will provide classroom ready ideas to promote our varied heritage: Designing STEAM Solutions for Civic Challenges, Leveraging the Arts as Civic Voice, Placing History in Context, and Cultivating the Power of Dialog https://smithsonianeducation.swoogo.com/ses2026/