Xinjiang:
A Bi-Cultural Perspective

Introduction:
Students will develop an understanding of how the Chinese nuclear testing program and the environment and health of the Uighur minority are interrelated. The Chinese central government’s choice of Lop Nor as a test site has affected the dynamics of the minority-majority relationship. This twelfth-grade unit will be taught in a humanities-based Asian Literatures class. Class periods are 47 minutes long. I can be flexible in the length of this study, so that as of now, I would estimate 10 days in class. Additional work will be required outside of class.

Note: Beijing refers to this region as Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR), while the Uighurs call it East Turkistan. China has banned the Uighur name for this region in its official language. Therefore, for the purposes of this paper, this region will be called Xinjiang. The word Uighurs is also spelled Uighurs.

Goals:
1. Students will learn the geography of Xinjiang.
2. Students will understand the history of the Uighur people.
3. Students will comprehend the reasons for Han Chinese settlement of this region.
4. Students will gather data on the Chinese nuclear testing started in 1964.
5. Students will interpret the information on the effects of nuclear testing on the people, land, water, and animals.
6. Students will evaluate information on nuclear testing.
7. Students will create a written document that synthesizes the data into an understandable format.
8. Students will use various strategies of presentation to their peers.
9. Students will develop an art project to illustrate their understanding of nuclear testing at Lop Nor.
10. Students will demonstrate comprehension of different perspectives on Xinjiang and nuclear testing.

Standards:
National Standards for English Language Arts www.educationworld.com/standards/state/toc/index.shtml#arts

NL-ENG-K-12.1 Reading for Perspective: Students read a wide range of print and non-print text to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

NL-ENG.K-12.3 Evaluation Strategies: Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features.

NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communication Skills: Students adjust their use of spoken, written and visual language with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

NL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication Strategies: Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

NL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying Knowledge: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions, media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.

NL-ENG.K-12.7 Evaluating Data: Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.

NL-ENG.K-12.8 Developing Research Skills: Students use a variety of technological and information resources to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills: Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g. for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Standards:
National Standards for Geography www.educationworld.com/standards/national/soc_sci/geography/K_

NSS-G.K-12.5 Environment and Society: As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should understand how human actions modify the physical environment and understand how physical systems affect human systems.

Objectives:

Cognitive: Comprehension

- Students will identify the geography of Xinjiang.
- Students will read print texts to gain an understanding of the Uyghurs and Xinjiang.

Cognitive: Application

- Students will use several strategies to interpret the texts they read about Chinese nuclear testing and its effects on the people and their environment.

Cognitive: Analysis

- Students will identify the hazards of nuclear testing on the land, people and animals of Xinjiang.
- Students will select and outline the collected information and identify what is material is important for others to know.

Cognitive: Synthesis

- Students will synthesize information from their research and create a written document with appropriate citations of works cited.

Cognitive: Evaluation

- Students will use strategies to assess the information collected, summarize it for oral and written presentation.

Affective: Responding to Phenomena

- Students will formulate questions about nuclear testing based upon the reading of the texts and then conduct research in print and on the internet.
- Students will communicate their findings in an oral presentation.
- Students will role-play an interview between a person from the Uighur minority and a Han Chinese official regarding nuclear testing.

Affective: Internalizing values

- The class will be divided into those looking at the environmental (land, water, and animal) effects of nuclear testing and those looking at problems for human life and health in Xinjiang. They must work independently within each group to collect data.

Psychomotor: Origination

- Students will design and build a memorial to those people who died/are dying at Lop Nor.

Materials:
• 1 Atlas or globe
• Maps of China for each student
• Blank 8.5/11 sheets of paper—a class set
• Colored paper, glue and scissors for a class
• 25 computers for students to do inter-net research, writing, and documentation
• Documentation page: www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/humanities/intext.html. There are three handouts. Individual copies of each handout need to be made for the entire class.

Note: Google search engine has 142,000 entries for Xinjiang and 21,000 entries for Lop Nor.

Background Materials:

Books
Benewick, Robert and Stephanie Donald. The State of China Atlas. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1999.

Bonavia, Judy. The Silk Road: From Xi’an to Kashgar. 6th Edition. Revised by William Lindesay and Wu Qi. Hong Kong, China: Airphoto International, 2002.

Brown, Melissa J., editor. Negotiating Ethnicities in China and Taiwan. Berkeley: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, 1996.

Cheneviere, Alain. Central Asia. Vilo International, 2001.

Harrell, Stevan, ed. Cultural Encounters on China’s Ethnic Frontiers. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1995.

Harvey, Janet. Traditional Textiles of Central Asia. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.

Herbert, Janis. Marco Polo for Kids. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2001.

Hessler, Peter. "The Middleman." The New Yorker. 14 & 21 October 2002: 122-150.

Lattimore, Owen and David Lattimore, Introduction. The Desert Road to Turekestan. New York: Kodansha America, 1995.

Luckert, Karl W. Uighur Stories from along the Silk Road. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1996.

Mackerras, Colin. The New Cambridge Handbook of Contemporary China. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Rudelson, Justin Jon. Lonely Planet Central Asia Phrasebook. Oakland, California: Lonely Planet Publications, 1998.

----------------. Oasis Identities. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.

Wimmel, Kenneth. The Alluring Target: In Search of the Secrets of Central Asia. Palo Alto, California: Trackless Sands Press, 1996.

Zhang, Song Nan. The Children of China: An Artist’s Journey. Plattsburgh, New York: Tundra Books, 1995.

Music
Caravan: The Ultimate Silk Road Album.

Music from the Oasis Towns of Central Asia.

Videos
Globe Trekker: Central Asia

The Silk Road: Across the Taklamakan Desert (1990)

The Silk Road: A Heat Wave Called Turfan (1990)

Teacher Preparations:

The teacher needs to allow time to do background reading, make copies of the map, and collect other materials for these lessons.

The teacher should look at 3-4 references listed on the Form II. In particular, Read Bonavia and Rudelson.

For many of these tasks, students will be paired. Try to assign different pairing groups, so that each student will have a different partner for each of the activities. This will encourage cooperation and information sharing within the class. Teachers may choose to do one or two of these lessons rather than all three. If all are done, then allow time for each lesson and perhaps one or two periods between just to synthesize the material.

Introduction to these lessons
The teacher will say something like this:

We are going to become National Geographic researchers and explorers. Each of us will be assigned tasks to make this work manageable. You will work with a partner or in groups to compile information about one area of China—Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.

Have any of you heard of this area? Neither had I until I took a class at Yale on Chinese minorities.

Are you known by another name by some friends or family members? Are these the only people who address you in this manner? What is the importance of naming? Who knows the Indian name for Connecticut (or whatever state you live in)? This Chinese province has another name as well: East Turkistan. Think of perspective and how this determines the naming of places and people. What are the politics involved in choosing a name for a province, a country?

Go to a map and point out where Central Asia is. Name several of the adjoining countries to Xinjiang.

Why don’t we know anything about Central Asia?

List three things we should know about Central Asia.

Why might this area be important in YOUR future?

Have students share information aloud and keep a list of ideas in their notebooks.

List three questions you want to ask people who live in this area.

Original Handout

Geography of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

Introduction
To understand the importance of this region to Beijing, you will need to examine the importance of Xinjiang’s cities on the Silk Road, its natural resources, and its politics as a foundation to grasping the choice of Lop Nor as a nuclear testing site. The goal of this research is to discover historical facts about this province. You will study Kashgar, Turpan (Turfan or Tulufan) and Urumqi to determine their importance, past and present.

The Task
You will be divided into groups of three to research, comprehend, and evaluate this information. The goal of this research is to discover historical facts about this province. You will study Kashgar, Turpan and Urumqi to determine their importance in past and present. Next you will determine the natural resources in this area. Finally, you will read the political history of Xinjiang and construct a time line of events from 1900-2000, design a political cartoon for a particular historical event, and write an editorial about another event. Citations for each assignment must be listed.

Resources
China maps www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/china.html

Dickens, Mark. "The Soviets in Xinjiang:1911-1949." Article and Bibliography. 7 November 2002 oxus.com/sovinxj/htm

McCarthy, Terry. "Kashgar: On the Restless Perimeter, 1997." Time Asia 154.12 September 27, 1999. 9 November 2002
time.com/time/asia/magazine/99/0927/kashgar.html

Travel China Guide.Com "Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region" 5 November 2002 www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/kashgar.htm

Geography of Xinjiang

Teacher preparation
1. Read Gang and Felmingham’s essay.
2. Look at Central Asian maps to familiarize yourself with this region
3. Read background information on Kashgar, Turpan and Urumqi.
4. Look at a time line of Chinese history.

In class
Read a general history of Xinjiang (Bonavia in list of resources.)
1. Assign three people per group. One person will look at the history of Kashgar; another, Turpan, and the last one, Urumqi.
2. List 5 important events for each city. Include citations
3. Determine the natural resources of Xinjiang.
4. Construct a time line of political events from 1900-2000.
5. Put timeline on board and discuss with the class
6. Choose a particular historical event for the region and design a political cartoon
7. Choose another event and write an editorial from the minority’s viewpoint and the Han Chinese one.

Assessment:
1. Events/citations for three cities: evaluate choices and citations
2. Analyze time line and presentation
3. Group and teacher evaluation of political cartoon
4. Analyze written editorial and use of perspectives

Original Handout

Parallel Diaries

Introduction
The goal of this research is for you to learn about the changing relationship between the majority and minority populations of this region. While the Uyghurs once were in the majority, they are now not in that position. How and why did this change? How did this change affect people who were living in the area and how did it affect the newcomers?

The Task
You and another student will write parallel diaries about the Han migration into the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (Han Chinese name) and East Turkistan (Uighur name). You will explore the history of this region from both perspectives. You and your partner will do research into the historical events and motivations for the Han Chinese massive movement into Xinjiang.

After you have completed the research, you will write an imaginative diary from a Uighurs viewpoint and your partner will write from a Han Chinese one. You will select several (3/4) events and write down your reflections from your respective points of view. To document your work, you will include correct citation format.

Resources
" China: New Findings Prove Xinjiang Under China’s Rule 1,300 Years Ago." People’s Daily. 29 December 1999. 6 November 2002 english.peopledaily.com.cn/199912/29/eng19991229N108.html

Dolet, Erkin. "US Should Not Support Chinese Persecution of Uyghurs." 20 February 2002 8 November 2002
www.uyghurinfo.com

East Turkistan Information Center www.uygur.org

Encyclopedia.com "Xinjiang." 6 November 2002 www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/Xinjiang_History.asp

Gladney, Dru. "China Should Change Uyghur Policy." Taipei Times 4 February 2002. 6 November 2002
www.taipeitimes.com/News/archives/2002/02/04/0000122741

Human Rights Watch. "China: Human Rights Concerns in Xinjiang." October 2001. 6 November 2002
www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/china-bck1017.htm

Parallel Diaries

Teacher Preparation
1. Read material from China Statistics Publishing House, Human Rights Watch, and East Turkistan Information Center’s web site.
2. Look at any reference on projections for the United States population.

Caucasians will not be in the majority early in this century. How will that fact affects politics, education, daily life right here at home? Have Students think about this statistic before they do this exercise.

3. Think about the concept of perspective and its importance for history and life itself.

In Class
1. Pair students; ideally, male and female.
2. Research historical events and motivations for the Han Chinese massive movement into Xinjiang.
3. Assign one student to be a Uighur person and another Han Chinese.
4. Choose 3 or 4 events and write down your reflections from these respective points of view. Use correct in-text citation format.
5. Present your reflections to the class.

Assessment
1. Have students evaluate each other
2. Teacher’s evaluation of presentation and effectiveness of two points of View
3. Evaluation of written reflections

Original Handout

Memorial Design

Introduction
The goal of this research is for you to learn about the Han Chinese nuclear testing through the imaginative interviewing of participants at the site. You and your fellow students will divide the tasks, share information and help the "designer" construct a memorial in Xinjiang. The goal of this research is for you to learn about the Han Chinese nuclear testing through the imaginative interviewing of participants at the site. You and your fellow students will divide the tasks, share information and help the "designer" construct a memorial in Xinjiang.

The Task
You are an art student. You and five others have been hired by the Uighurs to design a memorial to their countrymen and women who have died or are dying as a result of nuclear testing. To prepare your design, the group will be divided in half. Half of you will do research on the environmental effects of testing; you will examine data on effects on land, water and animals. The other half will research problems for human health. Both groups will imagine mock interviews with people in Xinjiang. Separately, both groups will interview a doctor, one of her/his patients, a Han Chinese scientist, an environmentalist, a farmer and a young woman.

Your completed, written interview will include source citations. In addition to written interviews, you will role-play both sides (Han and Uighur) for a hypothetical visit by a UN inspection team or a United States Congressional Committee. Ideally, this team would be composed of three students and three teachers who know nothing about this topic. They would be able to give impartial judgment on your presentations. You will have time limits for your presentations, so discuss points with your classmates before the visit by outsiders.

Your memorial design will reflect your understanding of the events that happened at Lop Nor. After group consultation, students will use paper to construct a miniature version of their memorial. The designer will present and explain the memorial to the class. Each six-person group will have one memorial design.

Resources
" China’s Nuclear Program: Update 1999." The Risk Report. 5.3 (May-June 1999) 5 November 2002
www.wisconsinproject.org/countries/china/nuke99.html

Center for Nonproliferation Studies. "China’s Nuclear Tests: Dates, Yields, Types, Methods, and Comments." 1998. 5 November 2002 cns.miis.edu/research/china/coxrep/testlist.htm

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. "Key Issues, History, Resources, Ethics, Human Costs, And Numerous Perspectives."
www.nuclearfiles.org

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. "Indigenous People and The Nuclear Age: Making the Connections." 5 November 2002 www.reachingcriticalwill.org/factsheets/indigenous.html

Memorial Design Lesson

Teacher preparation
1. Access web sites and print out material for teacher to read
2. Xerox class sets of rubrics for oral, written and art work
3. Make arrangements for three students and three teachers to judge role playing
4. Think about which people are assigned to which group, so there is someone with art background in each group
5. Divide the class into two to examine two issues: environmental or human health.

In class
1. Give each student access to a computer for 3 class periods (47 minutes, each); print out websites
2. For homework, students highlight important information.
3. Then, on day 4, students will come together in groups of 6 to compose Interviews of the following people in Xinjiang: a doctor, one of his/her patients, a Han Chinese scientist, an environmentalist, a farmer and a young woman. Therefore, the environmentalists will interview these People and so will those focused on human health.

Homework
1. Students will complete a written interview and will include source citations. Use Humanities: Documenting Sources www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/humanities/intext.html

2. Develop role playing tactics for in-class presentation of both perspectives (Han and Uyghur) to judges

In class
1. Live presentations on your side’s point of view
2. Divide into groups again and design a memorial design to those who died from nuclear testing
3. Make a miniature version of your design by using colored paper and pencils
4. Explain the choice of design to the class

Assessment
1. Evaluation of written interview
2. Evaluation of role playing to UN inspection team or US Congressional Committee
3. Evaluation of memorial design (art rubrics)

Assessment Rubrics
1. Web evaluation
2. Time Line
3. Political cartoon
4. Editorial
5. Collaboration
6. Writing
7. Oral
8. Role Play
9. Art

Web Page Evaluation Criteria

The following scale is adapted from original work done by Al Rogers, Global SchoolNet Foundation and CyberFair Contest. Adaption done by Clarence Bakken and Sara Armstrong in conjunction with Challenge 2000, CTAP Region IV Technology Leadership Academy and the Institute for Research on Learning.

Source: www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfmgb/web.htm
Source: Woodstown Middle School www.http://www.myschoolonline.com/page/0,1871,35077-36373-38-8899,00.html

Timeline Rubric

Content

Excellent

- People, events and inventions on timeline are important.

- Timeline is not cluttered

- Spelling and grammar are correct

Good

- People, events and inventions on timeline are important.

But
- Timeline is somewhat cluttered.
Or
- Spelling and grammar are incorrect.

Fair

- Incomplete information on people, events or inventions on timeline.
Or
- Timeline is somewhat cluttered.
And
- Spelling and grammar are incorrect.

Source: www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/editorialrub.html

Editorial Rubric

4 points
• This editorial is written with an interesting lead to bring the reader into the story.
• This story contains an abundant amount of background information about the issue.
• This article has a clearly stated opinion toward the beginning of the article.
• This article contains at least 3 different, but logical reasons for the stated opinion.
• All of the reasons are written to convince the appropriate audience.
• Each reason is written in a topic sentence of separate paragraphs.
• The writer uses effective words throughout the article to make transitions between ideas.
• The ending of the story restates all the reasons in one sentence.
• The writer ends the article giving at least 3 specific recommendations for the reader to take action.
• The writer uses all correct grammar and spelling.

3 points
• This editorial is written with an interesting lead to bring the reader into the story.
• This story contains some background information about the issue being debated.
• This article has an opinion that could be state more clearly using better wording.
• This article contains at least 3 reasons for the stated opinion with 2 being very distinct from each other and logical for the argument.
• Two of the reasons would concern the intended audience.
• Each reason is written in separate paragraphs, but not necessarily in the topic sentence.
• The writer uses some transitions between each idea.
• The ending of the story restates most of the reasons.
• The writer ends the article giving at least 2 specific recommendations for the reader.
• The article contains mostly correct grammar and spelling.

2 points
• This editorial is written with a lead but it needs to be more interesting.
• This story contains very little background information about the issue at hand.
• This article has an opinion which is somewhat confusing.
• This article contains only one really valid reason for the opinion given, and 2 debatable reasons.
• One of the reasons would concern the intended audience.
• The reasons are not necessarily written in distinct paragraphs.
• The writer uses only a couple transitions between ideas.
• The ending of the story restates one of the reasons.
• The writer ends the article giving at least 1 recommendation for the reader.

1 point
• This article contains an issue which impacts only a few people on society.
• This editorial is written with a boring lead which does not encourage the reader to continue.
• This story contains no background information about the issue being discussed.
• The writer is very confusing about his/her opinion on the issue.
• This article does not contain any valid reasons for the given opinion.
• None of the reasons address the intended audience.
• The reasons are not written in good paragraphs and have no logical order.
• The writer does not use any transitions between ideas.
• The ending of the story does not summarize any of the reasons.
• The ending of the story does not give any clear recommendations for the reader to take action.
• The article contains many grammar and spelling mistakes.

0 points
• No article is submitted.

Collaboration Rubric

click here for pdf.

Writing: Thesis & Support Scoring Guide
and additional rubrics.

click here for pdf.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

Just as the Uighurs had their land and lives changed by nuclear testing so did the Australian Aborigines. Both indigenous groups had a strong relationship to the land. The effects on human and environmental health will affect the futures of each ethnic group.

British Nuclear Testing in Australia
by
Marilyn Strelau

Introduction
" Between 1952 and 1963 the British government, with the agreement and support of the Australian government, carried out nuclear tests at three sites in Australia – the Monte Bello Islands off the coast of Western Australian and at Emu Field and Maralinga in South Australia. An official history of the tests (JL Symonds, A History of British Atomic Tests in Australia, AGPS, Canberra) was published by the Australian Department of Resources and Energy in 1985….

Maralinga was developed as the permanent proving ground site, following a request of the British in 1954 and, after its completion in 1956, was the location of all trials conducted in Australia. It was developed as a joint facility with a shared funding arrangement. Following the two major trials (Operation Buffalo in 1956 and Operation Antler in 1957), a number of minor trials, assessment tests and experimental programs (dating from 1959) were held at the range until 1963. Maralinga was officially closed following a clean-up operation (Operation Brumby) in 1967. …

In response to growing concerns about the safety standards observed during the conduct of the nuclear trials, especially with regard to measures taken to protect people from the exposure to ionizing radiation, and the disposal of radioactive substances and toxic materials, the Australian government established a Royal Commission in 1984 to inquire into these aspects of the tests. The Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia during the 1950s and 1960s gave considerable attention to the tests conducted in the Maralinga area."

All of the above quoted information is taken from "Maralinga: Fact Sheet 129" www.naa.gov.au/publications/fact_sheets/FS129.html

Task
The teacher will assign you to a group on Day 1. Each group will gather fifteen (15) sources on British nuclear testing in Australia. Print the electronic sources.

As an individual you will take your own notes, write a 3-page paper with parenthetical documentation and cite 10 sources in a work-cited page.

Answer this essential question:

Does the information learned by the British military by nuclear weapons testing justify the possible lack of safety standards observed during the testing including exposing people to radiation and improper disposal of radioactive substances and toxic materials?

Process

Day 1 and Day 2: The teacher will assign each person in the class to a group. Read the introduction. Decide who in the group is going to use what source. Each person in the group does three source cards that are different from the source cards of other people in the group. Look at the model citations to do the source cards or use Noodletools.com.

The group as a whole has to have up to 15 source cards by the end of class on Day 2. See sample citations. You may want to have one computer open to noodle tools and each person adds their citation. The group can turn in one sheet of paper.

Day 3, Day 4, Day 5: Take notes. Read the tips on note-taking, parenthetical documentation and work cited page. Each person creates 15 notecards from any 10 sources per day. At the end of Day 5 you will have 45 notecards.

Day 6,7 and 8: Meet in the computer lab 214-216 for outlining, writing the paper and creating a work-cited page. Each person writes his/her own 3-page paper.

Resources
Electronic search tips: Search by subject in iConn so you can narrow by subdivision. Reformat for printing. Print all electronic sources.

Best site for history and effect on Aborigines: www.aic.gov.au/publications/lcj/wayward/ch16.html

Aboriginal point of view: www.eniar.org/barchive.html

Effect on humans: www.sundayherald.com/print15468

Anti-tests: www.sea-us.org.au/weapons2.html

Indigenous People and nuclear testing: www.reachingcriticalwill.org/factsheets/indigenous.html

Bomb clothing tests: www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4186859,00.html

Lawsuits today over events in the fifties: www.atimes.com/oceania/CD16Ah02.html

Pictures of all the tests and some text: www.sea-us.org.au/thunder/britsbombingus.html

Pictures and narrative as to the purpose of the tests: www.fas.org/nuke/hew/Uk/UKTesting.html

History and effects of testing on environment: www.arpansa.gov.au/er_mar.htm

Monto Bello Islands test site: www.anawa.org.au/weapons/monte-bellos.html

Using servicemen to test protective clothing: news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1326000/1326410.stm

Final product
While the gathering of sources is a group activity, each person takes his/her own notes and writes his/her own three-page paper. The paper is on British nuclear testing in Australia. Each person will have ten sources in a work-cited page.