Asian Myth & Legend for the Logic Stage

Summer course. Students interested in East Asia, manga/anime, video games, and the fantasy genre will love this course! This course introduces 5th-8th grade students to the myths, legends, and folklore of East Asia: Japan, China, Korea, Tibet, and Vietnam. Over the course of the summer, we’ll ask the questions: What narratives have shaped these cultures? Despite the many similarities, how do the legends of the regions seem to reflect cultural differences between the countries? And despite the many differences, how do these imaginative and compelling stories reflect transcendent human values shared by all people?

Students will also learn about the geography of the East Asian region; the basics of Japanese and Korean pronunciation; how to distinguish the Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese written languages at a glance; how to use online resources to correctly pronounce unfamiliar world languages, and the importance of trying to do so; and what the expectations and responsibilities of the online classroom are.