Applying Sociological Concepts
to the Lives of Chinese Americans
in St. Louis in the 1950’s
Overview
Students will be asked to create
a character sketch of a “typical Chinese
American teenager” for a movie to based on Chinese American living
in St. Louis during the 1950’s. Students will apply basic sociological
concepts to historical data found on the St. Louis Virtual City Website.
After their initial research on the Website, students will interview a Chinese
American individual who lived in St. Louis in the
1950’s. Combining their knowledge of basic sociological concepts, their
Website research and the interview students will then create their character
sketches for the movie.
Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will:
- Students will understand basic sociological concepts such as minority
groups,
ethnicity, discrimination, prejudice, stereotype, cultural
pluralism, subjugation,
legal discrimination and institutionalized discrimination.
- Students will be
able to navigate the Website and make connections between those concepts
and the experience of Chinese Americans in 1950’s St.
Louis.
- Student will be able to identify (1) how Chinese Americans preserved
much of their culture while assimilating into American culture (2) dealt
with
legal as well as institutional discrimination (3) roles that family, work
and religion played in their everyday lives.
- Students will know the basics
of doing oral history, and complete and interview.
- Students will be able
to combine all of the above information and create a character sketch.
Show Me Standards CA 1,2,3,4,6
SS 2,3,6,7 Goals: 1.2,4 2.1,2,3,7 4.6
Process
- Students will visit St. Louis
Virtual City Website focusing on the 1950’s
and the lives of various Chinese Americans. Students will take notes and
when necessary print out the information pertaining to those individuals
of particular interest.
- Sites to visit are: those related
to lives of Chinese Americans in 1950’s
including stadium plans.
- Students will work in groups
to apply the sociological concepts where appropriate to the lives of the
individuals on the Website.
- In groups, students will create
an interview for class visitor. Teacher will assist in the process of doing
oral history.
Students will be “prepped” in
interview protocol. All students will be expected to take notes during
the interview.
- After the interview, students
will work together to process all of the information gathered. Information
must address issues of the
minority
status of Chinese
Americans and discrimination, as well as family, religion, education
and work in the lives of Chinese Americans.
- Students will complete
assignment by creating a “character sketch” for
screenplay based on their understanding of sociological concepts,
historical information and interview.
Click here for Student Instructions