Sample Critical Challenge Confucius on child-parent relations

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1 Sample Critical Challenge Confucius on child-parent relations Taken from Critical Challenges in Social Studies for Junior High Students Authors Pat Clarke, Linda Clode, Jude Coffin, David Ellison, Mark Frien, Bruce Haddow, Andy Johnston, Kit Krieger, Carmen Kuczma, Sue MacDonald, Tom Morton, Deirdre Moore, Sharla Narduzzi, Alison Stevenson, Jane Turner, Elizabeth Wilson Editors Roland Case, LeRoi Daniels, Phyllis Schwartz Synopsis Students examine the qualities that should govern the relationship between themselves and their parents and then compare these with the qualities espoused by Confucius. Students learn about Confucian teachings by interpreting quotations from the Analects. The challenge concludes with students deciding whether or not Confucius would be a good parent. The Critical Thinking Consortium Education Building University of British Columbia 6365 Biological Sciences Road Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z (p) (f) tc2@interchange.ubc.ca The Critical Thinking Consortium. Permission granted to duplicate the blackline masters (i.e., briefing sheets, data charts, documents, assessment rubrics) for individual classroom use only. Duplication of the suggested teaching activities or use of the blackline masters for other purposes are not permitted without prior written permission from The Critical Thinking Consortium.

2 Confucius on child-parent relations Critical Challenge Critical Question Would Confucius be a good parent? Overview Students examine the qualities that should govern the relationship between themselves and their parents and then compare these with the qualities espoused by Confucius. Students learn about Confucian teachings by interpreting quotations from the Analects. The challenge concludes with students deciding whether or not Confucius would be a good parent. Requisite Tools Background knowledge contemporary views on parenting Confucian teachings on parenting and filial piety Criteria for judgment criteria for good parent-child relationships Critical thinking vocabulary point of view Thinking strategies data charts Habits of mind Suggested Activities Provide students with a brief introduction to Confucius and to his teachings focussing on the Analects which were recorded by his students in the form of answers that Confucius gave to their questions. (You may ask students to read Confucius: A Great Teacher and The Sayings of Confucius in Patterns of Civilizations, Volume 1, pp ) Confucious, his teachings Roland Case and LeRoi Daniels Critical Challenges Across the Curriculum 1

3 Much Confucian teaching describes good conduct the proper behaviour expected of people. Before looking at some of his teachings on the relationship between parents and children, invite students to consider the qualities of good conduct that should guide their relations with their parents, and vise versa. Organize students into small groups to discuss the qualities of good conduct that should govern relations between parent and child. Encourage students to consider these relationships not only from their present point of view as young people but also from a parental point of view. Ask students what they would expect from their children and what, as parents, they would owe to their children. As students reach agreement, ask each group member to list the qualities of good conduct that are important for the relationship in the first column titled Contemporary views of the qualities of good conduct on Data Chart #1: Good conduct between parent and child (Blackline Master). Select members from each group to list the qualities for each relationship on the chalk board or on poster paper. As a class, review the lists from each group and prepare a master list summarizing the collective findings of the groups. Based on the discussion, encourage students to add or delete qualities from their personal lists. Direct students to consider Confucian teachings on the relations between parent and child. Explain that the dominant Confucian view is captured in the notion of filial piety (You may ask students to read The Confucian Code of Conduct in Patterns of Civilizations, Volume 1, page 30). Assign students to work in their small groups to learn more about the Confucian view of the relationship of parent to child. For this activity, students will need two handouts: Briefing Sheet: Quotations from the Analects (Blackline Master), and Data Chart #2: Interpreting Confucian views of good conduct (Blackline Master). Ask students to discuss each quote found in the briefing sheet by first interpreting the saying for meaning, then by re-phrasing in their own words the implied quality (or qualities) advocated by Confucius. Students are to record their group s decisions about the implied quality (or qualities) for each quotation on Data Chart #2. Once completed, students are to summarize their findings in the second column titled Confucian view of the qualities of good conduct on Data Chart #1: Good conduct between parent and child (Blackline Master). Ask each group to list the qualities for each relationship on the chalk board or on poster paper. As a class, review the lists from each group and prepare a master list summarizing the collective conclusions of the groups about Confucian teachings. Based on the point of view contemporary views of parenting Confucian view of parenting Roland Case and LeRoi Daniels Critical Challenges Across the Curriculum 2

4 discussion, encourage students to add or delete from their list of Confucian qualities of good conduct. Arrange students in pairs, assigning each pair two roles: Partner A and Partner B. For this activity, students are to use Data Chart #1. Each pair is to discuss the similarities and differences in the two columns the contemporary and Confucian views of good conduct between parents and children. Partner A is to summarize in a short paragraph the essentials of the Contemporary Views of Good Conduct, and Partner B is to summarize the essentials of the Confucian View of Good Conduct. Select several pairs of students to share their summaries with the class. Raise the question of how to determine whether these differing views of child-parent relations are equally desirable. Discuss with the class the criteria for judging the adequacy of these views. Suggested criteria might include that the child-parent relations be consistent with the long-term best interests of children; the long-terms interests of parents; society s needs. Present the critical question to the class: Would Confucius be a good parent? Assign students to write a paragraph in class in which they use the acquired information to answer the question and justify their position in light of the agreed-upon criteria. criteria for good relations Evaluation Evaluate the paired paragraphs (Partner A and B) on how well the essential features of the contemporary or Confucian views of childparent relations are depicted. Evaluate the critical challenge paragraphs on the following: attention to the agreed-upon criteria when giving reasons why Confucius is or is not a good parent; accuracy of claims about Confucius; plausibility of claims about the consequences of Confucian views. Roland Case and LeRoi Daniels Critical Challenges Across the Curriculum 3

5 Extension Invite students to consider what could be borrowed from a Confucian view of child-parent relations to improve our own contemporary views. Discuss whether there is a common set of essential qualities of child-parent relations or whether desirable child-parent relations depend largely on cultural and historical norms. Roland Case and LeRoi Daniels Critical Challenges Across the Curriculum 4

6 Good conduct between parent and child Relationship Contemporary views of the qualities of good conduct Confucian view of the qualities of good conduct Parent to child Child to parent Data Chart #1 Blackline Master 5 Critical Challenges Across the Curriculum

7 Quotations from the Confucian Analects Notes (From Arthur Waley. The Analects of Confucius. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1964.) Quotation #1 Quotation #2 Quotation #3 Quotation #4 The Master said, A young man s duty is to behave well to his parents at home and to his elders abroad, to be cautious in giving promises and punctual [on time] in keeping them, to have kindly feelings toward everyone, but seek the intimacy of the Good. If, when all that is done, he has any energy to spare, then let him study the polite arts [learn to recite songs, practice archery, deportment and the like]. Book 1, #6, p. 84 The Master said, While a man s father is alive, you can only see his intentions; it is when his father dies that you discover whether or not he is capable of carrying them out. Book 1, #11, p. 86 Meng I Tzu asked about the treatment of parents. The Master said, Never disobey! When Fan Ch ih was driving his carriage for him, the Master said, Meng asked me about the treatment of parents and I said, Never disobey! Fan Ch ih said, In what sense did you mean it? The Master said, While they are alive, serve them according to ritual. When they die, bury them according to ritual and sacrifice to them according to ritual [ritual implies obedience and dutiful practices]. Book 2, #5, pp Meng Wu Po asked about the treatment of parents. The Master said, Behave in such a way that your father and mother have no anxiety about you, except concerning your health. Book 2, #6, p. 89 Quotation #5 Tzu yu asked about the treatment of parents. The Master said, Filial sons nowadays are people who see to it that their parents get enough to eat. But even dogs and horses are cared for to that extent. If there is no feeling of respect, wherein lies the difference? Book 2, #7, p. 89 Page 1 of 2 Briefing Sheet Blackline Master 6 Critical Challenges Across the Curriculum

8 Quotation #6 Quotation #7 Quotation #8 Quotation #9 Quotation #10 Tzu hsia asked about the treatment of parents. The Master said, It is the demeanor [expression of approval from one s parents] that is difficult. Filial piety [children s devotion to their parents] does not consist merely in young people undertaking the hard work, when anything has to be done, or serving their elders first with wine and food. It is something much more than that. Book 2, #8, p. 89 The Master said, In serving his father and mother a man may gently remonstrate [disagree] with them. But if he sees that he has failed to change their opinion, he should resume an attitude of deference [give in] and not thwart [stop] them: may feel discouraged, but not resentful. Book 4, #18, p. 105 The Master said, While father and mother are alive, a good son does not wander far afield; or if he does so, goes only where he has said he was going. Book 4, #19, pp The Master said, If for the whole three years of mourning a son manages to carry on household exactly as in his father s day, then he is a good son indeed. Book 4, #20, p. 106 The Master said, Those who err on the side of strictness are few indeed! Book 4, #23, p. 106 Notes Briefing Sheet Page 2 of 2 Blackline Master 7 Critical Challenges Across the Curriculum

9 Interpreting Confucian views of good conduct Quote Statements in Inferred qualities quotation of good conduct #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Page 1 of 2 Data Chart #2 Blackline Master 8 Critical Challenges Across the Curriculum

10 Quote Statements in Inferred qualities quotation of good conduct #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 Data Chart #2 Page 2 of 2 Blackline Master 9 Critical Challenges Across the Curriculum

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