This set of lessons examines interactions between China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam in the period from ~1350 – 1750 CE. Textbooks often portray these relationships as static, and fully China-centered. By contrast, these primary-document-based lesson helps students understand more of the nuance, flexibility, and complexity of foreign policy in the region. This approach teaches (1) a view of East Asia that is centered in East Asian worldviews rather than Eurocentric ideas about state-state interactions, (2) the historical relationships that help inform modern interactions in the region, and (3) methods and benefits of diplomacy.
There are two lessons on this topic: one for middle school and one for high school.
View the full lesson on the ORIAS website.