Michigan State University welcomed a group of K–12 educators from across the country to campus last week for the Teaching Traditional East Asia summer seminar, an experience that helps enrich classroom teaching and deepen global understanding at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Led by Associate Professor of History Dr. Ethan Segal, the week-long seminar brought educators together to explore East Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese) history, art, literature, and culture.
Dr. Segal encouraged participants to think like historians by posing questions of primary sources like “Who is this written for?” and “What is the document’s purpose?” During his session on Early Japan, the group analyzed poems from the Man’yōshū, the oldest collection of classical Japanese poetry. Dr. Segal emphasized critical thinking and source interpretation, encouraging questions among attendees as they explored how early Japanese poetry collections served as models for literary traditions moving forward.
“These are crucial questions that historians should ask of any source,” he said during the discussion.
Dr. Erica Holt, adjunct assistant professor of history at MSU, brought a unique perspective to historical interpretation with her session on fashion and social and political values in East Asia. Her memorable quote, “History is heavy. Clothing helps lighten it,” framed a discussion on how fashion reflected and challenged social norms. One vivid example involved a man expelled from his town in 1681 because the women in his circle dressed too lavishly, underscoring the relationship between appearance, rank, and expectations in society.
Another presenter, Angie Stokes, an art and social studies teacher from Wayne Trace Junior/Senior High School in Haviland, Ohio, discussed early Korean arts and culture. Part of her session invited educators to reimagine historical narratives through creative exercises. Participants worked in pairs, with one person describing a photo of Korean royal objects on screen while the other attempted to draw it, highlighting the role of perception and descriptive language in learning. Stokes also introduced the teachers to King Sejong, whose legacy in Korean culture, arts, and technology offered a compelling lens for teaching early Korean history.
“These seminars are wonderful opportunities for teachers to interact with and learn from experts in the field as well as share ideas about how to best bring East Asian content to their classrooms,” said Dr. Segal. “Supporting K-12 teachers is an important part of our outreach efforts at MSU.”
Associate Professor Yulian Wu and Professor Charles Keith also presented on behalf of MSU’s Department of History. Their sessions covered the topics of Vietnam before the 19th century; women and gender in Chinese history; and politics and the economy in imperial China.
The seminar was made possible through generous support from the Freeman Foundation, the MSU Asian Studies Center, and the University Center for International Studies and the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) at the University of Pittsburgh.