Asia Expedition Teacher Guide Asia Expedition
Teacher Facilitation Guide
Time Required 60-90 min
4 Stations
Small Groups (3-5)
Formative Assessment
Lesson Objective
Students will explore the diverse geography, culture, and history of Asia through a station rotation model. They will apply geographic themes to literature, analyze historical conflict and migration, evaluate human-environment interaction, and practice key vocabulary through academic discourse.
1
Literary Landscapes
The Activity
Students read summaries of five diverse Asian-set graphic novels and books. They must identify which of the 5 Themes of Geography (Location, Place, Region, Movement, HEI) is most prevalent in each story.
Teacher Tip
Encourage students to look for specific textual evidence. For "All Thirteen," focus on how the environment of the cave dictated the human response (HEI).
2
Cultural Crossroads
The Activity
Students analyze two historical case studies: the Partition of India/Pakistan (Movement/Culture) and the Cambodian Genocide (Conflict/Political Systems). They annotate for causes and effects of human movement and government change.
Teacher Tip
These are sensitive topics. Monitor groups for maturity. Remind students that "Movement" includes the forced migration of millions during Partition.
3
Tech Trek
The Activity
Students examine four Asian innovations: Three Gorges Dam, Terrace Farming, Tokyo's Flood G-Cans, and the Great Wall. They must categorize each as an Adaptation or a Modification of the environment.
Teacher Tip
Adaptation = Humans change behavior to fit nature. Modification = Humans change nature to fit their needs. The Tokyo flood system is a great example of a high-tech modification.
4
Geographic Gossip
The Activity
A speaking game where one student picks a card and others ask up to 20 "Yes/No" questions to guess the geographic term. Focuses on physical features, culture, and types of government.
Teacher Tip
Provide the "Sentence Starters" on the instruction sheet for English Language Learners to ensure they can participate comfortably in the questioning.
Setup Checklist
Print 1 "Passport" per student.
Print 2-3 copies of Station 1 Readings.
Print 2-3 copies of Station 2 Readings.
Print & Cut Station 3 Tech Cards (laminate if possible).
Print & Cut Station 4 Word Cards.
Timer (to signal rotations every 15-20 mins).
Asia Expedition Passport微 Asia Expedition Passport
Student Recording Log
Explorer Name:
Expedition Date:
Expedition Vocabulary / Vocabulario
Plateau Meseta
Culture Cultura
Monarchy Monarquía
Steppe Estepa
Cultural Diffusion Difusión Cultural
Oligarchy Oligarquía
Monsoon Monzón
Cultural Convergence Convergencia Cultural
Theocracy Teocracia
Tsunami Tsunami
Cultural Divergence Divergencia Cultural
Democracy Democracia
Monotheism Monoteísmo
Polytheism Politeísmo
1 Station 1: Literary Landscapes
Match each book summary to a Theme of Geography and explain your choice.
Book A: Boxers & Saints
Theme & Why?
Book B: Pashmina
Theme & Why?
Book C: Family Style
Theme & Why?
Book D: All Thirteen
Theme & Why?
Book E: Himawari House
Theme & Why?
2 Station 2: Cultural Crossroads
Partition of India/Pakistan
Causes of Migration:
Effects on Culture:
The Khmer Rouge in Cambodia
Government/Conflict Issue:
Impact on Population:
3 Station 3: Tech Trek (Adaptation vs Modification)
Three Gorges Dam
A
M
Terrace Farming
A
M
Tokyo Flood G-Cans
A
M
Great Wall
A
M
Explain your reasoning for ONE of the modifications above:
4 Station 4: Geographic Gossip Game
Mystery Words I Discovered:
Expedition Complete
Literary Landscapes Summaries Station 1: Literary Landscapes
Exploring Asia through Graphic Novels & Non-Fiction
Objective Identify the 5 Themes of Geography
Instructions
Read the summaries of the following Asian-set books. Each story highlights one of the 5 Themes of Geography (Location, Place, Region, Movement, or Human-Environment Interaction). Identify the most fitting theme for each book in your Passport and provide evidence why.
A: Boxers & Saints
By Gene Luen Yang (China)
Set during the Boxer Rebellion in late 19th-century China, this two-volume graphic novel explores the conflict between traditional Chinese society and Western influences. One side follows a boy who joins the "Boxer" rebels to fight against foreign "invaders," while the other follows a girl who converts to Christianity. The story highlights how different cultural groups define their territory and identity within the same physical territory.
B: Pashmina
By Nidhi Chanani (India/USA)
Priyanka is a first-generation Indian American who finds a magical pashmina shawl in an old suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a vivid, colorful version of India that her mother left behind. The story focuses on Pri's journey to understand the physical and cultural characteristics (the sights, smells, and traditions) that make her ancestral homeland unique compared to her life in California.
C: Family Style
By Thien Pham (Vietnam/USA)
This memoir tells the story of the author’s childhood as a Vietnamese refugee. After the war, his family flees their home on a small boat, braving dangerous seas and pirate attacks to reach a refugee camp in Thailand, eventually settling in the United States. The narrative is structured around the foods that defined each stage of their journey across borders and oceans to find safety and a new life.
D: All Thirteen
By Christina Soontornvat (Thailand)
This non-fiction book details the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand. A boys' soccer team and their coach were trapped deep underground when a sudden monsoon flood blocked their exit. The story focuses on how thousands of rescuers from around the world used engineering, diving technology, and sheer willpower to adapt to the dangerous cave environment to save the boys.
E: Himawari House
By Harmony Becker (Japan)
Nao returns to Tokyo, Japan, to reconnect with her heritage, living in a share-house with other exchange students from different parts of Asia. The story focuses on the linguistic and cultural connections—as well as the differences—between the housemates. It explores how these students from diverse backgrounds create a shared
Cultural Crossroads Readings Asia Station 2: Cultural Crossroads
Migration, Conflict, and Change in Asia
Objective Analyze Causes & Effects of Movement/Conflict
1
The Partition of India (1947)
Topic: Movement & Culture
Location: South Asia
In 1947, as British colonial rule ended in South Asia, the subcontinent was divided into two independent nations: **India** (with a Hindu majority) and **Pakistan** (with a Muslim majority). This political decision, known as the Partition, triggered one of the largest mass migrations in human history.
Fear of religious persecution and the desire to be in a country that shared their faith caused millions of people to flee their homes. Over 14 million people crossed the new borders—Muslims moving toward West and East Pakistan, and Hindus and Sikhs moving toward India. The migration was sudden and chaotic, leading to extreme violence, poverty, and the displacement of families who had lived in their ancestral villages for centuries.
Annotation Task: Underline the causes of the migration and circle the effects it had on the people.
2
The Khmer Rouge in Cambodia (1975-1979)
Topic: Conflict & Government
Location: Southeast Asia
In 1975, a radical communist group called the **Khmer Rouge**, led by Pol Pot, seized power in Cambodia. Their goal was to transform the country into a peasant-dominated agrarian (farming) society. To achieve this, they abolished money, private property, and religion.
The government forced millions of people out of cities like Phnom Penh and into rural labor camps to work in the "killing fields." Intellectuals, teachers, doctors, and anyone suspected of opposing the regime were executed. Under the Khmer Rouge, nearly 2 million people—about 25% of Cambodia's population—died from starvation, exhaustion, disease, and mass executions. This period of intense conflict and human rights violations completely reshaped the geography and demographics of Cambodia for decades.
Annotation Task: Underline the causes of the conflict (government goals) and circle the effects on the population.
Tech Trek Cards微 Station 3: Tech Trek
Human-Environment Interaction in Asia
Instructions Categorize as Adaptation or Modification
Three Gorges Dam
China
The world's largest hydroelectric dam stretches across the Yangtze River. To build it, engineers had to flood hundreds of towns and villages, creating a massive reservoir. The dam generates huge amounts of clean energy and controls dangerous seasonal flooding that used to kill thousands of people.
Innovation #1
ENERGY WATER
Terrace Farming
Philippines / SE Asia
In the steep mountains of the Cordilleras, traditional farmers carved flat "steps" into the hillsides to create land for growing rice. These ancient terraces allow farmers to use mountain slopes that would otherwise be impossible to farm, using a complex irrigation system that catches rainwater from the peaks.
Innovation #2
FOOD LAND
The G-Cans Project
Tokyo, Japan
To protect Tokyo from typhoons and rain-driven floods, Japan built the world's largest underground floodwater diversion facility. It consists of five giant concrete silos and a massive "underground cathedral" of pillars that can drain water from the city's rivers and pump it safely into the ocean.
Innovation #3
SAFETY TECH
The Great Wall
China
Constructed over many centuries, this series of fortifications was built across the northern borders of ancient China. It was designed to protect the empire against invasions and to control trade and migration along the Silk Road. It significantly changed the natural landscape to manage the movement of people.
Innovation #4
DEFENSE MOVEMENT
Geographic Gossip Cards Station 4: Geographic Gossip
20 Questions Geography Edition
Activity Academic Vocabulary Review
How to Play
One student (the "Speaker") draws a card and reads the term silently.
The other students (the "Detectives") take turns asking Yes/No questions .
Detectives have 20 questions to guess the term.
Record the terms you discover in your Passport!
Question Starters
"Is it a physical feature (land/water)?"
"Does it involve people or culture ?"
"Is it related to government or power ?"
"Is it a type of weather ?"
"Does it describe a change in society?"
Plateau
Steppe
Monsoon
Tsunami
Culture
Cultural Diffusion
Cultural Convergence
Cultural Divergence
Monotheism
Polytheism
Monarchy
Oligarchy
Theocracy
Democracy
Wild Card!
