Country Day Enquirer

Country Day Enquirer students took to the task of reporting on CCDX Week activities! From shooting and editing their own videos to interviewing teachers and students to drafting copy to taking photos, the students worked solo and in groups to create stories. Each student took on the task of covering one CCDX course in each division. Below is a sampling of their work...and some of what took place around Country Day's campus during CCDX Week 4.0. Enjoy!

Sophie Corwin `28 & Eloise Young `28 - East Asian Fusion

The CCDX course East Asian Fusion explored the countries of East Asia and their cultures. A presentation about Korea kicked off the course, and the week continued with presentations about China, India, Japan, and Thailand. The class learned about celebrations, geography and physical features, and food of the different countries.

The students participated in interactive, hands-on activities to more deeply understand the culture of the countries presented. They also tasted traditional food, which helped the students fully immerse themselves in the culture of that country, leading to a greater understanding of East Asian countries and culture.

The East Asian Fusion students had a great start to their CCDX Week with a presentation on Korean culture by guest Lynn Chabris and a chance to sample some delicious Korean food! Chabris explained many aspects of modern and traditional Korean culture, including geography, history, language, food, entertainment, and festivals. Her visit was concluded with some homemade gimbap, known also as kimbap, which is sticky rice and other ingredients wrapped in seaweed. Before she departed, we asked her how food can affect our understanding of culture and how she has been influenced by food over the years. “I think food can tell a lot about culture of a country,” she responded. “Food, especially in Asia, is a very important part of celebrations and family time. It’s a time to gather and be with each other. I know for me, even growing up here in the United States, I would say that we had predominantly more Korean food at our house than American food. When I think about my comfort food, I always eat Korean food.” We thank Chabris for teaching us more about Korea and loved the food she brought in!

After the group learned about Korea, Frida Shen talked to the students about her hometown in China. She explained that since her hometown is set on the bank of a river, a lot of their meals consisted of seafood. She also illustrated the typical structure of a small house and told the students about various livestock that might be kept. The students learned about the provinces of China and about major urban areas such as Shanghai and Beijing.

The presenter for India, Shani Subramaniam, is also a CCDS parent. She talked about the geography of India and how different the people are in each region. There are many languages spoken in India but the official languages are Hindi and English. She talked about the discovery of India through the Silk Road, how it was colonized by the British, and how it was freed with the help of peaceful activist, Mahatma Gandhi. After the presentation, students made a rangoli – a picture or design made with colorful sand. The students then printed the design on a paper plate to make a permanent copy. Subramaniam ended the presentation with delicious traditional fig-flavored soft serve ice cream for everyone to enjoy.

Thailand’s presenter talked to students about the culture of Thailand. Students learned about the geography of Thailand and how small it is compared to the US. The main religion is Buddhism, put people also practice Christianity. Students learned about the language of Thailand and how to say common phrases such as ‘Hello’ and ‘How are you?’. Students also learned customs, such as bowing your head when you greet someone and crouching lower when passing by an adult. They learned common hand gestures such as ‘Come here’ and ‘hello’. She concluded the presentation with a delicious meal of warm spring rolls, Thai tea, and shrimp chips.

On the second-to-last day of their week, the East Asian Fusion group had a hands-on experience making Kamishibai, a traditional Japanese paper theatre, out of thin cardboard templates and choose what story they wanted to display inside the box. The students had a blast making them and are grateful to Jamie Back, the MakerSpace coordinator, for letting them use the space!

“We appreciate all the presenters that came to talk to us and the students. Thank you to Mrs. Weston and all the students for letting us film and take pictures. We enjoyed our time covering this course and learning about countries in East Asia.”