Tools for the Study of Tibet

Where is Tibet?
Curricular Ideas for K-12 Educators
Questions for the Study of Tibet
Glossary of Political Terms
Timeline of Tibetan History
Words for Reflection

Curricular Ideas for K-12 Educators

Preparation

• You do not have to be an expert on Tibet to teach about this subject. Enjoy the process of inquiry with your students.
• Think about how can you connect the study of Tibet to a global topic, issue or theme.
• Create a Tibetan environment in your classroom with the Tibetan National Flag, prayer flags, incense, Tibetan religious or folk music, posters, photos...
• Pre-Presentation Questions:
  - What do you know about Tibet?
  - What do you know about Buddhism?
  - What is cultural survival?
  - What makes a nation independent?
  - What is self-determination?
• Teach some Tibetan phrases: i.e. "Tashi Delek" (Tibetan Greeting)
• Introduce Tibet through a story or current event
• Use videos, slides, photographs
• Invite guest speakers to your classroom
• If possible, plan a field trip to a Tibet-related place in your area, i.e. Tibetan Monastery, exhibit
• Use a question poster for students to write down questions that arise about Tibet which can be addressed later or when a guest speaker visits. It also allows the class to engage in group inquiry.
• Share Tibetan artifacts with students: Tibetan coins or bills, prayer bowls, Tibetan clothing...

Presentation

• Consider how traditional Tibetan society has been romanticized in the West. Where do these romantic images come from? What are the realities behind the myths about Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism?
• Three Stages for Introducing the whole of Tibet
  1. The Bright Side of Tibet: Celebrating Tibetan Civilization
  2. The Dark Side of Tibet: Life Under Chinese Occupation
  3. Hope for the Future in Tibet and in the Tibetan Diaspora
• Examine the Tibetan situation from different points of view: Tibetan, Chinese, Western, Governmental vs. Non-Governmental, Local vs. Global
• Examine the approaches to Conflict Resolution between Tibetans and Chinese
• Examine the changing natural environment on the Tibetan Plateau
• How do Religion and Government work together from Tibetan and Chinese points of view?
• Examine the ancient wisdom from Tibetan Buddhist culture. What wisdom from a Tibetan world view can be useful for dealing with a modern world?
• Identify keywords or phrases for explaining or discussing the Tibetan situation which help summarize or capture the essence of what students are learning about Tibet. For example :
  Cultural Survival, Endangered Peoples, Strangers in their Own Land, Buddhist Holocaust, Population Transfer, Universal Responsibility, Diaspora
• Have students identify cause and effect relationships concerning:
  - The development of Tibetan civilization
  - The circumstances that led to the Chinese invasion of Tibet
  - The factors that threaten the Tibetan way of life in Tibet
• Journal writing: Ask students to put themselves in the shoes of a:
  Tibetan in Tibet, Tibetan Monk or Nun, Chinese Policeman in Lhasa or Merchant in Tibet, Chinese Government Leader, a Tibetan in exile, The Dalai Lama

Conclusion/Debriefing

• Post-presentation questions or discussions
  - What do you know about Tibet after this presentation?
  - What is the Future of Tibet?
  - Saving Tibet: Is it an ideal or a reality?
• Consider Tibetan Buddhist Culture in other areas of the Himalayas:
  i.e. Bhutan, Mustang, Dolpo, Sherpa Culture, Sikkim, Ladakh
• Find common ground with other global conflicts, situations and experiences:
  i.e. Burma, East Timor, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Israel/Palestine, Holocaust in Europe, Native American Experience
• Brainstorm ways to express social activism surrounding the Tibetan situation
• Buddhism teaches being mindful in every day life. How can the concept of mindfulness be an educational tool for creating better study habits and creating greater awareness of oneself and the world around us?
• Taxonomy for Debriefing
  1. What did you experience?
  2. What did you learn from the experience?
  3. How will you think or act in the future as a result of the experience?
  4. What can you do about it?
  5. What will you do about it?

Taken from: Approaching Tibetan Studies: A Resource Handbook for Educators, by Tibet Education Network © 1999 Global Source Education (available through The Global Source Catalog)