Abstract:

"Since the mid-1970s, China has experienced an unprecedented economic boom. China's breakneck growth has become especially apparent in a few geographical regions, where quiet farming communities have given way to bustling cities... In a country where people starved from widespread poverty only a half century ago, business is booming like never before. More and more people are living longer and more comfortable lives, and are finally able to afford luxuries like air conditioners, refrigerators, mobile phones, TVs, and cars. For them, China's rapid rise is a dream come true--a transition to a better, freer, more modern way of life. But not everybody is happy. The income gap between rural and urban China has widened. Lax environmental practices have spawned 16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities. Many people have been evicted from their homes and forcibly relocated... Is China's dream turning into a nightmare? 10,000 Shovels examines the causes and effects of China's development boom, and encourages students to examine and appreciate its benefits and costs. Lesson One introduces students to modern China through a short documentary film that illustrates the rapid urbanization of the Pearl River Delta... Students form small groups to research select topics--such as car culture, water issues, energy, and food--and analyze their environmental, economic, and social impacts. Lesson Two consists of a collection of short interdisciplinary activities that engage students in the analysis of 10,000 Shovels in the context of world history, economics, environmental science, cultural anthropology, music and the arts, and statistics. These activities also encourage students to consider the importance of urbanization and its effects in their own lives." -- SPICE 2007 Catalog. Appropriate for Secondary to Community College.