Essential Questions

*How can we learn about a place by listening to its people?

*How can you learn the vibe of a place?

*How can we connect "regular" voices and mundane daily life to grand themes of history, culture, and geography?

*What makes a great and memorable story great and memorable?

Our year begins with stories of self, stories of our home, and stories of the world.

Part 1: Family Stories

Students will begin the year by interviewing parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, (etc.) in order to learn the story of their family and their family history. We will build community by sharing these stories with each other. Where do we come from? Why do we come to San Francisco? What do we believe in? What are our stories? And what can we learn about San Francisco? Ultimately, students will be sharing their stories in Chinese at Ririxin School in Beijing. The Ririxin community is excited to learn more about San Francisco from a group of genuine San Franciscans.

Part 2: Dali Stories

Students now head from Beijing to 大理 (Dali) in far western China to stay at the beautiful Linden Center. Each student will spend a week paired with a local partner (farmers, silversmiths, tour guides, Kung Fu masters, coffee shop owners, students, etc) to learn the story of Dali from a unique perspective. At this point in the term, they will have had ample opportunity to sharpen their historical thinking skills; their interview skills; their story telling skills. Project One culminates with students applying these skills as they organize, promote, and perform in a final moth-style event in Old Dali. Students will share their observations of Dali and its people.