10 Things You Need to Know About China, Part 2

1. Set Focus 
Pose this essential question: How do China’s policies affect the rest of the world?

2. Read and Discuss 
Have students read the article, marking key ideas and questions. Then ask them to answer the following questions, citing text evidence: 

• The article describes China’s environmental record as “a basket of contradictions.” What is contradictory about China’s environmental policies? (On the one hand, China is the largest manufacturer and user of green energy technologies and plants more trees than any other nation. On the other hand, China mines and burns more coal than the rest of the world combined and emits almost a third of the world’s carbon gases.)

• Who are the Uighurs, and how are they treated by the Chinese government? (The Uighurs are a Muslim minority population from Xinjiang Province. The United Nations accused the Chinese government of mistreating the Uighurs so egregiously that China may have committed “crimes against humanity.” China has been accused of
  unlawfully detaining the Uighurs in camps and subjecting them to forced labor, sterilization, and religious restrictions.)

• According to the article, why is it important that China and the U.S. cooperate despite their tense relationship? (There are important global issues, like climate change, that require the U.S. and China to rise above their differences and work together to find solutions because these issues affect them both.)

3. Core Skill Practice
Assign, print, or project the activity Tying Texts Together. Have students follow the tips to write a short constructed response.

4. Writing Prompt
Do a “deep dive” on a topic from the article that interests you and describe what you learn from your research.

5. Classroom Debate
Was China’s one-child policy more harmful than helpful?

6. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess comprehension.