NCTA Special Topics Course: National Narratives, Personal Memories: Ai Weiwei’s 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows

Ai Weiwei's 2020 memoir 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows  pays homage to his father Ai Qing, one of China's leading 20^th century poets, at the same time providing critical social and historical context for both his father's and his careers as artists and sociopolitical commentators. The memoir is a fascinating and complex intertwining of narratives and perspectives on China from the early Mao years to the Xi Jinping Era, offering windows for instruction in social studies, art history, and world literature.

This 5-week asynchronous special topics course will focus on selected chapters in Ai Weiwei's memoir, combined with supplemental readings, to explore the political and social context of the father's and son's roles as voices of conscience for their generations.

Participants will receive a complimentary copy Ai Weiwei's memoir and China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know by Jeffrey Wasserstrom and Maura Cunningham, and upon successful completion of the course, an additional book on China. Participants will be expected to submit a short reflection paper on how this course can be incorporated into their own teaching.  

Special Topics Course Module Dates:

Introduction week October 4-15

Module 1: October 16-22

Module 2: October 23-29

Module 3: October 30- Nov 5

Module 4: November 6 – Nov 12

Module 5: November 13 - 19

Submission of reflection paper by December  5.

Pennsylvania teachers who complete the workshop will receive Act 48 hours.