Week 9: Mongols

March 22 and 24

Now you’re back from break, we’re ready to look at one of those legendary moments in Japanese history: the attempted Mongol invasions.

Table of Contents

Slides

Readings and class details

Wednesday

Ettinger 212, 11am

  • Conlan, Thomas. In Little Need of Divine Intervention: Takezaki Suenaga’s Scrolls of the Mongol Invasions of Japan. Cornell East Asia Series, 113. Ithaca, N.Y.: East Asia Program, Cornell University, 2001.
    • Chapter 3, provided here in PDF, makes the case that the stories about the Mongol invasions of Japan are more legend than history; how does Prof. Conlan go against the traditional perceived story of the Mongol invasions? What methods of historical research can you detect and maybe apply in your own research?
    • (PDF)

Friday

Ettinger 212, 11am

  • “The Mongol Scrolls”. In Sources of Japanese Tradition, Vol. 1: From Earliest Times to 1600, compiled by Wm. Th. de Bary, Donald Keene, George Tanabe, and Paul Varley, 282-83. Second edition. Introduction to Asian Civilizations. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 2001. (PDF)
  • Check out the accompanying pictures on the emaki Mongol invasion scroll website where you can compare different versions that have been digitally stitched together. Prof. Conlan provides information.
    • Takezaki Suenaga made sure that his heroic deeds against the Mongols were widely known. How does this account of warfare and military valour connect to, or differ from the material in the Tale of Heike? Do you see similar concerns about warrior ethos?
  • More images, but not in sequence, from Wikipedia’s Wikimedia
    • This may be useful for Show and Tell projects.

Assignments

1. Reminder: Blog post (content week 8)

5 points, due March 21, 11:59PM

Write a blog post exploring themes or ideas based on your reading. You do not need to have all the answers. In fact, learning to ask good analytical or research questions is a skill you can develop during the semester. Remember the description of the assignment from the syllabus.

  • Length: approx. 400 words. excl. list of materials consulted.
  • Add the list of materials consulted at the end of the post, in Chicago notes and bibliography style.
    • TOP TIP: Just copy the bibliography information from the Reading list on this webpage, do not add the descriptive notes I provide for your information.
  • Add the words “Week 8” in the title.
    • Please use this exact phrase, so your post will show up in the blog stream.
  • Indicate which Exploration Pack you chose. [not applicable this week]
  • Include a relevant image, and add a caption with the source/credit, and an Alt text description
  • Post on your website, and add to the category hst267.

When you’re done, read this declaration carefully and then fill out the Canvas quiz to collect your points.

Declaration
– I wrote a post of approximately 400 words in response to the readings.
– I included the bibliographic references for the materials I used for my post.
– I indicated which Exploration Pack I chose [if applicable].
– I included an image, and I provided a caption and credit (source), and an Alt text description for the image.
– I use the words Week 8 in the title, and added the post to category hst267

2. Feedback with Hypothes.is

3 points, due March 22, 11:59pm

Below you find links to three blog posts from your fellow students. If one of the websites is your own, or it is twice the same person’s, refresh the page, and you should get new sites. Any of the posts that appear here are fair game for commenting, even if they are about earlier weeks: those posts came in after the first deadline.

  • Post 1:
  • Post 2:
  • Post 3:

Leave feedback, questions, thoughts, insights about the contents of the posts of your fellow students using Hypothes.is group HST267. You can ask for clarifications, point out similarities and differences with the material you covered, or with your interpretation. This should encourage you to dive a bit deeper in the materials, or visit those you did not read at first.

Use tags in Hypothes.is: question: If you have a question; answered: if you gave an answer to a question; info: if you provide more information, looking up additional facts, drawing on knowledge from other classes; and other tags you can think of. This will help us to navigate more quickly to the questions that still need answering.

Use the “Architect’s Model” of giving feedback, and engage with concrete issues. Go beyond “Yeah, I agree,” “I like” or “I think the same”, and instead explain why you have that reaction, or if you disagree, you can try to persuade the original poster of your idea or interpretation.

Remember that Hypothes.is allows for hyperlinks, e.g. to materials that support your argument, or you can include pictures (memes! [yes, there she is again]), videos etc. that help the original poster to learn more.

When you’re done, read this declaration carefully, and then fill out the Canvas quiz to collect your points.

Declaration
– I commented on three fellow students’ weekly blog post on Week 8 materials, using the Hypothes.is group HST267.
– I made sure to leave substantial comments that help the writer to improve the post, or to identify their strengths.
– I left comments that I would like to receive myself: thoughtful, helpful, kind, but also pointing out errors so they can be fixed.

3. Show and Tell 3:

20 points, due Fri March 24, 11:59PM

Dedicated webpage with all the details. Make sure the content for your Show and Tell connects to something we covered/timespan covered in weeks 7, 8, or 9, and give rein to your digital creativity using the hints and tips Tim provided in the special session!

4. Blog post (content week 9)

5 points, due March 27, 11:59PM

Write a blog post exploring themes or ideas based on your reading. You do not need to have all the answers. In fact, learning to ask good analytical or research questions is a skill you can develop during the semester. Remember the description of the assignment from the syllabus.

  • Length: approx. 400 words. excl. list of materials consulted.
  • Add the list of materials consulted at the end of the post, in Chicago notes and bibliography style.
    • TOP TIP: Just copy the bibliography information from the Reading list on this webpage, do not add the descriptive notes I provide for your information.
  • Add the words “Week 9” in the title.
    • Please use this exact phrase, so your post will show up in the blog stream.
  • Include a relevant image, and add a caption with the source/credit, and an Alt text description
  • Post on your website, and add to the category hst267.

When you’re done, read this declaration carefully and then fill out the Canvas quiz to collect your points.

Declaration
– I wrote a post of approximately 400 words in response to the readings.
– I included the bibliographic references for the materials I used for my post.
– I indicated which Exploration Pack I chose [if applicable].
– I included an image, and I provided a caption and credit (source), and an Alt text description for the image.
– I use the words Week 9 in the title, and added the post to category hst267

Extra Credit tasks

EC9-1: Introduce an image

3 points, due Sunday March 26 11.59pm

All the details on this webpage, incl. a link to declaration quiz.

EC9-2. Follow that footnote!

3 points, due by Sunday, March. 26, 11.59pm

All the details on this webpage, incl. a link to the declaration quiz.

Where to get assistance?

  • Tea Room on in person or on Discord:
    • open anytime for you
    • I will be hosting Tue 2PM-3PM; Wed. 1-2PM, or at other times by appointment via Google Calendar (usually a 15-20min appointment is enough). You can also find me in my office during Tea Room times.
    • Private room for confidential chat available on request.
  • Discord Text Channel #hst267
  • DLAs: Digital Learning Assistants: check the schedule!
  • Writing Center: Sunday-Wednesday: 3:30 – 5:30 pm and 7-11 pm; Thursday: 3:30 – 5:30 pm and 7-9 pm
  • Trexler Library Course Subject Guide: our own dedicated subject guide for the course 
  • Safety on/around campus: report an incident