Lesson Plan: Understanding Confucian Relationships

Synopsis: Students learn about Confucius' 5 Basic Relationships and compare them to relationshiops in American society. I use this as the beginning of a unit on Chinese literature, but this lesson plan could also be used in a history or social studies class. This lesson plan is adapted from Kirsten Larson's first lesson plan at http://www.globaled.org/chinaproject/confucian.html. Background information about Confucius and his 5 relationships are available by following the link.

Time Allotment: a 45-50 minute class period

Supplies: none

Procedures:

• Briefly explain who Confucius was. Write his 5 relationships on the board in this order: ruler-subject, father-son, elder brother-younger brother, husband-wife, friend-friend.
• Point out that the only available role for women was wife.
• Explain that the relationships are listed in order of their importance. Ruler-Subject and Father-Son are nearly equal and modeled after each other. If two relationships came into conflict, the first relationship on the list is most important. (For example, if your older brother asked you to do something your father disapproved of, your father's opinion would be most important.)
• Ask the students to rank the relationships in order of importance to them. In small groups or a class, students discuss the reasons for their responses. (This made a fabulous class discussion which provoked an interesting argument about whether spouses or parents should be the most important relationship in our society.)
• Next, read students some excerpts from Confucius' writings about each relationship (You can find this by clicking on Lesson 1 at the link above.) Students discuss what the quote reveals about each relationship during Confucius' time.
• Finally, divide the class into groups of 3-4. Each group should be assigned 1 relationship. They must write their own version of The Analects, writing 5 "commandments" for how modern-day American people should behave in their assigned relationship. (Sample response: Husbands must respect that their wives are their emotional and intellectual equals and should ask their advice in making decisions.) Students share and discuss their commandments.