• Physical and Political Boundaries
  
• Geography and Security

• Assessing Political Boundaries [National Geographic]
  This lesson will introduce students to the changing nature of political boundaries in Asia. It will start by assessing the role geography plays in establishing national boundaries. Students will then examine a series of historical maps that show changing political boundaries and speculate on the reason some boundaries have changed dramatically and some have remained fairly constant. Students will then examine several examples of boundaries. Students may also be asked to pick a nation and summarize the various states or empires that were part of that nation's past.
  
  ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
  
  • Historical Borders
    1. Have China's historical borders changed over time?
    2. What geographical features can be found on China's borders?
    3. Is it easy to travel across China's borders in terms of the terrain?
    4. In which continent is China?
  • Bordering Nations
    1. Why is China the core of East Asia?
    2. With how many countries does China have a common border?
    3. What countries in East Asia were particularly influenced by China?
       
       
• Crossing Boundaries: The Environment, Disease, and Conflict in Asia [National Geographic]
  For grades 9-12. Physical and political boundaries play an important role in the world. They are conventions that have been created, adapted, and/or devised by nature and humans. So too, are a wide variety of other boundaries. These boundaries can act as national and/or international assets, but they can also act as impediments that restrict or prohibit the flow of resources, commerce, or intellectual property, or barriers that isolate people and divide nations. Finally, they can be the source of international compromise, cooperation, or conflict. Many boundaries play an important role in issues pertaining to environmentalism, epidemiology, and discord that might range from trade wars to military confrontations. In this lesson, students will learn about boundaries as they apply to matters of pollution, disease, and conflict within the continent of Asia, between Asian nations, and between Asian nations and members of the international community.

• China: Geography and Security Goals [Asia for Educators]
  This unit explores how history and geography set the agenda for Chinese foreign policy. China's internal geography, regional geography, and the broader global context are discussed. Discussion questions are included.