Southeast Asia and Oceania

Early Peoples of Southeast Asia and Oceania

“Rather than a sea of scattered islands, the [peoples of the ancient Pacific Islands] conceived of their ocean as an expansive highway, connecting…a rich network of alliances and exchange,” writes a contemporary art historian of Oceania. “The ocean’s isolated atolls and island clusters mirrored the myriad constellations of the sky above: the stars and galaxies whose sky maps had guided the islanders to new destinations.”* Cluster 1 invites students to voyage into this unique region of the world. There, they will investigate how people of the region built a sustainable and connected culture across the vast distances of their oceanic territory. With their low population density, ancient communities in this region had no inclination toward urbanization and state-level organization, as characterized by prior regions of study in Grade 7; however, students will encounter the challenging issues and complex problem-solving undertaken by these communities. The cluster launches with a Unit Kickoff during which students begin generating questions about adaptation and care for land and water in Southeast Asia and Oceania using images and the Question Formulation Technique (QFT). In Lesson 2 students engage in the Launching the Question routine for the cluster’s Supporting Question. Students use a map of the region to help them brainstorm questions and build the Inquiry Chart. Lessons 3–5 explore how South East Asia and Oceania were populated. Students examine the role of Indigenous scientific understandings, beliefs, and cultural practices in influencing settlement in the region. *Maia Nuku, “Atea: Nature and Divinity in Polynesia,” Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin (Winter 2019) (Google Books)

Culture and Sustainability in Oceania

The cluster begins with the Launching the Question routine. Students participate in a four corners experience to help them begin to understand how the people of Southeast Asia and Oceania relate to the land and ocean, creating lasting and sustainable cultures. Students use this experience to build the inquiry chart for Cluster 2. Lessons 8–10 walk students through daily life, cultural, and sustainability practices of these early societies. Each lesson supports students' understanding of how the sustainability and cultural practices of Indigenous populations influenced their relationship with the land and sea.

Mainland and Island Southeast Asia

In Cluster 3, students dive into ancient Southeast Asia, and the kingdoms of Funan, Srivijaya, and the Khmer Empire. They explore how ideas, like Hinduism, Buddhism, and political systems, arrived from South Asia and China and were reimagined through local traditions. The cluster ends with examining how Cambodian traditions persisted through a genocide and why cultural survival still matters today.

In-Depth Inquiry

The unit concludes by connecting past knowledge to present realities. Students explore how rising sea levels, plastic pollution, overfishing, and coral bleaching affect Indigenous and local communities, particularly in Oceania. Through stories of resistance, innovation, and activism, they examine how traditional ecological knowledge provides modern solutions—and how youth-led movements are advocating for climate justice worldwide.