Students have read about the cultural geography of Southeast Asia. In this activity students will focus on the peoples and cultures of Malaysia, their similarities and differences, as well as other interesting facts about the region.
Students will use information from the Geographia Web site about Malaysia to learn more about the peoples and cultures of Malaysia. Students will answer four questions and then use what they have learned to write a two-page biographical sketch of a Malaysian citizen.
- Students will be able to describe the many peoples and cultures of Malaysia.
- Students will be able to apply what they have learned to write a two-page biographical sketch about a Malaysian citizen.
Applied Content Standards
Standard 4: The geographically informed person knows and understands the physical and human characteristics of places.
Standard 5: The geographically informed person knows and understands that people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity.
Standard 6: The geographically informed person knows and understands how culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions.
Standard 10: The geographically informed person knows and understands the characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics.
Student Web Activity Answers
- The Chinese make up about 35 percent of Malaysia's population. The first Chinese immigrants settled around Malacca, combining Malay and Chinese traditions to create a new culture. The largest Chinese cemetery outside of China is located in Malacca. Later Chinese settlers came during the tin and rubber booms and preserved their own culture. The city of Penang, for example, gives the impression of being in China rather than in Malaysia.
- Crafts that are commonly practiced in Malaysia include batik, kite making, pewter making, weaving, wood carving, and kris making.
- Malaysia's rain forests are much older than the rest of the world's rain forests. Most rain forests did not develop until the glaciers of the Ice Ages receded, but Malaysia was far enough from the ice that rainforests there developed 130 million years ago.
- The past can be seen in some of the city's architecture and in the fact that it is a meeting place for merchants and travelers from all over the world. Many cultural sites and natural treasures can still be found in Kuala Lumpur. Its busy streets, vibrant markets, and modern office buildings, including the 1,453-foot-tall Petronas Towers, are evidence of progress and Malaysia's leap into the future.
- Students' biographical sketches should include factual information about a Malaysian citizen. An interesting example would be a resident of a longhouse in Sarawak.
Go To Student Web Activity