The Asia Center
is a catalyst for educational and professional opportunities to engage with Asia’s peoples, cultures,
heritages, geographies, languages, arts, sciences, economies and technologies. The Center works with the
University of Kentucky to prepare the Commonwealth for the global economy.
Lessons on Japan
Developed by Kentucky teachers for Kentucky teachers
The Asia Center
304 Bradley Hall
Lexington, KY 40506-0058
[email protected]
tel: 859.257.7858
fax: 859.323.1026
www.uky.edu/centers/asia
A collaborative project between the UK Asia Center
and the Kentucky Virtual School funded by
The Japan Foundation
Center for Global Partnership
Table of Contents
Introduction
Accessing Lessons on Japan Online
Teachers’ Profiles
1
1
2
Arts and Humanities Lessons
Japanese Music Unit
1. The Scale of Japanese Music
2. Japanese Instruments
3. Language/ Music Composition
4. Cultural Exchange/ Trends
Japanese Literature and Culture Comparative Unit
1. Japanese and American Relations
2. Japanese Short Story Comparison
3. Japanese Haiku
Changing Styles in Japanese Fashion – Textiles
Responding to Traditional Japanese Puppetry: Bunraku Unit
1. Japanese Folktales: Literary Elements
2. Types of Puppetry
3. Bunraku Puppetry
4. Elements of Dramatic Performance
5. Culminating Event - Respond to Performance
Appreciating Japanese Anime Unit
1. History of Anime - Ukiyo-e and Manga
2. Manga to Gekiga to Akira
3. Creating Anime Characters
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10
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Middle School Social Studies Lessons
Geography of Japan: My Land, Your Land, Our Land…What Land?
Comparing and Contrasting Island Countries: Japan and Great Britain Unit
1. Comparing and Contrasting the Geography
2. Comparing and Contrasting Language- Japanese, English
From Isolation to International Trade Unit
1. Political Changes Bring Peace – and Strict Social Hierarchy
2. The Dutch in Japan: An Exception to Isolationism
3. Commodore Perry’s First Trip to Japan
4. Commodore Perry’s Return Trip to Japan
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High School Social Studies Lessons
Japan’s Connections to Kentucky through Globalization
Tokugawa Shogunate
Meiji Restoration
Japan as a World Power
Japan’s Role in World War II
Moral and Humanitarian Consequences of Dropping the Atomic Bomb:
A Fifty Year Legacy
Post World War II: Japan’s Economic Miracle
Japan’s Role in Current World Affairs
Globalization, Japanese Society and Culture
Index: Lessons by Topic/Cross Disciplinary Lesson Applications
Bibliographies for Select Lessons
Kentucky Resources for Teaching and Learning About Japan
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www.uky.edu/centers/asia
859.257.7858
[email protected]
Lessons on Japan:
Developed by Kentucky Teachers for Kentucky Teachers
This guide is an enhancement to online lessons about Japan that are available at the
Kentucky Virtual School (www.kyvs.org). There, Kentucky teachers and students can find
lessons about the geography of Japan, Japanese music, literature, history, current events,
theatre, textiles and more. These lessons can be used directly from the Internet via a
projector in the classroom, parts (such as worksheets or PowerPoint presentations) can be
selected from them, or they can be assigned to a student to guide an independent project.
In 2006, the UK Asia Center received support from the Center for Global Partnership to build
on the strong foundation of teachers in Kentucky who have experience teaching about Asia,
many through the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) seminars offered
annually by the Asia Center. The Center recruited a talented cohort of teachers from across
Kentucky to participate.
The first phase of the program consisted of a four-day summer workshop on the UK campus
in July 2006. Participants came with the lesson plans they had already written about Japan,
consulted with the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) curriculum specialist to learn
about directions in standards and core content, and learned more about Japan from UK
Japan Studies professors. The teachers further developed the lessons they already had
experience teaching and prepared them to become online lessons through the Kentucky
Virtual High School, by working with KDE Web developers.
Over the last two years, the participants have piloted the online Japan lessons in their own
classes and have presented the content and the techniques of using the online materials to
other teachers at professional development conferences and education co-op workshops.
The goal of the project is to not only expand the participants’ knowledge for teaching about
Japan but also that at least 500 other teachers will learn about these online lessons and use
these valuable resources made by other teachers.
September 2008
Accessing Lessons on Japan at the Kentucky Virtual School
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Go to http://www.kyvs.org. Use login and password: japanese. Click on the "My
Courses" tab at the top of the page and explore "Extended Lessons on Japan."
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The “Spoken Glossary,” which helps with the pronunciation of Japanese names,
time periods and places, is located in the lower red tab on the left side.
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Inside each module, click the “Instructor’s Resources” link to find a full lesson plan,
worksheets and PowerPoint presentations all in one place.
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E-mail the Asia Center with feedback on these lessons: [email protected].
This project was made possible by the Japan Foundation's Center for Global
Partnership, with additional support from the University of Kentucky Asia Center and the
Kentucky Department of Education (KDE)/ Kentucky Virtual School.
Teachers’ Profiles
Ashley Barbour teaches social studies (World Civilization and Geography, primarily) at
Tates Creek High School in Lexington. She travelled to China in 2005 with the Asia Center.
She can be reached at [email protected].
Colin Broderick teaches Arts and Humanities and Asian Studies at Bryan Station High
School in Lexington. He lived in Japan for two years and did his student teaching in South
Africa. Colin can be reached at [email protected].
Lois Gillespie teaches Arts and Humanities at Woodford County Middle School in
Versailles. Lois is an NCTA program graduate and as one of her students put it, “My teacher
is crazy about Japan.” Lois can be reached at [email protected].
Christine Hutchins wrote the High School Social Studies lessons while she was teaching
Chinese language and advising for the Anime club at Manual High School in Louisville. She
now teaches Chinese at Bellarmine University in Louisville. She can be reached at
[email protected].
Carole Johnston teaches creative writing at the School for Creative and Performing Arts at
Lafayette High School in Lexington. She finds creative ways to get her students writing
about Japan. Carole can be reached at [email protected].
Ashley Lamb teaches English at Bryan Station High School in Lexington. Ashley is
“committed to teaching my students about the value and importance of understanding
themselves as members of a global community.” She can be reached at
[email protected].
Denishia Martin teaches Arts and Humanities and English at Warren East High School in
Bowling Green. She is a graduate of the NCTA program and created the “world’s largest
PowerPoint” for the Anime lesson in this project. Denishia can be reached at
[email protected].
Cathy Nohe teaches at Christ the King School in Lexington. She currently teaches
technology at the middle school level and has experience teaching geography and French.
She is an NCTA graduate and can be reached at [email protected].
Deana Peck teaches World Geography at Jessie Clark Middle School in Lexington. She
was inspired to participate in this program by the growing number of Japanese students in
her classes. Deana can be reached at [email protected].
Diane Furlong Sumney teaches English as a Second language to a diverse population of
students at Morton Middle School in Lexington. She travelled to China in 2005 with the Asia
Center. Diane can be reached at [email protected].
Michelle Peck Williams is the chair of the Arts and Humanities department at Paul
Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington. She travelled to China in 2005 with the Asia
Center and is an NCTA graduate. Michelle can be reached at
[email protected].
2
Japanese Music Unit (4 Lessons)
Colin Broderick, Bryan Station High School, Lexington
Age/Grade Level: 10th -11th Subject: Arts and Humanities
Standards
Academic Expectations
1.14 Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with music.
Program of Studies
AH-H-M-5 Students will describe various styles and purposes of music and explain how
music reflects historical and cultural influences.
AH-H-M-4 Students will analyze, interpret and evaluate various aspects of musical
performances.
Core Content for Assessment
AH-HS-1.1.1 Students will analyze or evaluate the use elements of music in musical
compositions. DOK
AH-HS-2.1.1 Students will analyze or evaluate how factors such as time, place and ideas
are reflected in music. DOK 3
AH-HS-3.1.1 Students will explain how music fulfills a variety of purposes. DOK 2
LESSON 1: The Scale of Japanese Music
Objectives
Students should be able to:
 Understand what a musical scale is
 Recognize the difference between major scales and pentatonic scales
 Be aware of how scales affect the music of different cultures
 Listen to and analyze how changing different elements results in different musical
effects
Essential Questions
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
What is the difference between western and Japanese/Asian music scales?
What is a pentatonic scale?
How does a pentatonic scale differ from a major scale?
What cultures use pentatonic scales in their music?
Lesson Summary
This activity is ideal for a music or humanities class, particularly if the students are learning
about Japanese songs, music and cultural activities. This can also be used in a social
studies class that is studying Asian cultures. By setting up this understanding of how music
can differ between cultures, we will be able to segue into specific instruments and forms of
music in the Japanese culture. How music pervades other tributaries of Japanese tradition
and modernism will also be explored.
3
Resources/ Materials Needed
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Web site explaining this lesson - http://cnx.org/content/m11873/latest/
Access to the Internet
Access to piano, keyboard or some instrument in which the notes are laid out like the
keys of a piano. Possibly for every student or for groups of students.
A globe or world map on which to locate eastern Asia is useful but not necessary.
A recording of pentatonic music.
A recording of music in a major key (almost any Western pop song will do.)
Music player.
Handout or PowerPoint of the below diagram explaining major and pentatonic
scales.
LESSON 2: Japanese Instruments
Objectives
@ KYVS- “Japanese Music” Module
 Detailed procedures for the lesson.
 A PowerPoint on Japanese instruments.
 A list of Japanese instruments, each with
a Web link to more information.
Students should be able to:
 Identify Japanese musical instruments.
 Explain aspects of an individual instrument, such
as construction, cost, tuning, usage, etc.
 Use online data bases to conduct research on the given topic.
 Understand something about the history of the instrument they research.
Essential Questions
How does Japanese music blend, support and/or reflect other cultural institutions of Japan
(i.e., drama, dance, festivals and religious ceremonies and rituals)?
Lesson Summary
Students will be exposed to various types of instruments that are considered to be of
Japanese origin. Through Internet research students will learn about the history of these
instruments, as well as their construction and cultural uses. Students will be required to
answer a specific set of questions that will lead them in their group-based research. Finally,
students will write a paper, to later be compiled into a class booklet, based on their findings.
Resources/ Materials Needed
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Access to the Internet to do research.
PowerPoint on Japanese instruments.
Web site list for students to begin researching instruments.
List of instruments.
4
LESSON 3: Language/ Music Comparison
Objectives
@ KYVS- “Japanese Music” Module
 Detailed procedures for the lesson.
 Links to more online resources.
Students should be able to:
 describe how their instrument is used in
traditional and modern Japan.
 have an understanding of how Japanese words are conjugated, and their
meanings, in regards to musical instruments.
Essential Question
How are Japanese musical instruments used in traditional and modern contexts?
Lesson Summary
In this lesson students will explore the cultural uses of instruments and music in Japanese
drama/theater, dances, festivals, religious ceremonies and rituals by continuing their
research online.
Resources/ Materials Needed
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English/Japanese dictionaries.
Access to online resources.
Traditional and modern songs from Japan.
LESSON 4: Cultural Exchange/ Trends
Objectives
@ KYVS- “Japanese Music” Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 Movies displaying Japanese musical
instrument use.
 Suggestions of Japanese musicians to
explore.
Students should be able to:
 identify Japanese instrument use in
modern culture and outside of Japan.
 explain the idea of cultural exchange
(which has been done with music in
Japan for thousands of years.) What are some examples? (The musical
instruments they have been researching!)
Lesson Summary
In this lesson students will identify musical instrument use in popular culture through various
songs, movies and books. This will be done to explore current trends in Japanese music
that might suggest borrowing and/or co modification of foreign and traditional Japanese
musical styles.
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Essential Questions
What is cultural exchange and how is it represented in Japan and America through
music and instrument usage?
Resources/ Materials Needed
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Online access.
Television and video player.
Movies displaying Japanese musical instrument use.
Songs by the Yoshida Brothers (“By the River”), and Incubus (“Aqueous
Transmissions”)
6
Japanese Literature and Culture Comparative Unit
(3 Lessons)
Ashley Lamb, Bryan Station High School, Lexington
Grade/Level: 9-12
Integration with other Content Areas: Social Studies/Humanities
Connections to Other Topics: Japanese/American Culture; Gothic/Modern Literature; Poetry
Standards
Academic Expectations
1.2 Students make sense of the variety of materials they read.
Program of Studies
ELA-EII-R-3 Students will respond critically to and analyze a variety of literary genres (e.g.,
novels, essays, short stories, poetry, drama) from various periods (e.g., Renaissance,
Romantic, Contemporary).
Core Content for Assessment
RD-H-1.0.9 Analyze critically a variety of literary genres.
Organizer
Students learn in this unit that Japanese culture and literature is comparative to American
culture and literature in a way that allows students to break down the “us” and “them”
mentality about Eastern cultures.
LESSON 1: Japanese and American Relations
Objectives
Students will be able to
 Evaluate arguments from different perspectives.
 Argue their opinion using the different
perspectives as support.
@ KYVS- “Japanese Literature”
Module
 Detailed procedures for the lesson.
 A graphic organizer for speech writing.
 Web links to varied atomic bomb
perspectives.
Lesson Summary
Students read various arguments about the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. In groups, the students evaluate the arguments presented and then create their
own arguments to present to the class from the perspective presented to them.
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Resources/ Materials Needed
Copies of various arguments from different perspectives about the atomic bomb dropped in
Japan during WWII (depending upon the perspectives desired, articles can be found on the
Internet.)
LESSON 2: Japanese Short Story Comparison
Objectives
@ KYVS- “Japanese Literature”
Module
 Detailed procedures for the lesson.
 Notes on Gothic literature.
 Web links to Japanese and American
short stories.
Students will be able to
 Understand the connection between
Japanese and American culture.
 Compare American literature to Japanese
literature.
 Analyze similarities and differences between Japanese and American literature.
Essential Question
Why do universal themes transcend cultures?
Lesson Summary
Students read “Encounter with a Skull” by Koda Rohan and compare it to another short story
from American Gothic literature (“Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe or “Young
Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne). Students reflect upon literary trends and how
universal themes transcend cultures.
Resources/ Materials Needed
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Copies of “Encounter with a Skull” by Koda Rohan (available online)
Copies of “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe (available online)
Copies of “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne (available online)
Article about Japanese literature to give notes from found at:
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/%7Edee/ANCJAPAN/LIT.HTM
Web site with information about American Gothic literature:
http://www.engl.virginia.edu/enec981/Group/title.html
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LESSON 3: Japanese Haiku
Objectives
Students will be able to
 Understand the format and significance
of the Japanese Haiku.
 Analyze various Japanese Haikus.
 Create Japanese Haikus.
@ KYVS- “Japanese Literature”
Module
 Detailed procedures for the lesson.
 Links to Web sites on Haiku and other
short forms of Japanese poetry.
Essential Question
What is a Haiku and why is it significant?
Lesson Summary
Students take notes on the significance of Haikus, and then read various Haikus. The
teacher models how to write a Haiku. Then the students take a walk around the school
campus, using their senses to write down phrases that come to them. When they return to
the classroom, the students write their own Haikus to turn into art to be displayed.
Resources/ Materials Needed
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Copies of various Japanese Haikus.
Art materials.
Helpful Web sites and articles about the Haiku:
Kentucky Virtual Library Article: http://www.kyvl.org
Title: Modern Japanese Haiku Database: Academic Search Premier*
Authors: Stryk, Lucien From: American Poetry Review Jul/Aug94, Vol. 23 Issue
4, p17 5p.
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Changing Styles in Japanese Fashion - Textiles
Carole Johnston, School for Creative and Performing Arts, Lexington
Standards
Standards:
High School Arts and Humanities Core Content
2.22 Students create works of art and make presentations to convey a point of view.
2.25 In the products they make and the performances they present, students show that they
understand how time, place and society influence the arts and humanities such as
languages, literature and history.
2.26 Through the arts and humanities, students recognize that although people are different,
they share some common experiences and attitudes.
Lesson Summary
A multidisciplinary unit for Arts and Humanities, visual arts, craft, creative writing, this unit
can be adapted for grades 9-12 by providing differentiation in the levels of assignments.
This unit will focus on the rich tradition of craftsmanship used to create textiles in Japan. The
unit will also emphasize the cultural flow of craft technology and style from the United States
to Japan and from Japan to the United States. High school students will be interested in the
flow of teen fashion and styles from Japan to the United States, but they will also learn
about ancient technologies used to create surface design on fabric and how those ancient
styles are still used in kabuki theater. The unit includes many hands-on art projects as well
as creative writing assignments. Because understanding textiles and fashion requires
general knowledge of a variety of topics, many Web sites are included in the text. Most of
them include illustrations which are imperative to understanding an arts and crafts unit.
Notes to the teacher will also provide some background knowledge concerning the vast
array of topics which the students will research.
Objectives
@ KYVS Online Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 Numerous Web links to resources on
Japanese textiles, arts and theatre.
Students will be able to:
 Appreciate the master
craftsmanship of Japanese wood
block printers, sumi-e ink painters, kabuki costume designers.
 Recognize that fashion and styles change over time in one place and from place to place.
 Recognize that clothing styles reflect culture and personality.
 Recognize that fashion has been used by young people to express personality and to
rebel against tradition in the 1960s United States and in contemporary Japan.
 Understand how the globalization of American culture has changed fashion in Japan.
 Recognize how fashion design reflects the changing roles of women in American and
Japanese culture.
 Recognize that the use of color has different meaning from culture to culture.
 Create their own designs based on traditional Japanese design and transfer their designs
to fabric to be used for clothing or banners.
 Produce works of art in the form of Japanese Obi, boys’ day banners or girls’ day dolls
using wood cut and ink paintings.
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Organizer
“Textiles are perhaps the greatest treasure in Japan’s remarkable, century old tradition of
handicrafts. The Japanese techniques of weaving and dying were originally borrowed from
Korea and China and were presented in bolts of silk and brocade. Over the centuries, the
Japanese treasured and studied those textile offerings and began producing their own. The
Japanese have developed it to a level rarely seen elsewhere. The unmatched skills and
refined aesthetic have combined to produce some of Japan’s finest treasures.”
“Since ancient times, textiles have been revered in Japan. According to legend, when the
angry sun goddess plunged the world into darkness by hiding in a cave, other divinities
enticed her out with a dance of blue and white textile banners."
“In fact, the whole of Japan is a pure invention. There is no such country; the Japanese
people are …simply a mode of style, an exquisite fancy of art.”
Oscar Wilde
Essential Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What do you think Oscar Wilde meant by this statement?
Do you think this statement can apply to the United States?
What do you visualize when you hear the words “Japan” and “Japanese”?
How has Japanese clothing changed since 1830?
How have the changes in clothing style reflected changes in the culture of Japan
over time?
6. How have changes in clothing style reflected changes in American culture over the
same time period?
7. What elements of design do you notice in Kabuki costumes?
Teacher’s Notes
"Textiles provide an interesting and revealing vantage point to look at any society. This is
particularly true of Japanese textiles." http://www.asia-art.net/japan_textile.html
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Early modern era-Japan became more urbanized.
Textiles became a badge of social status.
Textiles reflect Japanese culture in: motif, color, garment shape.
Textiles send a message as to age, rank, gender, social, political, religious affiliation.
Textiles denoted occupation.
*In the late Edo period (1800-1868) change in economic, commercial and social
conditions made textiles an even more important form of social identification.
Some forms and designs of the 18th and 19th centuries are still seen today.
Characteristics are: natural materials, traditional decorating techniques, still wear
yukata (informal kimono), noren -doorway curtains, advertising banners, boy's day
banners, kabuki costumes.
*In the late Edo and the Meiji periods ( 1868-1912) : Elite classes commissioned
complicated and diverse fabrics like silk, brocade and gauze weaves while lower
classes created new clothing forms and designs including bold images, vibrant
colors.
Surface design techniques were dying, stenciling, embroidery, painting, wood block
printing.
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Motifs: flowers, cranes, other birds, fish (koi or carp) dragons, bamboo, repetitive
patterns.
Web site on motifs: www.asia-art.net/japan_prints.html
Web site on ukiyo-e (wood block printing) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ukiyo-e
Web site on sumi-e painting: www.marlamallet.com/k_design.html
Web site on the kimono: www.japanesekimono.com
Color - "The subtle variation of color achieved by dying is a pure revelation in
contemporary Japanese textiles. Dyers have an almost spiritual devotion to transforming
yarn or cloth into extensions of their perceptions of earth, water, and sky through color.
No other color is more associated with Japanese textiles than the deep blue of AI, or
indigo." www.moma.org/exhibitions/1998/testiles/dyed.html
Kimono means "things to wear." Today, Japanese women own only one kimono which is
used for ceremonial purposes such as the coming of age ceremony or weddings.
Events - informal - woven patterns, repetitive patterns, cotton yukata. Formal - Very
elaborate design, simple, elegant designs, wedding kimonos.
Seasons: Spring-bright colors, floral patterns. Fall-darker colors, chrysanthemums, maple
leaves. Winter - bamboo, pinnne trees - good luck for holidays.
Contemporary Street Fashion - Fruits: Tokyo Street Style - Photographs by Shoiki Aoki
www.powerhousemuseum.com/exhibitions/fruits.asp; or http://www.fruits-mg.com/
"Shoichi Aoki began documenting street fashion in Tokyo's fashionable Harajuku area in
the mid 1990s when he noticed a marked change in the way young people were
dressing. Rather than following European and American trends, people were customizing
elements of traditional Japanese dress - kimono, obi sashes and geta sandals - and
combining them with handmade, second hand and alternative designer fashion." These
fashions have become popular with some American teens and the style has been
incorporated into the fashions in American stores today.
Resources/ Materials Needed
I have created a "Japan Tool Kit." I have glued origami paper on a large box and placed art
supplies and artifacts inside the box. The kit includes:
Sumi-e brushes
Ink stone
Ink sticks
Ink in a bottle
Woodcut tools
Small wood blocks for cutting
Fabric Paint
Woodblocks (already cut)
Scarf dyed in indigo
Origami paper
Origami kimono pattern
Koinobori (carp) wind socks (ordered from Amazon.com)
Japanese Print post cards
Rubber stamps
Japanese Language cassette tapes
DVDs (from the KET Visual Arts Tool Box)
DVDs (Memoirs of a Geisha and The Last Samurai)
VHS Tape - A Sumi-e Dream Journey
You will also need inexpensive fabric: either cotton or hemp in white or natural color.
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Responding to Traditional Japanese Puppetry:
Bunraku Unit (5 lessons)
Lois Gillespie, Woodford County Middle School
Standards
@ KYVS “Bunraku” Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 Links to the National Bunraku Theatre
Web site with videos.
 Worksheets: Identifying Literary
Elements in Drama, Video Guide for
“Bunraku”, Elements of Dramatic
Performances.
 Graphic Organizer: Response to a
Dramatic Performance
Kentucky Academic Expectations
2.16 Students observe, analyze and interpret human
behaviors, social groupings and institutions to better
understand people and the relationships among
individuals and groups.
2.23 Students analyze their own and others’ artistic
productions and performances using accepted
standards.
2.26 Through the arts and humanities, students recognize that although people are
different, they share common experiences.
2.22 Students create works of art and make presentations to convey a point of view.
Kentucky Program of Studies
AH-6-HA-U-1 Students will understand that the arts are powerful tools for understanding
human experience both past and present.
AH-6-HA-U-2 Students will understand that the arts help us understand others’ (often
very different) ways of thinking, working, expressing ourselves.
AH-6-HA-U-3 Students will understand that the arts play a major role in the creation and
defining of cultures and building civilizations.
Kentucky Core Content for Assessment
AH-08-1.3.1 Students will identify or describe the use of elements of drama (literary
elements) in dramatic work.
AH-08-2.3.1 Students will analyze or explain how diverse cultures and time periods affect
drama.
AH-08-3.3.1 Students will compare or explain how drama fulfills a variety of purposes.
Essential Questions
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What is Bunraku puppetry?
What are the technical elements necessary to perform Bunraku puppetry?
What are the characteristics of Bunraku puppetry?
Organizer
Many cultures use puppetry as a dramatic/performance art. Some cultures have puppet
forms distinct to their culture. For example, shadow puppetry is associated with Indonesia.
Bunraku puppetry is the traditional/historical puppet form associated with Japan. It is a
distinct form with unique characteristics.
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LESSON 1: Japanese Folktales: Literary Elements
Objectives
To provide students with a literary connection by offering examples of folktales from the
Japanese culture and experience identifying literary elements in stories. Students can
compare these folktales to commonly known folktales or rewrite these folktales as a
dramatic script for a puppetry performance.
Resources/ Materials Needed
Copies of folktales from Japan (especially “The Crane Maiden” and “Urashima Taro”) and
the United States. A source is Mysterious Tales of Japan (by Rafe Martin, Putnam’s Sons:
New York. 1996. ISBN: 0-399-22677).
LESSON 2: Types of Puppetry
Objectives
Students will understand that the puppetry plays a role in the creation and defining of
cultures. Students will explore different styles of puppetry in general.
Resources/ Materials Needed
Internet access, poster boards and art materials
LESSON 3: Bunraku Puppetry
Objectives
Students will examine a unique dramatic work representing another world culture, commit
the term “bunraku” to long term memory and relate the term to the traditional form of
Japanese puppetry.
Resources/ Materials Needed
Internet access, page 1-5 from the National Theater of Japan Web site section titled “What
is Bunraku?,” art supplies for making banners or posters, video titled “Bunraku,” (Creative
Arts Television Archive, PO Box 739 Kent, CT 06757, [email protected].), video camera,
blank videotape
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LESSON 4: Elements of Dramatic Performances
Objectives
Students will be exposed to the elements of a dramatic performance and identify and apply
criteria for evaluating dramatic works.
Resources/ Materials Needed
“Elements of Dramatic Performances” worksheet, pencil, paper, video to review segments.
LESSON 5: Culminating Event-Respond to the Performance
Objectives
Students will identify and apply criteria for evaluating dramatic works.
Resources/ Materials Needed
Notes on Japan (day 1), Elements of Dramatic Performances (day 5), handout titled “What is
Bunraku?” from the Web site, graphic organizer for prewriting, pencil, computer lab with
Microsoft Word and/or Microsoft Publisher.
15
Appreciating Japanese Anime Unit
Denishia Martin, Bowling Green Middle School
Standards
Academic Expectations / Program of Studies
1.13 Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with the visual arts.
2.25 In the products they make and the performances they present, students show
that they understand how time, place and society influence the arts and humanities
such as languages, literature and history.
2.26 Through the arts and humanities, students recognize that although people are
different, they share some common experiences and attitudes.
2.27 Students recognize and understand the similarities and differences among
languages.
6.3
Students expand their understanding of existing knowledge by making connections
with new knowledge, skills and experiences.
Core Content for Assessment
AH-M-4.1.31 Describe, analyze and/or interpret works of art using visual art terminology.
(1.13, 2.22, 2.23, 2.24)
AH-M-4.1.32 Art Elements: line, shape, color (tints and shades) and color groups
(monochromatic), form, texture, space (positive/negative and perspective)
and value (light and shadow).
AH-M-4.1.33 Principles of Design: repetition, pattern, balance (symmetry/asymmetry),
emphasis (focal point), contrast (light and dark), rhythm, proportion and
movement.
AH-M-4.1.34 Identify and describe a variety of art media, art processes and subject matter
to communicate ideas, feelings, experiences and stories. (1.13, 2.22, 2.23)
Objectives


To teach students Japanese history
and culture through the exploration of
the pop culture phenomenon, Anime.
To expose students to the art of
creating Anime characters.
@ KYVS “Japanese Anime” Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 PowerPoint presentation on the history
of Manga and Anime.
 Web links to resources on Manga and
Anime.
LESSON 1: History of Anime - Ukiyo-e and Manga
Essential Questions
1. What is the historical significance in the creating of a pop culture medium?
2. How does Anime demonstrate elements of Japanese culture?
16
LESSON 2: Manga to Gekiga to Akira
Essential Questions
1. What are Manga? What are the characteristics
of the Manga style?
2. What is gekiga?
3. What is “akira”?
@ KYVS “Japanese Anime”Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 PowerPoint presentation on the history
of Manga and Anime.
 Web links to Japanese and American
comics.
Resources/ Materials Needed
Internet access, the film Spirited Away
LESSON 3: Creating Anime Characters
Essential Questions
What can American students learn about
Japan by comparing a Japanese Manga to an
American cartoon?
@ KYVS “Japanese Anime” Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 PowerPoint presentation on the history
of Manga and Anime.
 Web links to How To Draw Anime
Style Art by Animagess.
Resources/ Materials Needed
Internet access.
Large sheets of drawing paper.
Small sheets of drawing paper or sketchbook.
Drawing pencils and erasers.
Markers or colored pencils.
Large flat surface to work on.
Handouts created from the Animagess Web pages (Material list 1-5.)
17
Geography of Japan:
My Land, Your Land, Our Land…What Land?
Deana M. Peck, Jessie Clark Middle School, Lexington
Standards
Academic Expectations and Core Content
A.E. 2.16 Students observe, analyze and interpret human behaviors, social groupings and
institutions to better understand people and the relationships among individuals and among
groups.
A.E. 2.19 Students recognize and understand the relationship between people and
geography and apply their knowledge in real-life situations.
SS-6-G-S-1 Students will demonstrate an understanding of patterns on the Earth’s surface,
using a variety of geographic tools (e.g., maps, globes, charts, graphs, satellite images):
a) locate, in absolute and relative terms, landforms and bodies of water
locate and interpret patterns on Earth’s surface (e.g., how different factors, such as rivers,
mountains and plains affect where human activities are located)
SS-6-G-S-2 Students will investigate regions of the Earth’s surface using information from
print and non-print sources (e.g., books, films, magazines, Internet, geographic tools):
a) explain relationships between and among physical characteristics (e.g., mountains,
bodies of water, valleys) of present day regions and how they are made distinctive by
human characteristics (e.g., dams, roads, urban centers); describe advantages and
disadvantages for human activities (e.g., exploration, migration, trade, settlement)
that resulted
SS-6-G-S-3 Students will investigate interactions among human activities and the physical
environment in the present day:
explain cause and effect relationships between the natural resources of a place or region
and its political, social and economic development.
SS.M.2.1.1 Culture in the modern world is influenced by language, literature, arts, beliefs
and behaviors and results in unique perspectives.
SS.M.3.1.1 Productive resources (land, labor, capitol) are limited and do not satisfy all the
wants of individuals, societies and governments.
SS.M.4.1.2 Different factor (e.g., rivers, dams, developments) affect were human activities
are located and how land is used in urban, rural and suburban areas.
Organizer
The varying geography of Japan affects the
overall population density and land usage in
Japan.
@ KYVS “Geography of Japan”
Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 PowerPoint presentations on
population density.
 Worksheet on the Osaka Bay land
reclamation project.
18
Essential Questions



How does Japan’s population density affect its use of resources and land?
How are the Japanese combating their lack of physical space?
In what ways have the growth in population and the increase in population density
affected the overall culture of Japan?
Objectives




To discover and be exposed to past and present Japanese culture. (SS.M.2.1.1, AE
2.16)
To better understand what is meant by the phrase “high population density.”
To investigate and discover some of the ways that Japan is combating the problems
associated with having a high population density.
To relate the knowledge gained from looking at Japan’s struggle with overcrowding
to a worldwide perspective.
19
Comparing and Contrasting Island Countries:
Japan and Great Britain Unit
Diane Furlong Sumney, Morton Middle School, Lexington
Subject- Geography, Social Studies Grade Level 6
Integration with other content areas: Science/ Reading/ Math
Estimate time for implementation: 90 minutes (or two 45-minute increments)
Connections to previous/future learning: Students will have learned about the changing earth.
Standards
SS-06-4.1.1 Students will use a variety of geographic tools (maps, globes, photographs, models,
charts, graphs, databases and satellite images) to describe patterns and locations on Earth’s surface
in the contemporary modern world. DOK 2
SS-06-4.2.1 Students will describe how places (contemporary world) can be made distinctive by
human activities that alter physical features. DOK 2
Objectives
Students will compare and contrast the geography and topography of Japan and Great Britain.
Students will better understand Japan by comparing certain aspects to Great Britain.
Essential Questions
How does topography affect daily life? How does geography affect daily life? What makes life on two
islands so very different?
LESSON 1: Comparing/ Contrasting the Geography of Japan and Great Britain
Objectives
1. Students will locate tectonic plates that could
impact Japan and Great Britain and will draw
conclusions concerning the impact of tectonic
plates on society in Japan and Great Britain.
2. Students will compare and contrast the
topography and its influence on society in Japan
and Great Britain.
3. Students will compare and contrast the
topography and its influence on society in Japan
and Great Britain.
@ KYVS “Comparing and
Contrasting Island Countries”
Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 Background information sheets called
“Geography Rocks” and “On Top of
Topography.”
 World map for activities, comparisons.
 A graphic organizer.
“Comparing/Contrasting Island
Countries”
 Web links to geographic information
on Japan and Great Britain.
20
LESSON 2: Comparing and Contrasting Language- Japanese, English
Objectives
Students will compare and contrast the
languages of Japan and Great Britain (language
families, alphabets’ symbols and sounds, learning
simple phrases.)
Essential Questions
What is the origin of English? Of Japanese?
How do Japanese and English sound different?
How do they differ graphically?
@ KYVS“Comparing and
Contrasting Island Countries”
Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 Background information sheets called
“Comparing and Contrasting the
Languages of Japan and Great
Britain.”




A graphic organizer
“Comparing/Contrasting Island
Countries”
Vocabulary sheet.
Web links to sites with activities to
learn basic Japanese..
Lesson review worksheet
21
From Isolation to International Trade (4 Lessons)
Cathy Nohe, Christ the King School, Lexington
Standards
Big Idea: Middle School Social Studies
Cultures and Societies
Culture is the way of life shared by a group of people, including their ideas and traditions.
Cultures reflect the values and beliefs of groups in different ways (e.g., art, music, literature,
religion); however, there are universals connecting all cultures. Culture influences
viewpoints, rules and institutions in a global society. Students should understand that people
form cultural groups throughout the United States and the World, and that issues and
challenges unite and divide them.
Academic Expectations
2.16 Students observe, analyze and interpret human behaviors, social groupings and
institutions to better understand people and the relationships among individuals and
among groups.
2.17 Students interact effectively and work cooperatively with the many ethnic and cultural
groups of our nation and world.
Organizer
This group of lessons will enable students to
analyze and identify ways in which the geography
of Japan contributed to its political and cultural
development.
@ KYVS Middle School Social
Studies Modules
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 PowerPoint presentations and quizzes.
LESSON 1: Political Changes Bring Peace – and Strict Social Hierarchy
Essential Questions

o

o

o
What is a key difference between the Azuchi-Momoyama Period and the Tokugawa
(Edo) period?
The Tokugawa period settled most of the contests between warring generals and
provided Japan with an unprecedented period of peace (250 years). A specific social
structure was created and enforced.
What effects might such a change in political structure have had on the people of
Japan?
Peace was a relief after generations of warfare. Cultural growth was enormous, and
many arts were refined. Social stability allowed the growth of the nation in general.
Which of these effects might one consider positive changes? Which of them might be
considered negative changes? Why?
Peace was definitely a positive change, and the assignment of social classes enabled a
clarity of purpose. At the same time, the strict social code increasingly created unrest
because the poor remained so poor and the financial pressures on the remaining
classes were significant. The inability to change social class slowly became perverted as
22
the artisans and merchants became wealthier than the upper classes; they were able to
buy their way into a higher class. These kinds of changes caused instability in the whole
system. Without fresh ideas and other economic influences, Japan was losing ground in
terms of some modern advances without even knowing it. The beginnings of social
unrest and the desire for new ideas meant Japan was ready for a change when the
western world began seeking a relationship with it.

o
Are there any periods in the history of the United States that might be considered
isolationist or seclusionary? If you don’t know, what resources might you use to find
out? What key word?
After World War I, many Americans resisted further interaction with Europe because of
fears of being dragged into future conflicts. During the 1920s and 1930s, the U.S. took
little part in international affairs, and it also closed the door on immigration, reducing the
number of people allowed into the U.S. to 150,000 by 1929. The U.S. also established
tariffs that reduced international trade, inadvertently setting the stage for the Depression.
(Use encyclopedias, textbooks or the Internet for researching this topic. Use the key
word “isolationism” to find more information.)
Objectives




Students will be able to pronounce and spell the “Tokugawa (Edo) Period” and name its
approximate dates (1603-1868).
Students will be able to articulate 2-3 key elements of this historical period in an
overview fashion.
Students will be able to list and identify the social structure of Japan at this time. (See
PowerPoint.)
Students will form basis for comparison in future lessons with the earlier and later
periods in Japanese history contained in this unit.
LESSON 2: The Dutch in Japan: An Exception to Isolationism
Essential Questions

o
What other countries were doing business with Japan during their isolationist period?
The Netherlands and England were the two primary countries who managed to do
business with the Japanese in a limited fashion. England finally abandoned the effort,
and the Dutch remained.

o
How were these countries doing business with Japan?
These countries were doing business with Japan by following very strict Japanese rules
and living in a very small, restricted area of Japan that was away from the general
population.

o
Why did the United States want to do business with Japan?
The U.S. wanted access to China and to whaling areas, both of which required a place
to stop for additional fuel and supplies.
23
Objectives

Students will be able to locate Japan on a world map and key cities and geographic
features on a country map.

Students will be able to locate the U.S., the Netherlands and England on a world map in
relationship to Japan.

Students will be able to list 2-3 compromises the Netherlands and England had made to
do business with Japan.

Students will be able to articulate 2-3 reasons why the United States decided to
aggressively pursue a trade relationship with Japan
Lesson Extensions
Commodore Perry’s 1853 Japanese Expedition: How Whaling Influenced the Event that
Revolutionized Japan (by Terry Burcin). http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd05132005-131722/unrestricted/MAThesis.pdf.
Here is an overview of a controversial book by George Feifer discussing the possibility that
the Opening of Japan set the stage for future warfare between Japan and the United States.
It contains a brief discussion of the role coal played in motivation for this expedition. It may
be useful material for conducting conversations about other military actions that the U.S. has
taken, including Iraq.
http://hnn.us/articles/31868.html
Rhoda Blumberg’s book, Commander Perry in the Land of the Shogun, is an excellent
resource for middle school understanding of the Dutch and English situation in Japan during
this period.
LESSON 3: Commodore Perry’s First Trip to Japan
Essential Questions

o
How did Japan characterize the arrival of Commodore Perry at the time it happened?
Japan viewed his arrival as a hostile act from another government.

How did the United States characterize the arrival of Commodore Perry at the time it
happened?
Millard Fillmore said Commodore Perry was just delivering his request to begin trade
relations, to ask permission for ships to stop and refuel, and to ask for Japanese
protection of shipwrecked sailors.
o

o
After reading President Millard Fillmore’s letter to the Japanese Emperor, how would you
characterize President Fillmore’s intentions?
Millard Fillmore was determined to obtain his “requests,” and used mildly threatening
language to make it clear that Commodore Perry had the strength to guarantee positive
results.
24

Do you think it is appropriate to label Commodore Perry’s trip as “the opening of Japan”?
What other terms might you use to characterize this trip? What events illustrate these
terms? What reasons might exist for using the milder term, “opening” of Japan? If one
country essentially forces another country to perform its requests, this is usually
considered an aggressive action or an attack. “Forced the opening of Japan” might be a
more truthful description. Is it possible that the Japanese prefer the language, “opening
of Japan,” to save face as well?
Note: The following Web site is of exceptional value in teaching about this historical event:
Opening of Japan - http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027j/menu/index.html. Rhoda
Blumberg’s book, Commander Perry in the Land of the Shogun, is also a superb resource.
Objectives




Students will be able to identify the chain of events surrounding the arrival of
Commodore Perry and the reactions of both the Americans and the Japanese to one
another.
Students will be able to articulate a point of view about the semantics employed to
describe this event in American and Japanese history (i.e., is the “opening” of Japan a
euphemism for the “attack” of Japan?).
Students will be able to analyze the text of the letter from President Fillmore and identify
sections containing veiled or direct threats and the possible implications for the
Japanese.
Students will be able to articulate points of view about how Commodore Perry’s trip is
characterized (e.g., Was it a diplomatic trip, or was it a planned, successful invasion?)
LESSON 4: Commodore Perry’s Return Trip to Japan
Essential Questions



How did the Japanese government respond to Commodore Perry upon his return to
Japan?
What were the terms of the Kanagawa Treaty? Were the terms appropriate?
Was the Kanagawa Treaty signed “under duress” (under force)?
Objectives




Students will be able to identify the date of Commodore Perry’s return to Japan.
Students will be able to articulate 2-3 terms of the Kanagawa Treaty and the Treaty
of Amity and Commerce.
Students will be able to comment on the reasons Japan signed the Kanagawa Treaty
and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce.
Students will be able to comment on the benefits of the treaty to Japan versus to the
United States.
25
Japan’s Connections to Kentucky
through Globalization
Christine Hutchins, Manual High School, Louisville
High School Social Studies
Standards
Academic Expectation 2.16 Students observe, analyze and interpret human behaviors,
social groupings and institutions to better understand people and the relationships among
individuals and among groups.
SS-HS-3.1.1 Students will give examples of and explain how scarcity of resources
necessitates choices at both the personal and societal levels in the modern world.
SS-HS-3.4.2 Students will describe and give examples of how factors such as technological
change, investments in capital goods and human capital/resources have increased
productivity in the world.
SS-HS-3.4.3 Students will explain and give examples of how interdependence of personal,
national and international economic activities often results in international issues and
concerns in the modern world.
Academic Expectation 2.20 Students understand, analyze and interpret historical events,
conditions, trends and issues to develop historical perspective.
SS-HS- 5.1.1 Students will use a variety of tools to analyze perceptions and perspectives of
people and historical events in the modern world.
Objectives
Students will understand the importance of Japan
in our world today.
Students will understand Japan’s connections to
Kentucky through globalization.
Students will understand Japan’s role in Asia.
Students will understand Japan’s role in
globalization.
@ KYVS “Japan’s Connections to
Kentucky” Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 PowerPoint presentation on Japan’s
connections to Kentucky.
 Worksheet “Globalization’s Pros and
Cons.”
Essential Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are the pros of globalization?
What are the cons of globalization?
Is there a way to bridge the gap through alternative ways of thinking?
In many ways, Japan and the United States have similar economic policies. How are
they different?
Resources/ Materials Needed
LCD projector
Computer access
Class set of the following Primary Sources for student and/or for teacher background
knowledge:
 Kentucky World Trade information
http://www.kwtc.org/
 World Trade Organization Web site http://www.wto.org
26







Japanese External Trade Organization
http://www.jetro.go.jp/
Harvard Business School case studies regarding Kentucky, Japan and
Globalization http://www.hbs.edu/case
Maps of United States, Kentucky, East Asia and Japan
CorpWatch: holding corporations accountable. (2005)
http://www.corpwatch.org
Draffan, George, compiler. Directory of transnational corporations.
http://www.endgame.org/dtc/directory.html
Multinational Monitor Online. (2005). http://multinationalmonitor.org/.
Yale Center for the Study of Globalization. (2005). YaleGlobal Online
Magazine http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/economy
Lesson Extension
Write a five-page academic research paper taking a stance that globalization is or is not
beneficial to people in terms of the economy, environment, gender, health, and science and
technology.
27
Tokugawa Shogunate
Ashley S. Barbour, Tates Creek High School, Lexington
and Michelle Peck Williams, Dunbar High School, Lexington
High School Social Studies
Standards
SS-HS-1.1.1 Students will compare and contrast various forms of government in the world
and evaluate how effective they have been in establishing order, providing security and
accomplishing common goals.
Academic Expectation 2.16 Students observe, analyze and interpret human behaviors,
social groupings and institutions to better understand people and the relationships among
individuals and among groups.
Academic Expectation 2.20 Students understand, analyze and interpret historical events,
conditions, trends and issues to develop historical perspective.
SS-HS- 5.1.1 Students will use a variety of tools to analyze perceptions and perspectives of
people and historical events in the modern world.
Objectives
Students will understand the social and political
structure of Japan during the Tokugawa shogunate.
Students will understand the impact of various
religions on Japanese society.
@ KYVS “Tokugawa Shgunate”
Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 Links to primary sources and art
related to the Tokugawa time period.
Optional objective: (for AP or any class that has covered Medieval Europe)
Students will be able to compare Japanese and European feudalism, and discuss whether
or not “feudal” is a valid description of Japan during the Tokugawa period.
Students will understand Japan’s interaction with the West during this time period.
Resources/ Materials Needed
Primary sources
Japan handout
Extension:
Review the social pyramid of Medieval Europe and compare it to Japan’s social pyramid.
Students could complete a Venn Diagram, or even write an essay comparing the two.
Teacher’s Notes
Tokugawa Period (also called “Edo”) 1600-1868
 Strict social hierarchy, “frozen” social order
 Feudalism
 Isolation
o Caused by fear of missionaries, European encroachment
o Christianity banned
28



o Dutch were the exception, because they didn’t try to convert
o Outside info came through Dutch, Chinese, Koreans
Militarism
o Samurai warriors
o Code of Bushido
o BUT, it was a peaceful time (no wars)
Government
o Emperor didn’t really run the government
o Shogun-leader
o Daimyo-landowners
o Samurai-warriors
The Arts
o Ukiyo-e prints
o Kabuki
29
Meiji Restoration
Ashley S. Barbour, Tates Creek High School, Lexington
and Michelle Peck Williams, Dunbar High School, Lexington
Standards
SS-HS-1.1.1 Students will compare and contrast various forms of government in the world
and evaluate how effective they have been in establishing order, providing security and
accomplishing common goals.
Academic Expectation 2.16 Students observe, analyze and interpret human behaviors,
social groupings and institutions to better understand people and the relationships among
individuals and among groups.
SS-HS-3.1.1 Students will give examples of and explain how scarcity of resources
necessitates choices at both the personal and societal levels in the modern world.
Academic Expectation 2.20 Students understand, analyze and interpret historical events,
conditions, trends and issues to develop historical perspective.
SS-HS- 5.1.1 Students will use a variety of tools to analyze perceptions and perspectives of
people and historical events in the modern world.
SS-HS-5.3.2 Students will explain and give examples of how new ideas and technologies
led of Age of Exploration by Europeans that brought great wealth to the absolute
monarchies and caused significant political, economic and social changes to the other
regions.
SS-HS-5.3.3 Students will analyze how an Age of Revolution brought about changes in
science, thought, government and industry that shaped the modern world and evaluate the
long range impact of these changes on the modern world.
Objectives
2.14 Students should understand the
democratic principles of justice, equality,
responsibility and freedom and apply them to
real-life situations.
@ KYVS “Meiji Restoration” Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 Links to Primary Source Documents,
including the Meiji Constitution.
 Links to images of related Japanese art.
Essential Questions
What is the structure of the government created by the Meiji Constitution? (In other words,
who is in charge? Who gets a say?)
What are the rights of the subjects?
What are the duties of the subjects?
How do those rights and duties compare to the U.S. Constitution?
Is this a democracy or not? Why?
Resources/ Materials Needed
Japan notes
Pictures from www.artstor.org/ :
Ronin (Masterless Samurai) ID: ARTSTOR_103_41822001211422
Sawamura Sojuro III as a Samurai ID: AMICO_MINIAPOLIS_103820863
Primary Sources
30
Extension: Students could draw and/or paint desk size screens on cardboard. See an
example at:
http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/singleObject.cfm?ObjectId=431
Read the Meiji Constitution (or an excerpt up to article 54) at:
http://history.hanover.edu/texts/1889con.html
31
Japan as a World Power
Ashley S. Barbour, Tates Creek High School, Lexington
and Michelle Peck Williams, Dunbar High School, Lexington
Standards
Academic Expectation 2.16 Students observe, analyze and interpret human behaviors,
social groupings and institutions to better understand people and the relationships among
individuals and among groups.
SS-HS-2.3.1 Students will explain the reasons why conflict and competition may develop as
cultures emerge in the modern world.
SS-HS-3.1.1 Students will give examples of and explain how scarcity of resources
necessitates choices at both the personal and societal levels in the modern world.
SS-HS-3.4.2 Students will describe and give examples of how factors such as technological
change, investments in capital goods and human capital/resources have increased
productivity in the world.
SS-HS-3.4.3 Students will explain and give examples of how interdependence of personal,
national and international economic activities often results in international issues and
concerns in the modern world.
Academic Expectation 2.20 Students understand, analyze and interpret historical events,
conditions, trends and issues to develop historical perspective.
SS-HS- 5.1.1 Students will use a variety of tools to analyze perceptions and perspectives of
people and historical events in the modern world.
SS-HS-5.1.2 Students will analyze how history is a series of connected events shaped
multiple cause and effect relationships tying past to present.
SS-HS- 5.3.4 Students will analyze how nationalism, militarism and imperialism led to world
conflicts and the rise of totalitarian governments
Objectives







@ KYVS “Japan as a World Power”
Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 A PowerPoint presentation.
 Links to primary source documents.
 A worksheet for analyzing Primary
Source documents.
Students will understand the social
and political structure of Japan
during various periods in their
history (1600 to the present, esp.
Tokugawa, Meiji, modern).
Students will understand major events in Japanese history.
Students will understand Japan’s interactions with the West and the East Asia region
over time.
Students will understand Japan’s motivation for empire-building.
Students will understand the process of Japan’s industrialization.
Students will understand the impact of various religious beliefs on Japan’s culture,
such as the role of the emperor as divine.
Students will understand Japan’s role in Asia.
Resources/ Materials Needed
LCD projector and computer access
Power Point entitled “Japan’s Role as a World Superpower” by Ashley S. Barbour & Michelle
Peck Williams
Class Set of the following Primary Sources: “The Threat of Japan” by Theodore Roosevelt
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/trjapan.htm
32
Japan’s Role in World War II
Ashley S. Barbour, Tates Creek High School, Lexington
and Michelle Peck Williams, Dunbar High School, Lexington
Standards
Academic Expectation 2.16 Students observe, analyze and interpret human behaviors, social
groupings and institutions to better understand people and the relationships among individuals
and among groups.
SS-HS-2.3.1 Students will explain the reasons why conflict and competition may develop as
cultures emerge in the modern world.
SS-HS- 5.3.4 Students will analyze how nationalism, militarism and imperialism led to world
conflicts and the rise of totalitarian governments.
Academic Expectation 2.20 Students understand, analyze and interpret historical events,
conditions, trends and issues to develop historical perspective.
SS-HS- 5.1.1 Students will use a variety of tools to analyze perceptions and perspectives of
people and historical events in the modern world.
Objectives


Students will understand Japan’s participation in WWII: the motivation, actions and
consequences.
Students will understand major events in Japanese history.
Resources/ Materials Needed
Projector and computer, an example of Manga (real or online) and Manga project directions
Essential Questions
1. What were Japan’s goals and strategies in the war?
2. What territory did Japan conquer, in Asia and in the Pacific and what happened while
they were there (e.g. Rape of Nanjing)?
3. Why did Japan want to conquer those territories specifically?
4. Why did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor?
5. Why did Japan lose the war?
6. What made the Japanese such fierce fighters? (kamikaze, etc)
7. What happened at Midway? Iwo Jima? Other significant battles?
8. What happened when the atomic bombs were used against Japan?
9. Why were the atomic bombs used against Japan?
10. How did Japan change as a result of the war? Why?
33
Extension
Compare/contrast the Japanese war pictures to pictures from other wars, such as “Napoleon
Crossing the Alps” by Jacques Louis David, “Trajan’s Column” from Ancient Rome,
“Washington Crossing the Delaware at Valley Forge,” or even modern photos of American
soldiers in Iraq. All use propaganda.
Go over the “Manga Project Handout.” Have students work in groups of three.
Spend some time in the computer lab and/or library researching for answers to those
questions. Use the “Helpful Resources” handout to get them started.
34
Moral and Humanitarian Consequences of Dropping the
Atomic Bomb: A Fifty Year Legacy
Ashley S. Barbour, Tates Creek High School, Lexington
and Michelle Peck Williams, Dunbar High School, Lexington
Standards
Academic Expectation 2.20 Students understand, analyze and interpret historical events,
conditions, trends and issues to develop historical perspective.
SS-HS- 5.1.1 Students will use a variety of tools to analyze perceptions and perspectives of
people and historical events in the modern world.
SS-HS-5.1.2 Students will analyze how history is a series of connected events shaped
multiple cause and effect relationships tying past to present.
SS-HS- 5.3.4 Students will analyze how nationalism, militarism and imperialism led to world
conflicts and the rise of totalitarian governments.
Objectives
Students will use primary source materials through video and online research to examine
the moral dilemma and humanitarian consequences of the use of the atomic bomb to end
WWII.
Students will choose an historic quote to support and will write a five paragraph essay to
demonstrate their opinion and understanding of the ramifications of the atomic bomb.
Resources/ Materials Needed
Video: Hiroshima: Why the Bomb was Dropped, A Peter Jennings Special Report
Computer access for each student on the second day
35
Post World War II: Japan’s Economic Miracle
Christine Hutchins, Manual High School, Louisville
Standards
Academic Expectation 2.20 Students understand, analyze and interpret historical events,
conditions, trends and issues to develop historical perspective.
SS-HS- 5.3.6 Students will explain how the second half of the 20th Century was
characterized by rapid social, political and economic changes that created new challenges
in countries around the world, and give examples of how countries have addressed these
changes.
Objectives
Students will understand the importance of Japan in our world today.
Students will understand how Japan was able to recover so quickly from WWII and become
one of the world’s major economic powers.
Resources/ Materials Needed
LCD projector
Computer and Internet access
PowerPoint entitled “Post WWII: Japan’s Economic Miracle” by Christine Hutchins
Class Set of the following Primary Sources:
 Harvard Business School case studies regarding Kentucky, Japan and Globalization
 A copy of Far Eastern Economic Review for each student (contributed free from
publisher or the Japan Foundation)
 Web site for magazine www.feer.com
 World Trade Organization http://www.wto.org
 Yale Center for the Study of Globalization. (2005). YaleGlobal Online Magazine
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/economy
 Corp Watch: Holding corporations accountable. (2005)
http://www.corpwatch.org/index.php.
 Multinational Monitor Online
http://multinationalmonitor.org/
 The Pacific Century documentary
36
Japan’s Role in Current World Affairs
Ashley S. Barbour, Tates Creek High School, Lexington
and Michelle Peck Williams, Dunbar High School, Lexington
Standards
Academic Expectation 2.20 Students understand, analyze and interpret historical events,
conditions, trends and issues to develop historical perspective.
SS-HS- 5.1.1 Students will use a variety of tools to analyze perceptions and perspectives of
people and historical events in the modern world.
SS-HS-5.1.2 Students will analyze how history is a series of connected events shaped
multiple cause and effect relationships tying past to present
SS-HS-5.3.6 Students will explain how the second half of the 20th Century was
characterized by rapid social, political and economic changes that created new challenges
in countries around the world and give examples of how countries have addressed these
changes.
Objectives
Students will analyze and discuss the complexities of the United States and Japan alliance
in relation to current world events.
Resources/ Materials Needed
@ KYVS “Japan’s Role in World
Affairs” Module
 Detailed lesson procedures.
 Links to Primary Source Documents,
including the Meiji Constitution.
 Links to images of related Japanese art.
One article for each group from The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Japan Web site at
http://www.mofa.go.jp/index.html
“Big Paper”
Markers
Class set of current article(s) that deal with recent
events in Japanese-United States relations (i.e. Is Japan’s Support for U.S. on the Wane?
By Howard LaFranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 6/29/06 Vol. 98 Issue 150, p.2 &
Japan Flexes its Foreign Policy Muscle by Brahama Chellaney, The Christian Science
Monitor, 10/16/06, Vol. 98 Issue 224, p9) (Available on KYVL.) These articles need to relate
to the material pulled for the group activity.
Essential Questions
o
o
In light of what you have learned about the Japanese perspective on current
world events, compare and contrast the American view of the events in the
article you read with the Japanese perspective.
What is it about Japan’s history and cultural that might account for the
differences in perspective?
37
Globalization, Japanese Society and Culture
Christine Hutchins, Manual High School, Louisville
Standards
Academic Expectation 2.1 Students observe, analyze and interpret human behaviors,
social groupings and institutions to better understand people and the relationships among
individuals and among groups.
SS-HS-3.4.3 Students will explain and give examples of how interdependence of personal,
national and international economic activities often results in international issues and
concerns in the modern world.
Academic Expectation 2.20 Students understand, analyze and interpret historical events,
conditions, trends and issues to develop historical perspective.
SS-HS- 5.1.1 Students will use a variety of tools to analyze perceptions and perspectives of
people and historical events in the modern world.
Objectives
Students will understand Japan’s role in globalization and how globalization affects society
and culture.
Resources/ Materials Needed
LCD projector
Computer access
Class set of the article “Letting Foreign Workers Past the Gate” The Japan Times, 29 March
2004
Far Eastern Economic Review
Extension
Perspective Assignment on Globalization and the Japanese Pop Culture
Assign students to write a persuasive letter for their Writing Portfolio. The letter will go to
Japanese Immigration officials. Tell students they must use at least one article from the Far
Eastern Economic Review. Schedule one period in the library in order to access the
database for free.
38
Index:
Lessons by Topic/Cross Disciplinary Lesson Applications
Economics
- Japan’s Connections to Kentucky through Globalization
- Post WWII: Japan’s Economic Miracle
- Japan’s Role in Current World Affairs
- Globalization, Japanese Society and Culture
26
36
37
38
Geography
- Geography of Japan (population density, land reclamation)
- Comparing and Contrasting Island Countries - Japan and Great Britain (topography,
science - tectonics, earthquakes, tsunami.)
- Japan’s Connections to Kentucky through Globalization
20
26
Current Events
- Japan’s Connections to Kentucky through Globalization
- Post WWII: Japan’s Economic Miracle
- Japan’s Role in Current World Affairs
- Globalization, Japanese Society and Culture
26
36
37
38
Government & Civics
- The Meiji Restoration (post-1868)
- Japan’s Role in Current World Affairs
30
37
Cultures & Societies
- Japanese Music
- Japanese Literature
- Changing Styles in Japanese Fashion - Textiles
- Responding to Traditional Japanese Puppetry: Bunraku
- Appreciating Japanese Anime
- Geography of Japan
- Political Changes Bring Peace – and Strict Social Hierarchy Tokugawa Period
(1600 - 1868)
- The Dutch in Japan: An Exception to Isolationism
- Commodore Perry’s First Trip to Japan (1850’s, isolation, opening, invasion)
- Commodore Perry’s Return Trip to Japan (1850’s, isolation, opening, invasion)
- Tokugawa Shogunate
- Globalization, Japanese Society and Culture
Historical Perspective
- Political Changes Bring Peace – and Strict Social Hierarchy (Tokugawa Period
(1600 -1868)
- The Dutch in Japan: An Exception to Isolationism
- Commodore Perry’s First Trip to Japan (1850’s, isolation, opening, invasion)
- Commodore Perry’s Return Trip to Japan (1850’s, isolation, opening, invasion)
- Tokugawa Shugunate (1600 - 1868, feudal society)
- The Meiji Restoration (post-1868)
- Japan as a World Power (early 1900’s, imperialism)
- Moral and Humanitarian Consequences of Dropping the Atomic Bomb
(government, U.S.- Japan Relations, World War II)
World War II
- Japanese Literature
- Japan’s Role in WWII
- Moral and Humanitarian Consequences of Dropping the Atomic Bomb
- Post WWII: Japan’s Economic Miracle
18
3
7
10
13
16
18
22
23
24
25
28
38
22
23
24
25
28
30
32
35
7
33
35
36
39
Primary Sources
- Japanese Literature
- Commodore Perry’s First Trip to Japan (1850’s, isolation, opening, invasion)
- Commodore Perry’s Return Trip to Japan (1850’s, isolation, opening, invasion)
- The Tokugawa Shogunate (1600 - 1868)
- The Meiji Restoration (post-1868)
- Japan as a World Power (early 1900’s)
7
24
25
28
30
32
Science
- Geography of Japan (engineering, land reclamation)
- Comparing and Contrasting Island Countries - Japan and Great Britain
(topography, tectonics, earthquakes, tsunami)
- Japan’s Connections to Kentucky through Globalization (environment, technology)
20
26
Visual Arts
- Appreciating Japanese Anime
- Changing Styles in Japanese Fashion - Textiles
- The Tokugawa Shogunate (1600 - 1868)
- The Meiji Restoration (post-1868)
- Japan’s Role in WWII
16
10
28
30
33
Drama
- Responding to Traditional Japanese Puppetry: Bunraku
13
Music
- Japanese Music
Literature
- Japanese Literature
- Responding to Traditional Japanese Puppetry: Bunraku
- Appreciating Japanese Anime
- Japan’s Role in WWII
18
3
7
13
16
33
40
Bibliographies for Select Lessons
Japanese Music Unit Plan
Breen, J. W. Japanese wordlist (E D I C T): http://www.freedict.com/onldict/jap.html
Caplan, L. Koto Music 1997-2006 http://www.lindacaplan.com/koto/resources.html
Digital Archives of Ishikawa Japan
http://shofu.pref.ishikawa.jp/shofu/geinou_e/gakki/index_e.html
Domo Music Group, Inc. http://www.yoshidabrothers.com/
Hooker, R. World Civilizationshttp://www.wsu.edu/~dee/KABUKI/SHAMISEN.HTM
Hooker, R. World Civilizations http://wsu.edu/~dee/ANCJAPAN/MUSIC.HTM
Japan Association of Classical Music Presenters
http://japansclassic.com/artists/kajimoto_35/mayumi_miyata.html
Navaching- Shakuhachi Design http://www.navaching.com/shaku/hochiku.html
Comparing & Contrasting Island Countries
Campbell, Kimi. United Kingdom in Pictures. Minneapolis, MN, Lerner Publication Company,
2004.
Berger ,Gilda. Teacher’s Guide The Restless Earth Ranger Rick Science Spectacular.
New York: Newbridge Educational Publishing, 1995.
Karan, Paul. Japan in the 21st Century. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2005.
Levy, Patricia. Cultures of the World Scotland New York; Marshall Cavendish
Corporation, 2002
From Isolation to International Trade
Books
Antram, David; James, John; and MacDonald, Fiona. A Samurai Castle. Peter Bedrick Books,
Lincolnwood (Chicago), IL 48 pp. (Ideal for Middle School.)
Blumberg, Rhoda. Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books,
105 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 1985.
Blumberg, Rhoda. Shipwrecked: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy. Harper Trophy, New
York, NY. 2001.
Bornoff, Nick. Japan: City and Village Life. (Country Insights Series). Raintree Steck-Vaughn
Publishers, 1997 48 pp. (Middle School)
Collins, Paul. Samurai Martial Arts. Chelsea House Publishers, Broomall, PA 2002.
Galvin, Irene Flum. Japan: A Modern Land with Ancient Roots. Benchmark Books, Tarrytown,
NY 65 pp. (Middle School)
Hall, Eleanor J. Life Among the Samurai. Lucent Books, San Diego, CA 112 pp. . Black and
white illustrations, good explication. (Middle School).
Harvey, Miles. Look What Came From Japan. Franklin Watts Publishing Company, New York,
NY, 1999. 32 pp (Primary and Middle School)
41
Heinrichs, Ann. Japan. (A True Book Series). Children’s Press, New York, NY 46pp. (Primary
and Middle School)
Heinrichs, Ann. Japan (Enchantment of the World- Second Series). Children’s Press, 1998
(Middle School)
Kalman, Bobbie. Japan: The People (The Lands, Peoples and Cultures Series). Crabtree
Publishing Company, New York, NY 32 pp.
Kalman, Bobbie. Japan: The Culture (The Lands, Peoples and Cultures Series). Crabtree
Publishing Company, New York, NY 32 pp. Summary: Japan social life and customs. Nice color
illustrations; touches lightly on numerous topics.
Kalman, Bobbie. Japan: The Land (The Lands, Peoples and Cultures Series). Crabtree
Publishing Company, New York, NY 32 pp.
Kids Discover: Samurai. Volume 14, Issue 11, November, 2004. Kids Discover, New York, NY.
20 pp.
Odijk, Pamela. The Japanese. MacMillan Company of Australia PTY LTD, South Melbourne,
Australia, 1989. 47pp. (Middle School)
Whyte, Harlinah, Japan (Countries of the World Series). Gareth Stevens Publishing Company,
Milwaukee, WI 96 pp. (Middle School)
Rise of the Shogun: Life in Medieval Japan. Calliope Magazine. Volume 16, Number 5, January
2006. Cobblestone Publishers, Peterborough, NH 49 pp. (Ideal for Middle School)
www.cobblestoneonlinenet or 603-924-7209 for back issues.
Roberts, Jenny. Samurai Warriors. (History Highlights Series) Gloucester Press, New York, NY
1990 32pp. Colorful and interesting illustrations. (Middle School)
Steel, Anne. A Samurai Warrior. Rourke Enterprises, Inc., Vero Beach, FL 1988. 32 pp. (Middle
School)
Web Sites
Opening of Japan - http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027j/menu/index.html
Guide to Japan written by Japan resources - http://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1000.html
Commodore Matthew Perry. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0838494.html
Commodore Perry and the Opening of Japan.
http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/teach/ends/opening.htm (very well planned site with
student activities)
Commodore Perry’s Expedition to Japan. http://www.grifworld.com/perryhome.html (Brief and
orderly explication with some nice illustrations)
Commodore Matthew Perry: When We Landed in Japan, 1854.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1854Perry-japan1.html (Good for better readers or for
reading out loud in class.)
Expansion in the Pacific: Commodore Perry’s Trip to Japan.
http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/letter.html (Good for better readers and more analytical
students.)
The Opening of Japan. http://history-world.org/Japan,%20Opening%20of.htm. All-text Only
advanced Middle School readers will attempt it.
42
The Opening of Japan to the West. http://www.library.yale.edu/beinecke/orient/japan.htm.
Samurai on Film. http://science.howstuffworks.com/samurai9.htm.
Changing Styles in Japanese Fashion – Textiles
Books
Laury, Jean Ray. Imagery on Fabric: A Complete Surface Design Handbook Second Edition.
Lafayette, CA.: C&T Publishing, 1997 pp. 124-147
Leonare, Jonathan Norton. Early Japan: Great Ages of Man Series. New York: Time Life
Books, 1976 pp. 161-181
Sadao, Hibi. The Colors of Japan. New York:Kocansha International, 2000
Shoichi, Aoki. Photographer. Fruits. New York:Phaedon PressLimited, 2001&2002
Sibbett, Ed. Jr. Japanese Prints Coloring Book. New York:Dover Publications, Inc., 1982
Stanley-Baker, Jean. Japanese Art - Themes & Hudson World of Art. London: Thames&Hudson
Ltd., 1984 and 2000 pp. 129-140, 188-193.
Takenami, Yoko. The Simple Art of Japanese Calligraphy. New York: Sterling Publishing
Company Inc., 2004
Web Sites
All About Japanese Hina Dolls - Testile Stories
www. kyohaku.go.jp/eng/dictio/data/senshoko/index.htm
Boy's Day Banners
www.saberdesigns.cc/banners.htm
Doll's Festival (Girls's Day) (Hina Matsuri) 3rd of March
www.watanabesato.co.jp/jpculture/hinamatsuri/hina.html
The Foreigner-Japan-Photo Essay Japanese Street Fashion
www.theforeigner-japan.com/photoessays/2003/200311/0o.htm
Funky Kids at Yoyogi Park www.photosaga.com/Japopn%20kids/index.htm
Fruits: Tokyo Street Style Photographs by Khiachi Aoki
www.powerhousemuseum.com/exhibitions/fruits.asp
Hiroshigi and Hokusai Prints
www.metmuseum.org
Japanese Kimono (includes pattern)
www.japanesekimono.com
Japanese Obi
www.saberdesigns.cc/obi.htm
McCuaig, Amanda.Japanese Street Fashion
www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/2005.issue3/fe-jsf.html
Japanese Traditional and Ceremonial Colors, General Color Meanings
www.temarikai.com/meaningoftraditionalcolors.htm
43
Shoki - Demon Slayer of Japan (great images for banners)
www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shoki.shtml
Tangu No Sekku, Children's Day, Boy's Day May 5th
www.ginkoya.com/pages/childrensday.html
Texuba Vintage Kimono Motifs in Vintage Japanese Textiles
www.texuba.com/art_motifs.html
Kentucky Resources
for Teaching and Learning About Japan
Centers & Organizations
Asia Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington http://www.uky.edu/centers/asia
Japan Outreach Program, Guest Speakers, Arts Events, Seminars for Teachers
Lending library with most books from the previous bibliographies
The Crane House, Louisville http://www.cranehouse.org
Japanese Community Language Classes, Exhibits, Special Events
Japan-America Society of Kentucky, Lexington http://www.jask.org
Japanese Business / Japan in a Suitcase Program
Yuko-en Japanese Garden, Georgetown http://www.yuko-en.com
Available for Class Visits
Japanese Food Sources (Markets)
Hibari Market 435 Redding Road, Lexington 859.245.8028
Seoul Supermarket 1085 East New Circle Road, Lexington 859.254.6300
Yu Yu Asian Supermarket 393 Waller Avenue, Lexington 859.275.1288
44