Online Course
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Course Ware: East Asia in the World

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Drawing attention to relationships between East Asian countries and the rest of the world enhance lessons by introducing some of the resources mentioned.
Primary
Library of Congress

Loc: Poetry 180: Tour

For Students 9th - 10th
This short two-stanza poem implies the importance of looking at things in two different ways.
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Ken

For Students 9th - 10th
This video segment from Wide Angle features Ken, a third grade student in Japan.
Website
Yale University

Yale Peabody Museum: Hina Matsuri: The Doll Festival

For Students 9th - 10th
A slideshow of fifteen porcelain Japanese dolls at the Peabody Museum. You can see the dolls and learn about Hina Matsuri, the traditional doll festival that displays them.
Handout
Scholastic

Scholastic: Timeline: Pearl Harbor: 1600s 1853: Black Ships Open Japan

For Students 9th - 10th
An easy-to-understand site on the opening of Japan to the West via Commodore Perry and and the intimidating Black Ships.
Unknown Type
Lizard Point Quizzes

Lizard Point: Japan: Prefectures Quiz

For Students 9th - 10th
Try this interactive geography quiz which tests your knowledge about the prefectures in Japan.
Website
Buddha Dharma Education Association

Buddha Net: Mahayana Buddhism

For Students 9th - 10th
A Buddhanet page with links to information on the different countries where the practice of Mahayana Buddhism is practices, namely Tibet, China, Nepal, Vietnam, Japan, and Indonesia.
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Japanese Literature

For Students 9th - 10th
Wikipedia provides detailed information on the history, forms, and authors of Japanese literature. Includes external links and hyperlinked terms.
Handout
Encyclopedia of Earth

Encyclopedia of Earth: Japan

For Students 9th - 10th
The Encyclopedia of Earth provides an overview of Japan, including its geography, natural resources, history, government, economy, and much more. Maps and images are also included, along with sources used to create the entry.
Activity
PBS

Nova Online: Japan's Secret Garden

For Students 3rd - 8th
Explore a year in the life of the people and wildlife around Lake Biwa in Japan. Study hibernation, rice cultivation, and the metamorphosis of insects in the area.
Website
Globe Tracks

Travel for Kids: Fun Things to Do in Japan

For Students 3rd - 5th
"Kids already know a little about Japan if they collect Pokemon cards or buy Hello Kitty. Japan may seem very "modern," but it has a long history of tradition deeply embedded in everyday life." This site explores the geography and...
Lesson Plan
American Forum for Global Education

American Forum for Global Education: Haiku as a Cultural Icon

For Teachers 9th - 10th
These detailed lesson plans let students research about Shiki and Haiku, compose on their own poetry, and learn about Japanese culture.
Website
Other

Women in World History Curriculum/murasaki Shikibu

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides a biography of Murasaki Shikibu, the writer of The Tale of Genji.
eBook
Other

Humanistic Texts: Selected Poetry of Hitomaro

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The text to poetry written by Kakinomoto Hitomaro is found here.
Unit Plan
Other

Great Japanese Poets: Kakinomoto Hitomaro

For Students 9th - 10th
This site talks about Kakinomoto Hitomaro and has links to many other great Japanese poets.
Website
Other

History of Haiku: Basho Matsuo

For Students 9th - 10th
This site describes Basho's writing style, including his sense of humor. It also provides several examples of his poetry.
Website
Other

Web Links to Hiroshima

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides many weblinks to Hiroshima, Japan. The focus is on sites related to the atomic bombing, but many other Hiroshima sites are also included.
Website
Other

National Diet Library: Birth of the Constitution of Japan

For Students 9th - 10th
A site on the development of the constitution of Japan with descriptions of the major political figures and summaries of some of the documents.
Website
Other

Nihon Kaigun: The Imperial Japanese Navy Page

For Students 9th - 10th
Excellent information provided on the Imperial Japanese Navy. Includes information on the Japanese attack on the United States.
Website
Other

Russo Japanese Research Society

For Students 9th - 10th
Information, analysis, photographs, maps, and similar resources to support study of the Russo-Japanese War.
Handout
Other

Elon University: Heian and Kamakura Period Facts and Information

For Students 9th - 10th
This site presents a variety of facts about the Heian and Kamakura periods in Japanese history.
Handout
Other

Scns: The Gods and Goddesses of Japan

For Students 9th - 10th
List and description of Gods and Goddesses of ancient Japanese history.
Interactive
Other

Pantheon: The Family Tree of Gods

For Students 9th - 10th
Interactive family tree of ancient Japanese gods and goddesses with descriptions and images.
Primary
Other

Nancho: Mac Arthur Archives

For Students 9th - 10th
Declassified documents from the MacArthur Archives, 1947, reports on the Japanese Chrysanthemum Throne, in 6 parts.