Japanese is at your fingertips! Japanese language learners will get a kick out of the eight games and specially designed Japanese materials provided here.   

Chinese and Japanese calligraphy is beautiful and significant in both culture and tradition. Engage your class in this expressive fine art form through a lesson on using, holding, and creating brush strokes common to Japanese writing...

Study the three writing systems of Japanese: Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. Your middle schoolers will practice writing Kanji and write a mini story in English which uses at least 10 of the Kanji in the place of the English words....

Notan is a Japanese word that expresses the interaction between light and dark. Learners explore Notan while creating dimensional art pieces that examine positive and negative spaces. They'll discuss the art of Notan, create...

Inspire first grade artists to learn about abstract and realistic art while reading Eric Carle's Where are you Going? To See My Friend. Young artists design and make a mural collage by tearing shapes of paper while comparing English and...

Students participate in learning about the Holocaust including the Japanese Internment Camps. They view the movie, "Schindler's List," in order to gain an even better understanding of the Holocaust. They develop a Power Point...

A Japanese Shinto deity from the early 900s inspires youngsters to think symbolically. They analyze the carved sculpture, the techniques used to create it, and its cultural or symbolic meaning. Then, they design and carve a symbolic...

Engage young learners in practicing their counting skills while teaching them about the Japanese writing system with this printable book. Using the included key that shows the kanji characters for the numbers 1-10, children...

Fifth graders explore U.S. history by reading an award winning book about World War II. In this Japanese internment camp lesson, 5th graders read the book Under the Blood-Red Sun and discuss the entrapment of Japanese-Americans on our...

Fifth graders explore American history by viewing videos on the Internet. In this Japanese internment lesson plan, 5th graders discuss the politics that took place between America and Japan during WWII and why it was necessary to...

Students explore reading comprehension strategies. In this character development and reading comprehension lesson plan, students brainstorm common traits of "heroes." Students read Heroes, then identify the personal conflicts the story...

Young learners discover kamishibai, a popular Japanese storytelling art, and explore how these Japanese folktales illustrate the country's cultural themes and values through discussion and storyboarding. 

Just how far can the American government go during war time? With primary source documents, learners consider the effects on restrictions of freedom of speech, the detention of American citizens of Japanese descent, and the Patriot Act...

Paper folding is a great art form that can be incorporated into cultural, mathematic, and art lessons. This resource includes the full instructions needed to fold a paper crane, as well as a Haiku poetry idea. Tip: This activity would be...

Students study several examples of Japanese abstract art and how this style impacted the Impressionist movement of the 19th century. This lesson includes ideas for student-created sketchbooks.

Students in seventh and eighth grade Introduction to Foreign Language class are introduced the basic greetings, farewells, courtesy words, and basic phrases in Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and Korean. In pairs, they create a very short...

Students explore current events by sharing information about the Japanese nuclear plant. For this nuclear energy lesson, students discuss the pros and cons of nuclear energy plants and whether or not they can typically withstand natural...

Third graders explore world cultures by reading a children's story in class. For this Japanese heritage lesson, 3rd graders read the book Grandfather's Journey and identify the characters, setting and plot that takes place. Students...

Introduce learners to the magical Japanese hermit named Sennin with a reading response activity. As fifth graders finish the story of Sennin and his mystical powers, they answer four short-answer questions.

Ninth graders examine the differences in the way genders have been treated in the same society over the course of a nation's history.  In this World History lesson, 9th graders study the factors that have caused changes in...

Originally designed by an American language teacher teaching in a public Japanese junior high, this lesson could easily be used for any beginning or intermediate level ESL class. With this plan, your class will review two useful, but...

First graders study Japanese art and apply the technique of Tansai Sumi (lightly colored) to create individual works of art. Painting, design, lines, and drawing techniques are covered in this 1st grade lesson.

How can we estimate time? Have your young mathematicians make a clock. Then they compare and contrast types of clocks. They practice writing times in two different ways and make a book about telling time.

What led to the United States Civil War? Interested historians consider a variety of political, social, and economic factors using primary sources and an essay prompt in an authentic high-stakes test. Primary sources include political...