Curated OER
Kirigami: The Ancient Art of Paper Cutting
Young scholars perform inquiry into the ancient art of Kirigami. The research provides a context for the lesson and how it is related to History. Young scholars also appreciate the art for the sake of its contribution to culture.
Women in World History Curriculum
Women and Confucianism
Young historians consider the far-reaching effects of traditional teachings on the debates about the current attitudes toward women in society. The discussion begins with a list of New-Confucian sayings and expands to a global perspective.
Curated OER
Origami Paper Fun
Students explore the art of Origami. They listen to various stories about Japan, create Origami shapes by following step-by-step directions, sing Japanese songs, locate Japan on a map, and take a quiz.
Curated OER
In Perfect Harmony: Teaching the World to Sing
First graders listen to music as the impetus to learn about the concept of Japanese harmony as it is understood in Japanese culture. They use the New Seeker's song, "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," to compare America and Japan...
Curated OER
Global Music Lesson Plans: Britten and Japan – Japan and the UK
Students explore the links between Japanese and British culture. In this Japanese music lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding Gagaku music and then perform "Te Lucis Ante Terminum" with Japanese...
Curated OER
North Korea's Power Play
Students research a number of websites to see how North Korea's leaders have shaped the country. They investigate Korea's ancient history and culture.
Curated OER
The World of Puppets
Students visit given web-sites to find out what puppets look like in different countries and then make a puppet and write a play for it.
Curated OER
The Vietnam War 1954-1975
Discuss the full travesty of the Vietnam War. Whether it's for history class, Memorial Day, or Veterans Day, this slide show is sure to make an impact on learners in the upper grades. Vivid images, concise language, and the complete...
Curated OER
Japanese Festivals and Holidays
Bring the excitement and beauty of Japanese festivals into your classroom. Kids with special needs create calendars that reflect special festivals and holidays common to Japanese culture. They start the project by creating a list of...
Curated OER
Children in the United States and Japan
Young scholars locate Japan on a map or globe and describe the relative location of Japan. They use the Internet to investigate cultural characteristics of children in the United States and in Japan. They use a Venn Diagram as an...
Curated OER
Polyrhythmic Drumming Styles: Japan and Brazil
Students explore cyclic patterns in drumming style. In this multicultural music lesson, students listen to and compare Taiko and Samba drumming styles and complete a compare/contrast worksheet.
Curated OER
Greek Mythology -- Part II
Young scholars use the internet to gather information about Greek Mythology. They discover the role of the snake and shamrock and the history of St. Patrick's Day. They compare and contrast their culture to another.
Curated OER
Haiku and Beyond: Exploring Genres of Japanese Literature
Fourth graders compare and contrast the literature of Japan as they study the culture, history and geography of the island nation. They read various genres of literature, describe geographic and landform features of Japan, and find...
Curated OER
Origami Paper Cranes
Learners complete cross-curricular activities to study the culture and humanity in Japan. Students read the book Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes and complete social studies and art lessons related to the book as well as develop an...
Curated OER
Haiku
Students study various forms of poetry and the culture of Japan. They are introduced to a haiku- a traditional form of poetry and an art form in the Japanese culture. They write a haiku and create a student haiku booklet with the classes...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
A Geography Lesson
Fewer and fewer people have a strong grasp of world geography, but this activity helps students understand geopolitics by creating their own original historical map. The activity requires selecting a country from the list provided,...
Curated OER
Post-WWII De-Colonization
The end of WWII brought big changes around the world, not the least of which occur in the increasingly decolonized continent of Africa. This slideshow details the developing countries of Ghana, Kenya, Congo, Nigeria, and South Africa, to...
Curated OER
Delve into Mother's Day with Arts and Crafts
Mother's Day is right around the corner and these classroom-friendly activities will help you get ready.
Curated OER
Saris, Kimonos, Tagas and Smocks: Exploring Clothing Across Cultures
Learners explore via the internet all types of clothing around the world. Students discuss that the way people dress is an important means of expressing identity. Learners collaborate via Internet research the social purposes of clothing.
Curated OER
Shadow Puppetry in South India
Students read a variety of literature from India, including folktales and fables. They then select a scene or story to script, work together to design and craft shadow puppets of characters and scenery, narrate a story, manipulate the...
Curated OER
Vocab-u-lous! Build a Fabulous Vocab: Thanksgiving
For this Thanksgiving vocabulary worksheet, students select the best choice to complete the sentence about Thanksgiving. The worksheet challenges students with complex words.
Curated OER
The Role of Monuments And Memorials
Students investigate the use of monuments and memorials in various cultures in this three day Language Arts or Social Studies lesson. Emphasis is placed on in-class discussions, research, and individual creative projects.