Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life in the Floating World: Ukiyo-e Prints And the Rise of the Merchant Class in Edo Period Japan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine famous woodblock prints of artists such as Hiroshige and Hokusai as primary documents to help them gain insight on Japanese history. They relate the woodblock images to the social hierarchy of the period.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Japanese History Flashcards

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
Quiz your historians in the fascinating history and culture behind modern-day Japan using this trivia flashcard handout. Ten cards each contain a simply-written question and answer, covering topics such as Confucianism, bushido, Japan's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life in the Floating World: Ukiyo-e Prints and the Rise of the Merchant Class in Edo Period Japan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore Jananese history through the use of the woodblock print called "ukiyo-e" prints. The audience attracted to the prints, their interests and tastes as well as how the prints reflected the life of the merchant class...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Hamlet Meets Chushingura: Traditions of the Revenge Tragedy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read texts, view film and video and conduct research in an analysis and comparison of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and the Kabuki piece "Chushingura". They focus their analysis on the theme of revenge.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Medieval Japan

For Students 6th - 8th
In this social studies worksheet students find the terms related to Medieval Japan and the answers are found by clicking the button at the bottom of the page.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shinto, Japan's First Religion

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners participate in centers activities that enrich understanding of Japanese culture, history, geography, art, and religion.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Japan

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this Japan worksheet, students read a 2 page article on Japan, answer 3 facts about Japan with multiple choice answers, fill in 4 blanks in 4 statements and answer two statements as true or false.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Woodblocks And Their Japanese History

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create replicas of Japanese woodblock prints using their own art as the basis for design in this excellent cross-curricular Art project applicable to Language Arts, Social Studies, or Art classrooms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Concepts of Beauty Put Into Words

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Studying haiku poetry with your English class? Delving into Japanese history with your world history class? Here is an authentic and creative way to explore Japanese culture more deeply. Pupils will compare and contrast two tea caddies...
Lesson Plan
Asian Art Museum

Create Your Own Samurai Daily Life Identity

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Your class can create their own Samurai identity with craft paper and a little imagination. Learners will discuss what life was like for a Samurai warrior, and then they will make representations of what they would look like as a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Finer Things in Life

For Teachers K - 5th
Momoyama and Edo are periods in Japanese history that can be defined culturally and artistically. Learners explore and discuss how the samurai used sword guards and grip enhancers. Pupils read the story "The Inch-High Samurai," examine...
Lesson Plan
Denver Art Museum

Tea Gathering Quick-Write

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Japanese tea gatherings are the inspiration for a great activity. Learners are provided with an image of a tea caddy made for thick tea and asked to describe what they notice and what that might mean. This leads into a larger activity...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Feudal Japan: Shogun

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students discuss the position attained by the shoguns of feudal Japan, who replaced the emperor as the main source of political power and examine how this power was reflected in art.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kimonos

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners create their own kimono design after researching the history, tradition, and techniques of kimono design and production. This art instructional activity can be connected easily to the Language Arts and/or Social Sciences.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gyotaku Lesson Plan

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students examine and discuss the history and process of Gyotaku, or fish prints. They view images of Gyotaku, create a fish print, and write a haiku.
Website
Other

National Association of Japan America Societies: Edo Japan: A Virtual Tour

For Students 9th - 10th
Edo is the ancient name for Tokyo and this site provides a virtual experience for students to learn about the government, economy, and social life of Tokyo prior to the 19th century.
Handout
ArtLex

Art Lex: History of Japanese Art

For Students 9th - 10th
A very general survey of the history of Japanese art. Click on any of the time periods to learn more specific information about each one. Includes several examples; click on the title of each work to enlarge the image and to learn more.
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: The Floating World of Ukiyo E

For Students 9th - 10th
An exhibition review on the Japanese art form Ukiyo-e. Very nice images and history of this art form with an interpretation of an historical link of Japan and the Western world.
eBook
Ohio State University

The Early Modern Warrior: Three Explorations of Samurai Life [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the first shogun to unite and bring peace to Japan. His early life and rise to power is documented in this essay. Requires Adobe Reader. [PDF]
Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs: Japan Memoirs of a Secret Empire

For Students 9th - 10th
A rich site that tells of an ancient kingdom of warriors, tradesmen and artists that would influence the modern world.
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Ukiyo E Prints and Rise of Merchant Class in Edo Period Japan

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this lesson plan, students will consider "Life in the Floating World: Ukiyo-e Prints and the Rise of the Merchant Class in Edo Period Japan." The plan includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the...
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: The Steamship Powhatan

For Students 9th - 10th
The picture shown in this essay is part of the Black Ship Scroll which depicts two of the nine American ships that arrived in Japan under Commodore Matthew Perry in 1854: U.S.S. Powhatan and U.S.S. Supply. Read the history of the U.S.S...
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Japan History and Timeline Overview

For Students 3rd - 8th
Kids learn about the history and timeline of the country of Japan including early civilizations, classical, medieval, the Edo period, shoguns, the empire of Japan, and democracy on this site.
Handout
ibiblio

Ibiblio: Web Museum: Japanese Art and Architecture

For Students 9th - 10th
This Ibiblio.org site is a thorough description of Japanese art and architecture. There are no pictures, but the writing makes up for this in its extensive history and descriptions.