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...

What cultural influences were influential on Japanese tradition? Provided is a brief look at the Chinese traditions that shaped Japanese culture. This presentation also includes several images related to Japanese art, architecture, and...

When your class thinks of medieval history, they probably think of European castles and knights. But they may not know that the Heian period in Japan, which coincided with the Middle Ages in Europe, saw a significant development in...

As part of the study of Japanese cultural history, introduce your class members to Chanoyu, the Way of Tea. After a discussion of the history and key elements of Chanoyu, class groups perform the ceremony.

Upper graders use the potter's wheel to make Japanese style tea cups, which they will use in a Japanese style tea ceremony. They hone their sculpting techniques while exploring Japanese cultural and the history of tea. There are two...

Japanese tea gatherings are the inspiration for a great lesson. 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 lesson about...

An excellent overview of historical Japanese culture, this presentation could carry through a world history unit or a lesson on the history of Japan. Especially interesting are the slides that compare Japanese armor and castles to other...

The Cleveland Museum of Art presents this interdisciplinary model unit that asks class members to explore how the same themes are presented in the folktales and art of several cultures.

What a wonderful way to meld art and culture! Learners create art work in the Suminagashi style using this detailed lesson plan. This art form, which is Japanese in origin, employs ink to create beautiful results. This will be a hit with...

Discover the kabuki form of Japanese classical theater performance and its reflection of the historical evolution of Japanese government and culture. As the first dramatic performance form catering to the common people, kabuki is shaped...

Students will be exposed to and come to understand Japanese culture through a presentation on Setsubun. They then become familiar with Japanese words that are related to Setsubun.

Origami is an excellent way to combine Japanese culture, art, and geometric shapes into one engaging instructional activity! Scholars begin by listening to the story Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and learn the origin of the...

Children around the world may have cultural differences, yet it is an important reminder that they also have many similarities! Designed for a class of first-graders in Hawaii, this library research project has learners compare and...

Zen Buddhism, the Tokugawa, bunraku, and centralized feudalism; sounds like it's time to study up on feudal Japan. Here are 10 cards. Each card contains a definition of a Japanese concept, cultural activity, or aspect of the feudal era....

Seventh graders examine standards of beauty. In this Japanese culture lesson, 7th graders compare and contrast beauty in the Heian period compared with today’s beautiful women. Students draw a woman who is beautiful according to the...

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 learn about Japanese culture and make a mask. In this lesson about Japanese mask-making, students use research and art to explore the Japanese culture. Students research Japanese masks. Students design their own Japanese mask....

Students study Japanese cultural symbols and how they provide clues to national identity. They utilize the Internet to find information relating to their topics. They create Power Point presentations to share with the class.

What would your class like to learn about Japanese culture? Prepare them for a novel unit about Kyoko Mori's Shizuko's Daughter with a KWL chart. After listing what they already know about Japanese culture, they write questions about...

Shizuko's Daughter by Kyoko Mori presents a vivid picture of Japanese culture and history. As kids read through the third chapter, they find novel-specific vocabulary to enhance their understanding and use context clues to determine...

A classic Japanese print is attached to this lesson and its up to your class to write a story about it. Pretending the image is an illustration, they use what they know about Japanese mythology to compose a short story describing the...

Students take a closer look at Japanese drama. In this Japanese culture lesson, students study the attributes of Noh theater and compare it western theater. Students conduct independent research on the art form prior to acting out a Noh...

Learners read the book "Tsunami!" and discuss natural disasters and how they can prepare. This lesson is much more than a study of tsunamis. The lesson is chock-full of ways to study the Japanese culture across the curriculum. There are...

Students complete a research project. In this Japanese culture instructional activity, students complete a KWL chart on the Samurai and then work with a partner to research their specific topics related to the Samurai. Students share...