Curated OER
"In a Grove" and "Rashomon" by Akutagawa
Students read and analyze the short stories, "In a Grove," and "Rashomon," by Akutagawa. They discuss the samurai warrior culture, watch a short video, take a quiz, participate in whole-group discussions, identify similes and metaphors,...
Curated OER
Writing Japanese Stories (Grades 6-8)
Students listen to several Japanese stories and write their own Japanese-style stories, which they share with the class.
Curated OER
Feelings On Japanese Internment
Students listen to the story, "The Bracelet" and evaluate with other class members right and wrong actions. They create a watercolor painting that describes how the book made them feel and discuss their feelings with the rest of the class.
Curated OER
Studying Japanese Internment with Primary Documents
Eleventh graders view photographs of the Japanese society being interned in camps during World War II in the United States. In groups, they read and discuss Executive Order 9066 and try to determine what group they are trying to focus...
Reed Novel Studies
The Railway Children: Novel Study
How can you prove your innocence? After being falsely accused and placed in prison, the father in The Railway Children is looking for the answer to the question. The children make friends with an elderly gentleman who helps them prove...
Curated OER
Haiku: Observation and Writing in the Japanese Garden
Students observe a Botanical Gardens. Upon returning to the classroom, students write their own Haiku based on their observations.
Curated OER
Children's Book Creations
Students create a children's book version of the Japanese folk story "Momotaro Boy of the Peach" and present the story to elementary students. In this children's book lesson, students design their book to explain Japanese culture to...
Curated OER
Foods and Languages of the World
Students explore cultures around the world. In this cross-curriculum geography lesson, students listen to This is the Way We Go to School , a Book about Children around the World , and locate various countries on the globe and a map....
Curated OER
Haiku
Middle schoolers explore the Japanese literature, music and art. Pupils discuss the culture of Japan. While listening to Japanese music, they write and illustrate a Haiku. Students are given the opportunity to create origami.
Curated OER
Japan
Students read the literature of The Talisman in order to make cultural connections and investigate the concept of irony and how it is used in this Japanese text. They also discuss the issue of conformity and its relationship to the story.
Japan Society
Akutagawa Ryunosuke and the Taisho Modernists
Japan's Taisho Period was a time when authors like Akutagawa and other Japanese modernists began to experiment with point of view and literary form, making the literature produced during this time period a natural choice for teaching...
Curated OER
Rediscovering Forgotten Women Writers
Women's voices are becoming more prominent in the world of literature, but for centuries, this wasn't the case. Young historians research a woman whose writings are considered to be lost, out of print, or forgotten. They develop an oral...
Curated OER
One With Nature
Students discover the connection between Japanese art and Romantic literature using a variety of sources and the impact of nature on these two art forms. This lesson is a three-day exploration.
Curated OER
In The Eye Of The Beholder
Students identify and define definitions of beauty and perfection in Chinese and
Japanese art and compare those definitions to other cultural beliefs and societies. This lesson includes a two-part lesson evaluation.
Curated OER
Good Prevails
Students write descriptive paragraphs of characters after reading a Japanese folktale in which characters represent by good and evil.
Curated OER
Teaching the Hindu-Buddhist Tradition in East Asian Culture Through Asian Literature and Film
Students explore various intellectual traditions which dominate human history through a variety of contemporary pieces of literature which exemplify the traditions. Biblical monotheism, Greek rationalism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism...
Curated OER
What is Manga?
Students research graphic novels. In this manga lesson, students work in small groups as the read graphic novels in literature circle format.
Curated OER
Word Play
Students examine the Japanese folktale, Monkeys Grasp for the Moon. For this multicultural literature lesson, students discuss the theme of the folktale. Students choose animal folktales from other Asian cultures for comparison.
Curated OER
Comparing Chinese And Japanese Ceramics
Students discuss the conception of beauty by considering and contrasting the
appearance and use of Chinese and Japanese ceramics in this lesson for the middle or high school classroom.
Curated OER
Letters from the Japanese American Internment
Students make deductions about life in an internment camp by reading and comparing letters written to Clara Breed. Along the way, they consider the advantages of looking at a historical event from the multiple points of view of...
Curated OER
Latin Culture Through Art and Literature
Eleventh graders participate in a lecture on the history of Latin Americans and the role of Latin-American women writers. As a class, they read a story together and identify what lessons the narrator gained throughout the story. In...
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: Heroes
Three creative activities follow reading a fiction and nonfiction book about heroes. Scholars build hero action figures out of clay for make-believe play, explain in written form how they show bravery, kindness, patience, thoughtfulness,...
Curated OER
Famous People of Japan
Students conduct research to follow several essential questions that guide the lesson. The concern of the student research is the finding of contributions of famous Japanese to the culture of the United States.
Curated OER
Lawson Fusao Inada
High schoolers read and analyze poetry written by Lawson Fusao Inada. They read and discuss the executive order issued to Japanese Americans during WWII, take a field trip to the Nikkei Legacy Center, and read and discuss poems.