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Create a Family Crest
Young scholars create their own family crest using prior knowledge and Japanese and Native American examples of symbolic art. Lesson extensions include the creation of a school crest or woodblock examples of crests.
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If These Walls Could Talk: Seeing a Culture Through Human Features
Students read Talking Walls and discuss the walls presented and their importance to the culture. In this geography lesson, students locate and label each country/continent discussed in the book on a world map. Students take a walk and...
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Traveling the Tokaido Road
Students investigate the significance of the Tokaido Road by studying Ando Hiroshige's woodblock illustrations of The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido. This lesson includes a list of possible extensions.
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Storytelling
Students explore the origins of folktales, fairytales, myths, legends, fables, and folktales in the ten lessons of this unit. A storytelling festival is held to feature the results of the variety of activities presented in the unit.
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Passionate Pilgrims- Two Poets And A Painter
Learners engage in a lesson that looks at the culture of Japan to isolate the practices of painting and writing in several different traditions. They conduct research about the lives of the artists using a variety of resources. The...
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Chinese Paper-Cuts
Students identify the art and culture of China while increasing their dexterity in art and their skills of papermaking. Students identify and analyze the application of the elements and principles of design to the cute of paper-making...
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The Art of El Anasui: Creating a Mural with Discarded/Recycled Objects
Students create murals that feature recycled objects. In this West African art instructional activity, students examine artwork by El Anatsui and his commentary on social issues. Students then create murals in the style of El Anatsui...
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"Encounter with a Skull" by Koda Rohan
Young scholars, in pairs, develop two poems--one must be a haiku, the other must be a tanka. They recite their poems to the class.
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"For The Birds" [part II]
Students examine how Chinese and Japanese artists used different kinds of birds
as representations of ideas that were important in both cultures and create their own birds using the technique of origami.
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Religion And Magic
Students examine the indigenous religions of China (Daoism) and Japan (Shinto) to see how magical beliefs and practices form an integral part of these religions. This lesson may be controversial.
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Words And the Images They Create
Middle schoolers explore how the written languages of China and Japan evolved, creating representations of Chinese and Japanese Poetry. Emphasis is placed on small, cooperative learning groups.
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Hidden Messages
Students examine the concept of censorship in authoritarian government and how Japanese and Chinese artists used their work as political commentary. This lesson includes possible lesson enrichments.
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Studies of the Eastern Worlds: Cultural Maps
Seventh graders look for similarities and differences in the culture of Eastern World countries by looking at the art from each country. They test their hypothesis and assumptions through further research in the media center. Finally...
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Dango
Students discuss lines, shapes, patterns, and colors used in Jun Kaneko's piece Untitled (Dango). In groups, they help make a paper Mache replica and demonstrate their understanding of lines, shapes patterns, and colors by painting their...
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The Relationship Between Zen And Haiku Aesthetics
Students examine the principles of Haiku as they relate to idealss found in Zen Buddhism in this High School lesson. The lesson concludes with the creation of individual haikus by each student.
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Embroidery As A Form Of Art
Pupils create a "class quilt" using techniques learned from the study of Asian textile practices in this six-day lesson for upper-elementary school. This lesson requires parent volunteers.
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The Artist As Storyteller
Learners practice the art of storytelling by examining scroll writing techniques of Asia and applying them to a monthly story of their own classroom. This lesson is in two parts (Part II continues throughout the school year).
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Asian Museum Exhibit
Seventh graders role play the role of a curator of a local museum. In groups, they develop a new exhibit on Asia. They research specific countries in Southeast Asia and present their exhibit to the class. Art must also be included in...
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Hachimaki/Shibori Lesson Plan
Sixth graders are introduced to the technique of Arashi Shibori and its history. In groups, they discover how to perform this process and examine how to do hachimaki. To end the lesson, they make their own hachimaki to wear and share it...
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Winter Celebrations
Students draw and label pictures about holiday customs and traditions from their countries.
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Who's The Boss?
Upper elementary and middle schoolers research and analyze some different types of governments. Democracies, Monarchies, and Dictatorships are some of the types that are looked at. Learners use the Internet to gather information that...
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Japanese Folktales
Students listen to examples of Japanese folktales and identify universal themes. Students construct a 'kamishibai' - a traditional Japanese storytelling prop - and dramatize a folktale through puppetry.
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Narrow Road to the Interior
Students investigate the life and work of the Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho as the Japanese poetic forms are studied. Nature, symbolism, and history are probed as the instructional activity is developed.
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Fritsch - Student-Led Lesson: Vacation Commercials (I-TESL-J)The Internet TESL Journal
Middle schoolers research, plan and present a commercial for a vacation spot of their choice.