Over the course of the instructional activity, your pupils read and analyze a translated eight-line poem from the Tang Dynasty written by Du Fu, a poet caught behind enemy lines during the An Lu-Shan rebellion (755-763)....

Dazai Osamu’s short story, “A Sound of Hammering” is the focus of a three-day investigation of modern Japanese literature and life in post-World War II Japan. The events in Osamu’s story mirror those in his own life, and give a...

Students study the life of Genghis Khan from his childhood to adulthood as a conqueror. They write poetry for two voices. They investigate how rules and laws are made and work together to problem solve.

Students use non-fired clay and posterboards to create and display examples of Haniwa and kofun in this exciting lesson for the Social Studies, Humanities, Asian Studies, or Art classroom.

Pupils examine how the Japanese peasant was depicted in art in this high school lesson plan about Asian cultures. Emphasis is placed on individual observations and written reflections.

Learners explore Asia. In this geography skills lesson, students design travel brochures that market Asia by highlighting its location, population, capital, landforms, famous places, and food.

Students research and analyze the roots of Shinto in this lesson about Japanese cultural practices and philosophy. Possible lesson enrichments and/or extensions are included with the lesson.

Middle schoolers create drawings of dragons that could be found in the art of Japan or China. The lesson involves two-days of instruction and leads to student examples of dragons four-times larger than the originals.

Students write position papers from the point of view of a Shigaraki art collector in this lesson on pottery techniques found in Japan between the Kamakura and Muromachi periods.

Learners investigate the importnce of celebrations anf festivals in Japanese culture and then create a story based upon an image from the lesson. Resource links are provided for images of events.

Young scholars 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.

Students explore the Silk Road of Asia in this multi-day lesson that includes a "Silk Road roll play" and a mapping activity. This lesson can be used in a social studies or language arts classroom.

Students examine the Chinese and Japanese conceptions of "insiders" and "outsiders" and how this affects the attitude toward foreign traders from the 6th to the 16th centuries. Lesson extensions are included.

Students 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).

Learners discuss the idea of cultural diffusion by examining how the sculptural portrayal of the Buddha's clothing evolved in Japanese and Chinese art. This lesson plan concludes with a group project and presentation.