Sixth graders research modern Japanese culture, society and traditions, examine relationship between Japanese culture and its environment, compare and contrast Japanese Society with Canadian Society, compare lives of people in Japan with...

Young learners discover kamishibai, a popular Japanese storytelling art, and explore how these Japanese folktales illustrate the country's cultural themes and values through discussion and storyboarding. 

Students listen to a read aloud of Rosemary Wells, Yoko as they begin a study of Japanese culture and customs. They experience Japanese food, geography and culture. They write a friendly letter to the author.

Second graders compare and contrast Japanese customs and culture to those of Americans through research in this year long study. They determine the basic needs of all people in spite of cultural differences.

Art and architecture go hand-in-hand. Kids watch clips from the Hayo Miyazaki film Spirited Away to better understand Japanese customs and architecture. The discussion questions included are very good, and will help you lead the class in...

Fourth graders explore Japanese customs and history. They create their own works that reflect these traditions. They identify and use primary and secondary sources to learn and communicate about the past.

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.

Students are introduced to the way the Japanese celebrate the new year. Using the internet, they compare and contrast the celebrations in Japan with those in Korea. After being read a story, they complete a worksheet on the series of...

Young historians consider the far-reaching effects of traditional teachings on the debates about the current attitudes toward women in society. The discussion begins with a list of New-Confucian sayings and expands to a global perspective.

What do families around the world have in common? Explore this theme through the popular animated film My Neighbor Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki. Over the course of two days, pupils view the film, pausing to discuss their own families and the...

Students draw and label pictures about holiday customs and traditions from their countries.

Learners examine foods from other countries. In this multicultural lesson, students write down names of different restaurants and categorize pictures of foods according to the specific restaurant. For example, Won Ton Soup would be...

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

Young scholars examine burial customs in ancient China and Japan comparing those customs to burial traditions from other cultures. This lesson leads to group creative projects of mock "tombs".

Pupils discover through an examination of The Tale of Genji the importance of calligraphy to courtship rituals in the Japanese court culture of the late Heian period ( 897-1185). Three possible enrichment activities are included

Fifth graders read a story about a girl living in Tokyo. Using the Internet, they research Japan while noting its unique characteristics. They virtually connect with a classroom in Japan and share information about their school with them.

Pupils examine different celebrations to bring in the New Year. Using the internet and specific web sites, students discover customs and celebrations in different countries. Pupils observe video links of actual celebrations.

Sixth graders discover why food is an important part of a culture. As a class, they practice the table manners used in China and identify the underlying values. They develop the skills to properly use chopsticks to end the lesson.

Students study Japanese folkart traditions and culture through storytelling, class discussions, and a creative project. The project involves students creating drawings of a pre-selected folktale and putting them together in a class book.

First graders examine customs of other nations and compare countries using Venn diagrams. They also write pen pal letters and e-mails to students in other countries.

Learners use information from the Asia Society's AskAsia Web site to explore the cultures of China, Japan, and Korea. They answer four questions and then use what they have learned to write a letter of introduction to a Japanese exchange...

Students compare and contrast common animals children love and have as pets in Japan and America in this early elementary lesson. The culminating project is an original work of art by each student depicting an animal of their choice.

Fifth graders compare and contrast the traditions and customs of the holiday with those in Korea and Japan. They express themselves with few non-native grammatical errors in speaking and writing; develop and use background...

Students identify that Japanese folktales reveal information about Japanese history, life, and customs. Students identify and interpret the work kamishibai, paper play and explain that in Japanese folktales are told through a series of...