Japan Grade Level or Special Area: Second Grade Written by: Shannon Rechkemmer, Woodrow Wilson Academy, Westminster, Colorado Length of Unit: 10 lessons (approximately 2 ½ weeks, one day = 35-45 minutes)

I.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this unit is to educate students about Japan as a country. The unit will focus on the geography of Japan, the use of modern technology in Japan, as well as traditional cultural aspects such as the kimono and origami. During the unit, the students will be engaged in handson activities to help them relate to the material they are learning. The children will be exposed to small pieces of Japan’s history that are carried on through traditions. However, the students will also see that Japan is a very modern country with great technological advancements that we use in America everyday.

II.

OVERVIEW A. Concept Objectives 1. Understand how to use a map to gather information about people and places. 2. Develop an understanding about the continent of Asia. 3. Develop an awareness of countries with large populations. 4. Recognize a greater number of components within the Japanese culture. B. Content from the Core Knowledge Sequence 1. Geography of Japan (page 48) a. locate relative to continental Asia: “land of the rising sun” b. country made up of islands, four major islands c. Pacific Ocean, Sea of Japan d. Mt. Fuji e. Tokyo 2. Culture (page 48) a. Japanese flag b. big modern cities, centers of industry and business c. traditional craft: origami d. traditional costume: kimono 3. Language Arts: The Tongue-Cut Sparrow (page 45) C. Skill Objectives 1. The student will be able to fill in a map of Japan. 2. The student will be able to participate in a class review session. 3. The student will be able to complete a model of the Japanese flag. 4. The student will be able to explain what the Japanese flag symbolizes. 5. The student will be able to tell the importance of Japanese industry through a picture and description. 6. The student will be able to complete a worksheet about Japanese ways of life. 7. The student will be able to complete a Venn diagram comparing Japanese and American ways of life. 8. The student will be able to create a haiku following the 5-7-5 syllable pattern. 9. The student will be able to participate in a class cherry blossom festival by making a cherry blossom. 10. The student will be able to list two reasons for the celebration of the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival.

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11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

The student will be able to make a kimono doll using the directions given by the teacher. The student will be able to describe a kimono and obi and why the kimono is worn after completing the lesson on kimonos. The student will be able to complete a carp banner to display for Children’s Day. The student will be able to summarize the “Tongue-Cut Sparrow” and describe the moral learned. The student will be able to participate in a variety of activities pertaining to Japanese culture.

III.

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE A. For Teachers 1. Green, J. Nations of the World: Japan. New York: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, 2001. ISBN: 2. Hirsch, E.D. What Your Second Grader Needs to Know. Virginia: Delta, 1988. ISBN: 0-385-31843-X B. For Students 1. Spatial Sense: seven continents, major oceans, directions (page 47 from the Core Knowledge Sequence)

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RESOURCES A. Japan: Faces and Places by Elma Schemenaur (Lesson One) B. Look What Came From Japan by Miles Harvey (Lesson Three) C. Video: Global Friends of Japan: Global Friends (Lesson Four) D. “The Tongue-Cut Sparrow” found in What Your Second Grader Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. (Lesson Nine) E. Countries and Cultures for Young Explorers by Lynita Strei (Lesson Six and Ten) F. Hands-On Heritage: Japan by Edupress (Lessons Seven and Ten) G. Culture Kit: Japan by Scholastic (Lessons Six, Eight, and Ten)

V.

LESSONS Lesson One: Introduction to Japan: Geography (approximately 45 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Understand how to use a map to gather information about people and places. b. Develop an understanding about the continent of Asia. c. Develop an awareness of countries with large populations. 2. Lesson Content a. Locate relative to continental Asia: “land of the rising sun” b. Country made up of islands, four major islands c. Pacific Ocean, Sea of Japan d. Mt. Fuji e. Tokyo 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The student will be able to fill in a map of Japan. b. The student will be able to participate in a class review session. B. Materials 1. Student map – Appendix A (one copy for each student) 2. Teacher Guide – Appendix B (one copy for teacher reference) 3. Picture of Tokyo

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C. D.

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4. Picture of Mt. Fuji 5. Book- Japan: Places and Faces by Elma Schemenaur 6. Overhead of student map Key Vocabulary 1. Island – an area of land surrounded by water on all sides 2. Konnichiwa – Japanese way of saying hello Procedures/Activities 1. Begin by greeting the class, “Konnichiwa.” Explain that this is the Japanese way to say hello. Let the students know that we will be studying Japan over the next two weeks. To begin we are going to locate Japan on a map. 2. Have the students take out their Japan maps (Appendix A). Ask the students if they notice anything unusual about Japan. (They may notice that Japan is made of islands, there are four main parts, it is in water, etc.) Tell the class that Japan is a country made up of islands. Write the definition of an island at the bottom of the student maps. The definition can be found in Key Vocabulary. There are four major islands in Japan and about 3,000 smaller islands. Label the four major islands on the map. (See teacher guide – Appendix B.) 3. Next, point out that since Japan is made up of islands it is not touching the continent it is a part of. The country of Japan is part of the continent, Asia. Review: What are two other countries we have studied that are a part of Asia? (China and India) Remember that when we studied India and China we talked about the large populations found there. Japan is also home to many people. At the bottom of the map record the population of Japan: 126 million. 4. To help the students understand how large that is point out California on a map of the U.S. Explain that Japan and California are close to the same size. In California about 30 million people live there compared to 126 million people in Japan. That means for every one person in California there are about four people in Japan. Therefore, the islands of Japan are very crowded. Most of the people in Japan live on one of the four major islands. The largest island, Honshu, is also the island that has the capital of Japan, Tokyo. 5. Locate Honshu on the student map again and label the capital, Tokyo. Record the name of the capital at the bottom of the page. Tokyo is Japan’s largest city with 27 million people. It is just like many of the major cities we see in the United States such as New York City. Many people live and work there. Most of the people live in apartment buildings. Show a picture of Tokyo, if available, pointing out the apartment buildings and tall skyscrapers. 6. Another important detail to add to the map is the water surrounding the country of Japan. On the East side of Japan, label the Pacific Ocean on the student maps. On the West side of Japan, lies the Sea of Japan; label on the student maps. The Sea of Japan separates Japan from the rest of the continent of Asia. 7. Next, find the island of Honshu again and label Mt. Fuji. Explain that Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan and is also a volcano. The last time Mt. Fuji erupted was in the early 1700’s. Show a pic ture of Mt. Fuji if available. 8. All the places that we labeled on the map are important for our study of Japan. We will be referring to the map to study, so have the students place the map in a safe place or collect the maps for safekeeping. We will also be testing over information on the map at the end of the unit. 9. If time allows, you may want to finish the lesson with a book that reviews the material covered in the lesson. One suggestion is the book, Japan: Faces and Places by Elma Schemenaur. Read the parts of the book that review the information learned and show pictures to help the students get an image of Japan.

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Close the lesson with a quick review session: a. What continent is Japan a part of? Asia b. Japan is made up of four major _____? islands c. What is the capital? Tokyo d. What is the largest mountain in Japan? Mt. Fuji e. What body of water is on the East? Pacific Ocean f. What body of water is on the West? Sea of Japan g. Does Japan have more or less people than California? More Assessment/Evaluation 1. The teacher will assess the students’ maps to check for accuracy and completion. The grade will be added to the final rubric (appendix R). 2. The teacher will assess the students on their participation during the class review session.

Lesson Two: Land of the Rising Sun: Japanese flag (approximately 35 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Develop an understanding about the continent of Asia. 2. Lesson Content a. Japanese flag, page 48 b. Land of the Rising Sun, page 48 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The student will be able to complete a model of the Japanese flag. b. The student will be able to explain what the Japanese flag symbolizes. B. Materials 1. White construction paper – one piece for each student 2. Red circle –pre-cut from construction paper to fit in the center of the white paper – one per student 3. Glue C. Key Vocabulary 1. Nippon – source of the sun D. Procedures/Activities 1. Begin with a review of Lesson One. Ask review questions similar to those found at the end of Lesson One. Have students take out their maps and review material if necessary. 2. Today we will be learning about Japan’s flag and what it means. 3. Show a picture of a Japanese flag. Ask students what they think the red dot stands for? If the class does not guess a sun lead them to the answer with clues. When students guess a sun, explain why the flag has a sun on it. 4. Japan is nicknamed the “land of the rising sun.” The country of Japan is so far east that it is said they would be first people in Asia to see the sun rise each day. Therefore, they are in the land of the rising sun. The flag symbolizes the sun on a white background. The red stands for sincerity, brightness, and warmth. The white stands for purity and justice. 5. In Japan, people call their country Nippon. Nippon means source of the sun. People in Japan do not call their country Japan. That is the English name given to the country. 6. Have the class make Japanese flags to display in the classroom. Each student will need a piece of white construction paper and a red circle. Have the students glue the red circle in the center of their paper. Other variations of the flag can be

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made by coloring in a red circle on white paper, or having the students glue crinkled red tissue paper in a circle on the paper. 7. After the flag is complete, have the students turn over their flag and write land of the rising sun on the back. You may also have them write Nippon and its meaning on the back of the flag. 8. Ask the students to explain what the Japanese flag symbolizes to check for understanding. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The teacher will assess the students on the completion and accuracy of their Japanese flag. The grade will be added to the rubric (appendix R). 2. The teacher will assess the students on their ability to tell what the Japanese flag symbolizes.

Lesson Three: Modern Day Japan (approximately 45 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Recognize a greater number of components within the Japanese culture. b. Develop an understanding about the continent of Asia. 2. Lesson Content a. Big modern cities, centers of industry and business 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The student will be able to tell the importance of Japanese industry through a picture and description of a Japanese product. B. Materials 1. Book – Look What Came From Japan by Miles Harvey 2. Piece of plain white paper – one per student 3. Markers/crayons C. Key Vocabulary 1. Modern - advanced 2. Technology – the use of scientific knowledge in industry D. Procedures/Activities 1. Ask students what they think life would be like if they lived in Japan. Do you think it would be different or the same? Why? You may generate a class list on the board for reference. 2. Tell the students that even though Japan is a different country, many things about Japan are similar to things in the United States. When we think of big cities in the U.S. we think of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Denver. These big cities have many people who live and work there. Usually, there are big companies and tall buildings. Japan is no different than the U.S. when it comes to big cities. They also have many big cities with tall buildings and lots of people. 3. If available, show pictures of Japan’s large cities. Show apartment buildings, city lights, companies, museums, skyscrapers, etc. so the children can see that Japan is very modern. 4. Not only is Japan very modern, but it is also very technologically advanced. Ask students what some of their favorite things to do are. Undoubtedly, you will have some answers with TV, video games, etc. Explain that many of their favorite things come from Japan. Japan is known for making electronics such as TV’s, video games, stereos, CD’s, etc. However, there are many other things that come from Japan as well.

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Read the book, Look What Came From Japan by Miles Harvey. After reading the book discuss the many things we have today that came from Japan. 6. Have the students pick one item from the book that they use. On a separate sheet of paper have the students draw a picture of that item and tell why it is important to them. Display the drawings on a bulletin board entitled, “My favorite things from Japan.” 7. Help the students to understand that Japan is very modern. Just like the U.S., Japan is an old country with lots of history, but like modern day U.S., Japan is very similar with modern ways of life too. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The teacher will assess the students drawing for use of a complete sentence, correct use of a Japanese product, and neatness/effort. The grade is to be recorded in the rubric (appendix R).

Lesson Four: Growing Up in Japan (approximately 45 minutes – 1 hour) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Recognize a greater number of components within the Japanese culture. 2. Lesson Content a. Japanese culture 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The student will be able to complete a worksheet about Japanese ways of life. b. The student will be able to complete a Venn diagram. B. Materials 1. Venn Diagram – Appendix C (one copy for each student) 2. Example Venn Diagram – Appendix D (copy for teacher reference) 3. Video Worksheet – Appendix E (one copy for each student) 4. Video: Global Friends of Japan 5. Quiz – Appendix F (one copy for each student) C. Key Vocabulary 1. Calligraphy – writing using Japanese characters 2. Sensei – Japanese word for teacher 3. Chopsticks – Japanese utensil for eating; two narrow sticks D. Procedures/Activities 1. Think about your life as a second grade student. You probably live in a house or apartment with televisions, stereos, and cd players. You go to school 5 days a week where you learn your alphabet and many other skills. You play games with your friends at school and at home. Now imagine growing up in Japan. Do you think it would be similar or different? Why? Let’s find out. 2. Watch the video, Global Friends of Japan. This video follows a typical Japanese student through their week. 3. After the video, complete the Venn Diagram (Appendix C) as a class. A sample can be found in Appendix D. Discuss the similarities and differences the video pointed out. 4. Next hand out Appendix E and have the students fill out the page using what they learned in the video. 5. Appendix F is a quiz that can be given at the end of this lesson or at the beginning of next lesson. E. Assessment/Evaluation

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The teacher will assess the students’ worksheet for accuracy and completion and record the grade in the rubric (appendix R).

Lesson Five: Haiku (approximately 35-45 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Recognize a greater number of components within the Japanese culture. 2. Lesson Content a. Japanese culture, writing poetry 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The student will be able to create a haiku following the 5-7-5 syllable pattern. B. Materials 1. Example Haiku – Appendix G (one copy for teacher reference) 2. Paper 3. Magazines to cut out pictures of nature C. Key Vocabulary 1. Haiku – a type of Japanese poetry consisting of three lines in the pattern 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables 2. Nature – the world of living things and outdoors 3. Syllables – a word or part of a word that is pronounced as a single sound D. Procedures/Activities 1. Tell the class that one of the items that we read about that came from Japan was a type of poetry. It is called Haiku. Haikus are short poems that only have three lines. The three lines follow a special pattern. The first line has five syllables. The second line has seven syllables. The third line has five syllables. Review what a syllable is with your class. 2. Explain that haikus are usually written about nature. Discuss with your class what nature is and some examples of nature. 3. Read the sample haiku to the class (Appendix G). It may help to make an overhead of the poem to show the class the 5-7-5 syllable pattern. 4. As a class come up with a haiku. Explain that the students are now going to create their own haiku. Restate that it needs to be written about nature. Once the students have had their rough draft checked by a teacher they may choose a pie ce of paper to write their haiku on. 5. When the haiku is finished have the student pick a picture out of a magazine to illustrate their haiku. Have the student cut out the picture and glue it to the piece of paper with the poem. Turn in the haiku to be graded. E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The teacher will check the haiku for the correct syllable pattern, neatness, and creativity and record in the rubric (Appendix R). Lesson Six: Cherry Blossom Festival (approximately 45 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Recognize a greater number of components within the Japanese culture. 2. Lesson Content a. Japanese culture 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The student will be able to participate in a class cherry blossom festival by making a cherry blossom.

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b. B.

C. D.

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The student will be able to list two reasons for the celebration of the Japanese Cherry Blossom festival.

Materials 1. Tissue paper 2. Pipe cleaners 3. Directions for cherry blossoms – Appendix H (adapted from Japan: Culture Kit by Linda Scher and Mary Oates Johnson) 4. Song – Appendix I Key Vocabulary 1. Cherry blossom- a blooming flower that is the national flower of Japan 2. Sakura – cherry trees, name of song sung at Cherry Blossom festival Procedures/Activities 1. Japanese people have holidays that celebrate the seasons. The seasons are very important to them. Review the four seasons with your students. In the Spring, the Japanese celebrate cherry blossom time. The cherry blossom is often used as a symbol of Japan. Show the class a picture of a cherry blossom if available. The cherry blossom is Japan’s national flower. 2. During cherry blossom season people travel to see the flowers bloom. They have picnics in parks and eat a special sweet called sakura mochi. This is cake wrapped in leaves that you eat. They are made to look like the leaves of a cherry tree. 3. During cherry blossom time, new things happen. It is the start of a new school year, companies begin a new business year, and graduates begin work. 4. The Japanese sing a song called Sakura during the cherry blossom festival. Play a tape of song if available or look at words on Appendix I. A tape can be found as part of the Culture Kit for Japan by Linda Scher and Mary Oates Johnson. 5. Then, make cherry blossoms with your students and have a cherry blossom festival of your own. The blossoms can be hung on the students’ desks or connected together to decorate the classroom. Directions for the cherry blossoms are found in Appendix H. 6. As each student completes their blossom have them come up and show teacher the completed assignment. While student is showing the teacher ask the student to list two reasons the Japanese celebrate Cherry Blossom Festival. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The teacher will assess students on their cooperation and involvement in the making of cherry blossoms. 2. The teacher will check to see if the students can identify two reasons for the celebration of the cherry blossom festival and record results in rubric (Appendix R).

Lesson Seven: Traditional Dress: Kimono (approximately 35-45 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Recognize a greater number of components within the Japanese culture. 2. Lesson Content a. Traditional costume: kimono 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The student will be able to make a kimono doll using the directions given by the teacher. b. The student will be able to describe a kimono and an obi and tell why it is worn after completing the lesson on kimonos.

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C. D.

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Materials 1. Kimono doll directions – Appendix J (Adapted from Japan: Culture Kit by Linda Scher and Mary Oates Johnson) 2. Toilet paper rolls 3. Fabric 4. Doll forms Key Vocabulary 1. Kimono – a traditional Japanese costume, a long robe with wide sleeves 2. Obi – the sash that is tied around a kimono Procedures/Activities 1. Many of the pictures we have seen in books and in the video have showed the people in Japan wearing clothes similar to ours. However, the Japanese have a special outfit that is worn by both men and women. It is called a kimono. A kimono is a long robe with wide sleeves. Around the waist a sash, called an obi, is tied. Today, the kimono is usually worn for special occasions, but some Japanese people still wear a kimono on a regular basis. 2. If available, show pictures of a kimono to the class. 3. Explain that today we are going to make kimono dolls. See Appendix J for instructions on how to make dolls. This craft takes some pre -planning to gather materials. 4. As students are completing their dolls, the teacher should walk around the room to check the completion of the dolls as well as ask the students to describe the kimono and when and why it is used. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The teacher will assess students on their completion and neatness on their kimono dolls. 2. The teacher will assess the students on their knowledge of a kimono by asking them to describe what a kimono is and when/why it is worn and record their score in the rubric (Appendix R).

Lesson Eight: Boy’s Day/ Girl’s Day (approximately 35 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Recognize a greater number of components within the Japanese culture. 2. Lesson Content a. Japanese culture 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The student will be able to complete a carp banner to display for Children’s Day. B. Materials 1. Directions for carp banner – Appendix K (adapted from Japan: Culture Kit by Linda Scher and Mary Oates Johnson) 2. Construction paper – various colors – two pieces per student 3. Markers 4. Scissors 5. Stapler 6. Newspaper C. Key Vocabulary 1. Carp – fish that symbolizes strength and determination 2. Hina – small dolls 3. Samurai - warrior

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Procedures/Activities 1. In Japan, there are special days to celebrate children. Today we will be making crafts to celebrate children’s day and talk about what the craft stands for. 2. Explain the history behind the celebrations: One festival is Girl’s Day. It takes place on March 3. On this day, girls dress in their best kimono and invite friends over to look at their family’s doll collection. Hina are small dolls that represent the emperor and empress of Japan’s early capital, Kyoto. The rulers are placed on a high shelf with the other dolls below them. The dolls are very special to the families and are often passed down for many generations. While the friends are over they share a drink made from rice wine and eat colored rice cakes and candies. 3. Another festival is Children’s Day, it also used to be called Boy’s Day. This is on May 5. This holiday is filled with the hope that the children will grow up healthy, brave, and determined. On this holiday, the families put out samurai, or warrior dolls. They also put iris leaves under the overhangs of the house to keep evil away. During this holiday, families put out large carp banners or streamers outside their homes. The carp is a symbol of determination and strength. 4. Since we made kimono dolls during lesson 7 we are going to make carp streamers for children’s day. The banners can be hung as decoration in the classroom. 5. Directions can be found in Appendix K. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The teacher will assess students on their completion and neatness on the carp banner and record in rubric (Appendix R).

Lesson Nine: The Tongue -Cut Sparrow (approximately 35 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Recognize a greater number of components within the Japanese culture. 2. Lesson Content a. Language Arts: Japanese folk tale page 45 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The student will be able to summarize the story and describe the moral learned. B. Materials 1. Story – “The Tongue-Cut Sparrow” from What Your Second Grader Needs to Know. 2. Unit Test – Appendix L C. Key Vocabulary 1. Sparrow – a small grayish or brownish bird 2. Greedy – a selfish desire for more than what one needs 3. Folktale – a type of story often involving animals that can talk, often they teach a moral lesson D. Procedures/Activities 1. Introduce the Japanese folktale by defining what a folktale is. Let the class know that folktales are fictional stories that often have talking animals. They often teach us a lesson. Read the folktale “The Tongue-cut Sparrow” from What Your Second Grader Needs to Know. Ask the students to try to identify the lesson being learned and what makes this story a folktale. 2. After reading the folktale, discuss what made the story a folktale - a talking bird, lesson being taught, couldn’t happen in real life, etc.

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Discuss the lesson in the story. The lesson is to not be greedy. What happened when the woman was greedy? What does this teach us? 4. As a class write a summary of the story. Make sure to include the characters, setting, problem, and solution. 5. At the end of this lesson you may have a review session and give the test (Appendix L) or make this a separate day. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The teacher will check the students’ summaries for completion and correct grammar and punctuation and record in rubric. 2. The teacher will assess the students by administering the unit test.

Lesson Ten: Japanese Day (approximately 1 ½ - 2 hours) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Develop an understanding about the continent of Asia. b. Recognize a greater number of components within the Japanese culture. 2. Lesson Content a. Japanese Culture b. Traditional Craft: Origami 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The student will be able to participate in a variety of activities relating to Japanese culture. B. Materials 1. Calligraphy Station- black paint, paintbrushes, white paper, examples of calligraphy (Appendix M) 2. Food Station – a variety of Japanese dishes – see recipes (Appendix N) 3. Origami Station – various pieces of square paper, origami patterns (Appendix O) 4. Kimono Station – one extra large v neck t-shirt per student, scissors, iron, markers, ribbon, cardboard, directions (Appendix P) (adapted from Hands-On Heritage: Japan by Edupress) 5. Japanese Games Station – Appendix Q 6. Parent Volunteers C. Key Vocabulary 1. Origami – traditional Japanese paper folding art 2. Kimono – long robe with wide sleeves 3. Obi – sash tied around waist of kimono D. Procedures/Activities 1. When the students come in the classroom have them take off their shoes and place them in a neat, straight line. 2. Explain the stations to the students and to the parents prior to the students arriving in the room. 3. There are five stations. The students will be in groups of five to six each. Each group will have 10-15 minutes per station. The groups will rotate around the stations when instructed to do so. At the calligraphy station the parent volunteers will be helping the students write Japanese symbols with black paint. 4. At the food station the students will have a chance to sample Japanese dishes. If chopsticks are available they may try to use chopsticks as well. If you have the space try to arrange the meal on a low table with students sitting on pillows on the floor. 5. At the origami station the students will be working with parent volunteers to make a few different origami designs.

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6.

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At the kimono station, the parents will be helping the students create their own kimono. 7. At the Japanese games station the parents will be helping the small group learn some Japanese games to play. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The teacher will assess the students on their overall participation and cooperation on the Japanese Day and record in the rubric (Appendix R).

VI.

CULMINATING ACTIVITY A. In addition to Lesson Ten, another activity could be to take a field trip to watch a Japanese Tea Party. The Arvada Center in Arvada, Colorado put on an excellent program in the 2001-2002 school year. There may be a similar production in your area.

VII.

HANDOUTS/WORKSHEETS A. Appendix A: Student Map B. Appendix B: Teacher Map C. Appendix C: Venn Diagram D. Appendix D: Venn Diagram teacher guide E. Appendix E: Video Worksheet F. Appendix F: Japan Quiz G. Appendix G: Haikus H. Appendix H: Cherry Blossom Activity I. Appendix I: Cherry Blossom Song J. Appendix J: Kimono Dolls K. Appendix K: Carp Banners L. Appendix L: Japan Test M. Appendix M: Calligraphy Sample N. Appendix N: Recipes O. Appendix O: Origami P. Appendix P: Kimono station Q. Appendix Q: Japanese Games R. Appendix R: Rubric

VIII. BIBLIOGRAPHY A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H.

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Green, J. Nations of the World: Japan. New York: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, 2001. ISBN: 0-8172-5783-7 Harvey, M. Look What Came From Japan. New York: Franklin Watts, 1999. ISBN: 0531-11500-3 Hirsch, E.D. What Your Second Grader Needs to Know. Virginia: Delta, 1988. ISBN: 0385-31843-X Keller, M. Hands-On Heritage: Japan. Canada: Edupress, 1994. ISBN: 1-56472-048-9 Schemenaur, E. Japan: Faces and Places. United States: The Child’s World, 1998. ISBN: 1-56766-371-0 Scher, L. and Johnson, M.O. Culture Kit: Japan. New York: Scholastic, 2000. ISBN: 0590-38159-8 Strei, L. Countries and Cultures for Young Explorers: Japan. Michigan: McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing, 2000. ISBN: 0-7424-0032-8 Video: “Global Friends: Japan.” California: Global Friends, 1996. To order call 1-800393-5421.

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Appendix A

Student Map

Population:_____________________________ Capital:________________________________

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Appendix B

Teacher Map

Population:

126 million

Capital:

Tokyo

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Japan

United States

Appendix C

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•

•

•

•

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Teacher called sensei 5 ½ days of school Eat with chopsticks Write calligraphy Thousands of symbols Kimonos Origami

Japan

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•

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•

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TV VCR Friends Family School Paper, rock, scissors •

•

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•

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Five day school week Three month summer vacation Eat with fork and knife Write ABC’s 26 letters

United States

Appendix D

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Appendix E

After watching the video, I discovered that if I were a Japanese student I would have to ____________________________________ _____________________________.

(Circle One)

I would rather be an American Japanese student because ____________________________________ _____________________________.

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Appendix F

Japan Quiz

1. How many major islands is Japan made up of? ___________ 2.

What is Japan’s capital? ____________

3.

Name one thing that comes from Japan. _______________________________

4.

Japanese students have more school days than American students. T F

5.

Japan is called the land of the rising moon. T F

6.

What continent is Japan a part of? ___________________

7.

Draw a picture of a Japanese flag below.

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Appendix G

Example Haikus Trees in Spring bloom bright. Their pretty buds are a sight. I love trees in Spring.

Lightening flashes bright. Thunder rolls very loudly. Rain drops come down hard.

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Appendix H Directions for Cherry Blossoms (adapted from Culture Kit: Japan by Linda Scher and Mary Oates Johnson) Materials: • Pink and white facial tissues or tissue paper squares (three of each color per student) • scissors • pipe cleaners (two per student)

Directions: 1. Give each student three pink tissues and three white tissues. Hand out two pipe cleaners to each student. This will make one blossom. 2. Have the students lay the tissues on top of one another and round off the corners with their scissors to make a rough circle. 3. Have the students push one of the pipe cleaners through the center of the tissues and bend the top of the pipe cleaner over in a loop. 4. Twist the second pipe cleaner around the bottom of the first pipe cleaner to make a stem. 5. Carefully pull each tissue up around the center and fluff them up gently. Tissue may tear a little.

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Appendix I Song for Cherry Blossom Festival

Sakura (Cherry Trees) Cherry trees, cherry trees, Bloom so bright in April breeze. Like a mist or floating cloud; Fragrance fills the air around, shadows flit along the ground. Come, oh, come! Come, oh, come! Come, see cherry trees!

*Music can be found in Countries and Cultures for Young Explorers: Japan. By Lynita Strei: McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing, 2000.

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Appendix J Kimono Dolls (adapted from Culture Kit: Japan by Linda Scher and Mary Oates Johnson)

Materials: • Pre-cut squares of fabric for kimono and sleeves (various colors) Each student will have one large square and two small sleeve pieces. • empty toilet paper rolls – one per student • glue • arm pattern – one per student (cut from neutral paper) • markers • hair pattern – one per student (cut from black paper) • ribbon – (6 inches long) one per student • face pattern – one per student (cut from peach paper) • Pattern page (see attached pages) Directions: 1. First take the large square kimono fabric and glue around toilet paper roll, so that no cardboard is showing from one end. (The other end will be covered with face pattern. ) 2. Take scissors and cut two slits from the top of the doll. (The side with cardboard showing) Cut the slits about two inches down and directly across from one another. 3. Next, take the arm pattern and slide into slits that were cut. Then take the sleeve material and glue material onto arms. 4. Then, take the face pattern and glue to top of toilet paper roll where cardboard is showing. Glue the hair pattern on top of face so that end points are touching in the front of the face. (See drawing) 5. Finally, tie the ribbon around the waist for the obi and draw a face on using markers.

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Appendix J, page 2

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Appendix J, page 3

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Appendix K Carp Banner (Adapted from Culture Kit: Japan by Linda Scher and Mary Oates Johnson)

Materials: • construction paper • scissors • stapler • newspaper • crayons • string • paper punch • carp pattern (see next page) Directions: 1. Using the attached carp pattern, cut out the pattern to use for each student. Trace the pattern on a sheet of construction paper that is folded in half. 2. Decorate the carp using markers and crayons. 3. Staple the carp around the top edge, leaving an opening for the wind to go through. 4. Use a paper punch to punch holes on both sides of the mouth. Attach a string to make a loop. Lightly stuff the carp with newspaper.

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Appendix K, page 2

Carp Pattern

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Appendix L Japan Test

1.

Japan is made up of _______ large islands.

2.

Japan is located in the ________ Ocean.

3.

The highest mountain in Japan is named _______.

4. The name of the special clothing worn in Japan is a _______________. 5. The Tongue-Cut Sparrow is a folk tale that teaches us not to be __________.

large

nice

Mt. Everest

Origami greedy

kimono

four

Mt. Fuji

Arctic

Pacific

True or False 6.

The capital of Japan is Tokyo.

7.

Japan is called the land of the setting sun. True False

8.

The Cherry Blossom is Japan’s national flower. True False 8.

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True

False

Japan is on the continent of Africa. True False

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Appendix L, page 2

Fill in the blank. 10. Name one thing that comes from Japan. _________ 11.Japanese families hang ______ banners outside their house on Children’s Day. 12.Japan is _______ crowded than California. (more or less)

Label the map with the following: Sea of Japan

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Honshu

Mt. Fuji

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Pacific Ocean

Tokyo

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Appendix M

Calligraphy Examples

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Appendix N Recipes

Umani 1 lb. lean ground beef 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 cups water ¼ cup soy sauce ¾ teaspoon sugar

Steamed Vegetables Carrots Pea Pods Green Beans

Cut carrots into long sticks. Place vegetables on steamer rack over boiling water. Steam until tender. Serve with soy sauce.

Kyuri-momi 4 cucumbers 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar ½ cup rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

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Directions: Mix meat, 2 tablespoons water and cornstarch together. Form into small balls. Combine 2 cups water, soy sauce and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add meatballs and simmer about 12 minutes. Serve with a little broth.

Slice cucumber in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds. Cut into very thin slices. Sprinkle with salt and let set for 20 minutes. Rinse off salt in a colander under running water and let drain. Press gently to squeeze out water. Mix sugar and vinegar together. Pour over cucumbers.

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Appendix N, page 2

Clear Soup (Osumashi) 6 cups clear chicken broth 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon salt 8 mushroom slices chopped chives

Eggdrop Soup 6 cups clear chicken broth 1 tablespoon soy sauce 3 eggs 4 tablespoons minced scallions

No-Cook Rice Balls enough cooked, salted cooled rice for each student to have a small ball. Do not use butter in cooking rice. Water Seaweed chopped cooked carrots, peas, mushroom, celery, cucumber

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Bring chicken broth, salt, and soy sauce to a boil in a large pot. Just before removing from heat, add mushroom slices. Pour into bowls and add a pinch of chives to each. Bring chicken broth and soy sauce to a boil. While the broth is heating, beat the eggs well. Add scallions to the beaten eggs. After the broth comes to a boil, turn off the heat and pour in the eggs in a thin stream, making a circle and stirring the soup constantly. The eggs will set. Pour into small bowls. Give each child a small bowl of water, a paper towel, a handful of cooled cooked rice. Tell the students to wet their hands to keep the rice from sticking. Demonstrate how to form rice balls, putting a teaspoon of chopped cooked carrots, peas,

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Appendix N, page 3

mushrooms, celery, and cucumber in the middle of the rice ball. Wrap with seaweed. Adzuki Bean Rolls frozen roll dough margarine adzuki sweet red bean paste 1 egg, slightly beaten sesame seeds, toasted in oven

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Allow balls of roll dough to rise 3 to 4 hours at room temp. Flatten each ball by pressing it between your hands. Place one teaspoonful of bean paste in the center of dough. Wrap the dough around the paste and seal the edges. Place sealed side down on greased(margarine) baking sheet. Brush lightly beaten egg over the tops of rolls. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over tops of rolls. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

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Appendix O

The following is a design for an origami cat. This is one of many designs that can be found in books on origami or online resources that specialize in origami designs.

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Appendix P

Kimono Station (adapted from Hands-on Heritage: Japan by Edupress) At this station each student needs to have an extra large adult v-neck t-shirt. Have an adult help the student cut the shirt down the front starting at the point of the V. The parent helper may iron on interfacing first to help from rolling if desired. Each student may then decorate with crayon. To set the design, place the design between pieces of brown paper bag and press down with an iron. Do not move iron back and forth. Tie extra fabric strips around waist to create an obi. You may also use long strips of ribbon. Once the kimono is down wrap the kimono closed with the left side over the right. Boys tie a narrow sash in front and girls tie a wide sash into a flat bow in back.

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Appendix Q Japanese Games

Rock, Paper, Scissors In Japanese it is Jan, Ken, Pon. The game is played with two people. The players say Jan, Ken, Pon and extend one hand. Either in a fist (rock), their whole extended hand (paper), or their first two fingers (scissors). The game is scored as follows: Rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, paper covers rock. Play for a pre-determined number of rounds. Frogs in a Lake Take chalk and outline a very large lake on a paved surface. Make sure the edges are irregular, with many bays and peninsulas going into the lake. Choose a volunteer to be the catcher. This player cannot enter the lake. The rest of the players become frogs. These players must stay inside the lake. They cannot go outside the lines of the lake. The catcher runs around the lake, out onto the peninsulas, and jumps from one neck of land to another trying to tag the frogs in the lake from the shoreline. As each frog is tagged, he or she has to leave the lake. The last frog tagged becomes the next catcher. Japanese Tag Using 4 or more players, tag one child to be “it.” “It” tags other players while keeping one hand on the place on his body where he was tagged. Using his free hand, “it” tags someone else who then becomes “it.” For a large group, use several “its.” • Play hopscotch using Kanji characters in place of numbers.

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Appendix R Rubric This rubric may be used throughout the lessons to help keep track of projects completed and points earned on each. This will help in determining the student’s final grade for the Japan unit.

Lesson 1: Student Map

Neatness/Accuracy Completion

_______ 5 pts _______ 5 pts

Lesson 2: Japanese Flag

Completion/Neatness _______ 5 pts Understanding of symbolism _______ 5 pts

Lesson 3: Technology

Completion Sentence Structure

_______ 5pts _______ 5 pts

Lesson 4: Venn Diagram Worksheet

Completion Completion/Accuracy

_______ 5 pts _______ 5 pts

Lesson 5: Haiku

Creativity/Correct Form

_______ 10 pts

Lesson 6: Cherry Blossom Festival

Participation Understanding

_______ 5 pts ________5 pts

Lesson 7: Kimono Dolls

Completion Understanding

________5 pts ________5 pts

Lesson 8: Carp Banner

Completion/neatness

________5 pts

Lesson 9: Tongue-Cut Sparrow

Lesson 10: Japanese Day TOTAL:

Complete summary Correct Grammar

Participation

________10 pts ________5 pts ________10 pts

_______________ 100 pts

This rubric total is in addition to the grades recorded on the unit test and quiz.

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