Goals & Objectives
Students will learn about the various aspects of Japanese culture that were greatly influenced by China and Korea. Students will identify the Chinese and Korean influences on cultural, artistic, architectural, and governmental elements in Japan and will create projects to explore such topics further.
California State Content Standards & Common Core Standards
7.5 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Medieval Japan.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
- 7.5.1 Describe the significance of Japan's proximity to China and Korea and the intellectual, linguistic, religious, and philosophical influence of those countries on Japan.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Lesson Introduction
The teacher will put the map of China, Korea, and Japan up on the overhead to give the students a visual idea of the close proximity of those countries. The teacher will engage the class in a quick discussion about how this geography would promote and easily allow cultural diffusion between the countries.
Vocabulary
Students will continue adding key terms, their definitions, and example sentences/pictures to their vocabulary journals. As students work on their projects they'll be keeping track of vocabulary that is important to the topic they are researching. They will put these terms with definitions on one of the slides in their presentation so their classmates can also add them to their own vocabulary journals. Key terms for this lesson include:
- regent
- kanji
- kana
- tanka
- pagoda
- gagaku
- sho
- bureaucracy
Content Delivery (Project)
The teacher will begin by explaining the following: "cultural influences from the Asian mainland had been reaching Japan for hundreds of years, however during Prince Shotoku’s reign Chinese and Korean cultural influences became more prevalent. The prince admired Chinese and Korean culture, and he encouraged contact with the mainland. In 607, he sent an official representative to the Chinese court. Upper class Japanese began traveling to China, where they learned about Chinese literature, art, philosophy, and government. Over the next 300 years, Japan eagerly absorbed elements of culture— objects, ideas, and customs—from the Asian mainland. This helped shape Japanese culture because Japan blended native ideas with ideas from other cultures into its own unique civilization."
The teacher will have already set up a gallery walk of information about Chinese and Korean influences on Japanese culture. There will be papers with images and information of things such as writing systems, musical instruments, architecture, designs of cities, structure of government, poetry styles, Buddhism, etc. posted all around the room. The students will walk around and take some notes on each item posted. Once students have some background information on all the possible topics for their project, they will sign up for what they've chosen (no more than 2 groups will be able to sign up for each topic).
The teacher will have already set up a gallery walk of information about Chinese and Korean influences on Japanese culture. There will be papers with images and information of things such as writing systems, musical instruments, architecture, designs of cities, structure of government, poetry styles, Buddhism, etc. posted all around the room. The students will walk around and take some notes on each item posted. Once students have some background information on all the possible topics for their project, they will sign up for what they've chosen (no more than 2 groups will be able to sign up for each topic).
Student Engagement
For their projects, students will be in groups of 3 and will be required to make a creative poster and a 5 slide Prezi or Powerpoint presentation on their chosen topic. The project will take 1 week to complete and will be worked on both in and outside of class. One class period will be dedicated to research time in the computer lab, and each group member will be in charge of researching different elements of their topic. The first group member will be researching what their topic is and how it influenced Japanese culture, the second member will be researching how the Japanese people blended or adapted their topic to make it uniquely Japanese, and the third member will be researching if/how their topic is utilized in modern Japanese culture. This way each group member can truly and effectively collaborate on their project. Throughout the week the teacher will check in with students to make sure that they are progressing in their research and are on track with their projects. When it is due, each group will use their Prezi/Powerpoint and poster to present their topic to the class (should take about 2 days for presentations). The students will be graded using the following scoring guide and they can also use it as a checklist to make sure they include all the required elements.
Below is a student sample of what the Prezi/Powerpoint presentation should look like.
Lesson Closure
After the project presentations are finished, the students will write down one Chinese or Korean influence they learned about on a post-it note as their ticket out of class. They will post their response on a poster paper stuck to the whiteboard before they leave class. Each period will have their own poster paper on which to leave their responses.
Assessment
Formative: During the research time in class, the teacher will regularly check in with groups of students to monitor the quality of their research. The teacher will make sure students are understanding their topics and are on the right track.
Summative: The teacher will grade students' projects using the scoring guide to assess student comprehension and will use it to identify any areas that need re-teaching. The teacher will also assess the exit ticket answers posted by the students to further gauge student comprehension.
Summative: The teacher will grade students' projects using the scoring guide to assess student comprehension and will use it to identify any areas that need re-teaching. The teacher will also assess the exit ticket answers posted by the students to further gauge student comprehension.
Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers, and Students with Special Needs
Strategically placing these students in heterogeneous groups with native speakers or more academically advanced students can provide them with good support during the creation and research for their projects. They'll be able to use lots of images and multimedia to help them articulate and better comprehend their chosen topics and other group's topics as well while watching all the presentations. By creating a project, they will take ownership of what they've learned and will be able to retain that knowledge more effectively.