As part of the study of Japanese cultural history, introduce your class members to Chanoyu, the Way of Tea. After a discussion of the history and key elements of Chanoyu, class groups perform the ceremony.

Gagaku is music traditionally played in the Japanese imperial courts of long ago. Learners listen to this and other traditional Japanese music to gain an understanding of culture and music history. They work to identify Japanese...

Sixth graders are familiarized with the Japanese culture. They note the similarities and differences between our culture and the Japanese culture. They view slideshows and websites in order to view pictures and information about the...

Students examine the Japanese writing form of Haibun. They identify the elements of Japanese prose and poetry, analyze a haibun for writing devices, complete a graphic organizer, and compose an original haibun as a form of journal keeping.

If your class doesn't know what a haiku is, show them two examples from the Japanese poet Issa (both included here), and have them make some observations. How long are they? What is the structure? A video and a list of questions help...

Haiku poetry is explored in this language arts lesson. Yong readers identify the characteristics of haiku and read several examples. Students make connections between their study of Japan and the poetic form of haiku, and they write...

High schoolers explore the structure and content of the Tanka form and to arrive at a definition of the structure in English. They analyze a tanka to determine its structure and intent and compose two Tanka; one in traditional form and...

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...

First graders explore what life in Japan is like including, home and daily life, food and eating customs, school life, games and sports, holiday customs, and religion.

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. 

One of the most intriguing eras in world history was the shift to Feudalism in Japan. Examine the causes and effects of Japan's religion, culture, borrowing from China, and rise to Feudalism. Facts are given about the Shogunate, Samauri,...

Students improve motor skills through careful folding, a discipline necessary in the practice of origami. They develop multicultural awareness by exploring Japanese history.

Students write an in-class essay on whether they agree/disagree with Lippmann's article concerning Japanese-American internment

Students explore the links between Japanese and British culture. In this Japanese music lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding Gagaku music and then perform "Te Lucis Ante Terminum" with Japanese...

Third graders "take a trip" to Japan. They discover what life is like for a typical Japanese child and compare/contrast it to life in America. They give an oral presentation of Japanese holidays and festivals.

Students become familiar with the sound of Japanese by singing familiar songs in Japanese.

Students become familiar with family crests in general and Japanese family crests in particular. Students become familiar with the history of Japanese family crests.

Students engage in studying Jewish culture through the experience of tasting and eating different foods. They answer key questions that are used to guide the lesson. The foods of Americans is contrasted with the Jewish foods.

Seventh graders compare and contrast different types of art associated with different cultures. They identify how cultures express their values in art. They create their own collage about Japan.

Students create artistic representations of various cyclical patterns after analyzing the importance of cyclical psychology in Japanese culture. This lesson can be done in an Art class or as part of a unit in a History or Language Arts...

Explore Japanese society and national identity. Class members share ideas about the Japanese economy and then investigate a series of resources, including an article, a film, a lecture, and a poem, to learn about Japan's Bubble Economy...

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.

In this Tanka poem instructional activity, 6th graders analyze a Tanka poem for number of syllables and content parameters, then write one about a journey, real or imagined using the 6 step writing process.

Students are introduced to the traditional form of lacquerware painting in Japan. Students imitate Japanese lacquerware techniques using paper plates, gesso and tempera paints.