1. Understand how various sources provide information about the past.
2. Understand how various cultures influence communities.
3. Understand how events, individuals and ideas have influenced the history of local and regional communities.
4. Understand how diverse cultures are visible in local and regional communities.
5. Use technology tools and skills to reinforce classroom concepts and activities.
6. Apply the research process by participating in whole-class research.
Materials
Art from Japan: Nirvana from TNM collection paintings
Folk Tale: The Tongue-Cut Sparrow (Japan) – 2 versions
Photos of people: ndl.go.jp/portrait/e/contents/list
Japan.org
Origami-instructions.com/orgami-for-kids.html
Tnm.jp
Activities
(Prerequisites: Language arts, adjectives and adverbs, Drama: mime, Art, water color)
**Field Trip to foods from Japan before day 3**
Day 1
1. Literacy:
2. 2 groups different versions of: The Tongue – Cut Sparrow
3. Discussion (WG) – Folk tales: passed down or translated
4. Traditions
5. Compare and Contrast – different versions
6. Geography: Find Japan on Map
Centers: Water Colors, Writing in Japanese, Origami, Mime from YouTube
**Make sure art has covered watercolor**
Day 2
1. Guest Speaker
2. Cultural Awareness
3. Art
4. Music
5. Clothes
6. Food, etc.
Day 3
Fruits & Vegetables* – using Japanese Food & Adjectives & Adverbs*
Day 4
Sensory Paper Bag Poetry*
Day 5
Metaphorical Tightrope Walkers*
Day 6
Need To Tell Lesson* (students will select their photos at this point) Demonstrate with one photo
Day 7
Need To Tell Lesson * Continues
Day 8
Memory Paragraph Lesson
Day 9
Physical Characterization & Body Language* – leading into chair activity
Day 10
Editing – Turning Paragraphs into Poetry
Day 11
Merging/Editing poetry and monologues
Days 12 and 13
Pull into performance
Day 14
Informance
* Refer to Jef Lambdin and Mimi Herman’s 2013“Poetry in Action: Teaching Descriptive Writing through Poetry and Mime” workshop unit plan for more details.
Differentiation Approaches
Already embedded in the lesson.
Assessment
Rubrics
Follow Up and Extension Ideas
Students will use tools learned in this lesson to explore China and Canada.
Additional Details
- Grade Level: Second, Third
- Arts Content Area: Theatre Arts, Visual Arts
- Non-Arts Content Area: English Language Arts, Social Studies