Lesson Idea • Journey to Japan!
Have the students make passports that will be stamped as they enter Japan. On a large world map, students can plot their journey to Japan.

Maps & Images • East Asia in Geographic Perspective [Asia for Educators]
Teachers seeking maps and other visual materials on landscape and culture are encouraged to consult this teaching module on East Asia’s geography. Standard 4: Physical and Human Characteristics of Places will be particularly useful.

• Japan’s Geography [Asia for Educators]
Reading on major features of Japan’s geography.

Images • Visiting Japan via Webcam [Outdoor Japan]
Webcams today are deployed throughout Asia, providing extraordinary glimpses of the physical majesty and cultural landscapes of this vast region. This page lists live webcam footage from throughout Japan.

Images • Photographs of Japan for the Classroom [East Asia in Geographic Perspective, Asia for Educators]
Part of a larger unit on East Asia's Geography.

Lesson Plan • City or Country Life? [National Geographic]
For grades 3-5. Students often think of Asia as being “undeveloped” and rural, but some of the world’s largest and most dynamic cities are located there. With this lesson plan, students will come to better determine what is “urban” and what is “rural.” Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, and Hong Kong are examined, as are villages in East Asia’s agricultural areas. Note to teachers: The examples in the first part of this lesson plan do not cover Asia specifically. Teachers looking for Asian samples for the first part of the lesson should use the Webcam links mentioned above. For Asia content and related links in this lesson plan, go to the “Extending Lesson” section.

• Views of Mt. Fuji [The British Museum]
The exhibition 100 Views of Mount Fuji explored a wide range of manifestations of the mountain in Japanese art, as portrayed in 100 works by painters and print designers from the seventeenth century to the present, including Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), Munakata Shikô (1903-75), and Hagiwara Hideo (born 1913).

Lesson Plan • Capturing a Moment: Art and Haiku [PDF] [Freer/Sackler Galleries, Smithsonian Institution]
Beginning on page page 85 of this PDF document, this lesson plan (Lesson Plan 3) aims to “instill an appreciation for the way natural imagery and sensory information are used in the composition of a haiku poem.” Part of The Arts of Japan: A Teacher's Guide (look under Japanese Art » Teachers Resources to see all three PDF files linked to this guide).

• Japanese Landscapes [The British Museum]
A brief introduction to landscapes in Japanese painting.

Lesson Idea • Rice Cultivation
Have students research and discuss the stages of rice cultivation and compare wet-rice and dry-rice techniques. Discuss how climate determines which crops are grown around the world.

Lesson Plan • The Rhythm of Rice Production [National Geographic]
For grades K-2. Students will explore the importance of rice in Asian communities. They will then learn about the “rhythm” of rice production as they are introduced to its growing cycle. Finally, students will create seasonal images of rice cultivation in a calendar format.

Lesson Idea • Chopsticks
Have students practice using chopsticks. Discuss what countries use chopsticks as eating utensils. [Answer: China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam — the countries that form the East Asian cultural sphere. They also share Confucian thought, Buddhism, and the use of Chinese characters at some point in their histories.] Note that in many other countries of South, Southeast, and West Asia the custom is to eat with one hand, often using breads to scoop food.

Lesson Plan • An Introduction to Japanese Food [PDF] [Institute of Japanese Studies, The Ohio State University]
For grades 1-3. Students will be introduced to a typical Japanese meal and the use of chopsticks.

Lesson Plan • Japan: Geography, Culture, and Cuisine [Programs in International Education Resources (PIER), Yale University]
For grades K-8. A series of lesson plans and classroom activities.

• Not Just Sushi: An Adventure in Japanese Culture for 6th Grade Learners [University of Texas, Austin]
Explore Tokyo and its restaurants — hear Japanese spoken (with translations) and learn about geography, food, and culture in Japan. “The goal of this Web site is to give you the chance you explore the various kinds of foods eaten in Japan. By the time you have explored each restaurant and visited some related Web sites, we hope you will be an expert in the history, geography, nutrition, and ethnography of Japanese food.” Site created by graduate students in the Instructional Technology Program at the University of Texas at Austin. Includes a guide for teachers.

• Obento: The Japanese Lunch Box [About Japan, Japan Society]
For grades K-5. Students will understand the importance of an obento (lunch box) in the Japanese lifestyle, learn the basic rules of an obento, and be exposed to a part of the Japanese food culture.

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