Lesson Plans | East Asia in Geographic Perspective

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Houses, People, Clothing, Minorities
Geomancy and Houses

Korea

Nature
Language and Writing
Food
Religion

HOUSES, PEOPLE, CLOTHING, MINORITIES

// GENERAL

Culture and Objects [National Geographic]
For grades 6-8. This lesson emphasizes the importance of using material objects to discover things about the culture of a people. In the first activity, students learn how to classify material objects according to three components of culture — ideological, technological, and sociological — and apply their understanding to an object. In the second activity, students use the "Five Ws and H" to research and analyze a selected cultural object. In the closing activity, students present, share, and display their object and completed the "Five Ws and H" handout with the class.

// CHINA

A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington

Geography
"Chinese civilization arose in a particular geographical context." A brief introduction followed by the following questions to consider while reading further:
House Architecture: Regional Variation
Photographs, text, and questions for students
People
About China's population, its minorities, and languages, with photographs, maps, and quiz questions.
Clothing
About traditional and 20th-century Chinese clothing, with images and quiz questions.

Asia Society

Visible Traces [PDF]
The Visible Traces curriculum incorporates treasures from the National Library of China that connect geography, world history, economics, religion and philosophy, world events, and fine arts. Five overarching themes include: 1) Mapping One's Place in the World, 2) Communicating Through Writing and Technology, 3) Making Values Tangible Through Word and Image, 4) Reflecting Diversity Through Language and Writing, and 5) Expressing Individuality Through Poetry and Calligraphy.

// JAPAN

Kimono [National Geographic]
For grades 6-8. In this lesson, students increase their understanding of Japanese culture by studying the evolution of the kimono. In the first activity, students learn about the history and significance of kimonos through online or library research. In the second activity, students compare Japanese kimonos to formal attire in their own culture, gaining a better understanding of clothing’s cultural significance. In the closing activity, students draw and label an example of a kimono and write a descriptive paragraph about the kimono’s design and cultural significance.

GEOMANCY AND HOUSES

// KOREA

The Art of Fengshui [TeacherVision]
A short article about fengshui. Useful as an introduction to the topic.
Explore Korea: A Visit to Grandfather's House [Seattle Art Museum]
For grades K-5. A 68-page booklet of lessons to accompany the exhibition of the same name.
Landscapes of Korea and the P'ungsu Model
The Korean adaptation of fengshui is illustrated at this interactive, self-instructing site through the use of images and terminology (Korean) related to community sites and planning. Includes a "Student Activities" section.

NATURE

// JAPAN

Creating Courses on the Environment from Asian Perspective: Visualizing Nature in Japan [PDF] [Japan Society]
This lesson plan will encourage students to begin thinking about culture through the lens of landscape.

LANGUAGE AND WRITING

// CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY

Chinese Calligraphy [Asia for Educators]
A discussion of the origins of Chinese characters, with a guide on how to write some simple characters (the numbers, 1-10) with brush and ink. Includes diagrams, pronunciation guides, and translation in English.

// JAPANESE KANJI

Written Japanese: Kanji Exercises [Asia for Educators]
Diagrams of some simple Chinese characters used in Japanese, with pronunciation guide and translation in English.

// KOREAN HAN'GUL

Han'gul: The Korean Alphabet [Asia Society]
Grades 3-8. In this lesson students will explain the origins and purpose of the Korean alphabet, han'gul, and recognize the han'gul alphabet. They will explain advantages of han'gul for the promotion of literacy and identify and pronounce six to eight han'gul characters. Teachers may want to select elements from this lesson plan and use the website An Introduction to Korean as an additional resource.

FOOD

// CHINA

China's Food and Geography [Asia for Educators]
A classroom exercise with teacher note, essay, and questions for discussion about different Chinese food regions.
Ordering a Chinese Meal [Asia for Educators]
This exercise is designed to introduce students to Chinese cuisine.
Rice vs. Wheat [The Cleveland Museum of Art]
For grades 5-9. Comparing the differences of topography shown in images of Japanese rice farming and American wheat farming.

// JAPAN

An Introduction to Japanese Food [The Ohio State University]
For grades 1-3. Lesson objective: Students will be introduced to a typical Japanese meal and the use of
chopsticks.
Japan: Land, the Family, and Political Power [Asia for Educators]
This short essay describes land cultivation (specifically, how and who cultivates the land) and the relationship between land ownership and political power. It also discusses the effect of Japan's mountainous topography on the relationship between local and central government control. Discussion questions are included.

RELIGION

// BUDDHISM IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA

The Spread of Buddhism [National Geographic]
For grades 9-12. This lesson plan, with its links to Buddhist art and map websites, amply illustrates the role of Buddhism in creating a cultural mosaic in East and Southeast Asia.

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Standard 10 Lesson Plans
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Houses, People, Clothing, Minorities General China Japan Geomancy and Houses Korea Nature Japan Language and Writing Chinese Calligraphy Japanese Kanji Korean Han'gul Food China Japan Religion Buddhism in East and Southeast Asia
HOUSES, PEOPLE, CLOTHING, MINORITIES
// GENERAL
Culture and Objects [National Geographic] For grades 6-8. This lesson emphasizes the importance of using material objects to discover things about the culture of a people. In the first activity, students learn how to classify material objects according to three components of culture — ideological, technological, and sociological — and apply their understanding to an object. In the second activity, students use the "Five Ws and H" to research and analyze a selected cultural object. In the closing activity, students present, share, and display their object and completed the "Five Ws and H" handout with the class.
// CHINA
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington Geography "Chinese civilization arose in a particular geographical context." A brief introduction followed by the following questions to consider while reading further: How did geographical location affect Chinese contacts with other early civilizations? Through what kinds of different terrain did Chinese civilization spread? Why are minorities more common today in some areas than others? House Architecture: Regional Variation Photographs, text, and questions for students People About China's population, its minorities, and languages, with photographs, maps, and quiz questions. Clothing About traditional and 20th-century Chinese clothing, with images and quiz questions. Asia Society Visible Traces [PDF] The Visible Traces curriculum incorporates treasures from the National Library of China that connect geography, world history, economics, religion and philosophy, world events, and fine arts. Five overarching themes include: 1) Mapping One's Place in the World, 2) Communicating Through Writing and Technology, 3) Making Values Tangible Through Word and Image, 4) Reflecting Diversity Through Language and Writing, and 5) Expressing Individuality Through Poetry and Calligraphy. A Lesson Plan on Chinese Minorities: This lesson plan combines geography, history, and language using materials from the Visual Traces curriculum. Distribute all four components below as classroom materials. In addition, distribute this Map of China's Ethnolinguistic Groups. Questions for discussion: Traces of Identity: Reflecting Diversity Through Language and Writing [PDF] Background reading: Ethnic Minorities in China: The Mongols, Tibetans, Manchus, and Naxi [PDF] Activity: Discovering Pictographs [PDF] Activity: Exploring Multiple Language Use [PDF]
// JAPAN
Kimono [National Geographic] For grades 6-8. In this lesson, students increase their understanding of Japanese culture by studying the evolution of the kimono. In the first activity, students learn about the history and significance of kimonos through online or library research. In the second activity, students compare Japanese kimonos to formal attire in their own culture, gaining a better understanding of clothing’s cultural significance. In the closing activity, students draw and label an example of a kimono and write a descriptive paragraph about the kimono’s design and cultural significance.
GEOMANCY AND HOUSES
// KOREA
The Art of Fengshui [TeacherVision] A short article about fengshui. Useful as an introduction to the topic. Explore Korea: A Visit to Grandfather's House [Seattle Art Museum] For grades K-5. A 68-page booklet of lessons to accompany the exhibition of the same name. Landscapes of Korea and the P'ungsu Model The Korean adaptation of fengshui is illustrated at this interactive, self-instructing site through the use of images and terminology (Korean) related to community sites and planning. Includes a "Student Activities" section.
NATURE
// JAPAN
Creating Courses on the Environment from Asian Perspective: Visualizing Nature in Japan [PDF] [Japan Society] This lesson plan will encourage students to begin thinking about culture through the lens of landscape.
LANGUAGE AND WRITING
// CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY
Chinese Calligraphy [Asia for Educators] A discussion of the origins of Chinese characters, with a guide on how to write some simple characters (the numbers, 1-10) with brush and ink. Includes diagrams, pronunciation guides, and translation in English.
// JAPANESE KANJI
Written Japanese: Kanji Exercises [Asia for Educators] Diagrams of some simple Chinese characters used in Japanese, with pronunciation guide and translation in English.
// KOREAN HAN'GUL
Han'gul: The Korean Alphabet [Asia Society] Grades 3-8. In this lesson students will explain the origins and purpose of the Korean alphabet, han'gul, and recognize the han'gul alphabet. They will explain advantages of han'gul for the promotion of literacy and identify and pronounce six to eight han'gul characters. Teachers may want to select elements from this lesson plan and use the website An Introduction to Korean as an additional resource.
FOOD
// CHINA
China's Food and Geography [Asia for Educators] A classroom exercise with teacher note, essay, and questions for discussion about different Chinese food regions. Ordering a Chinese Meal [Asia for Educators] This exercise is designed to introduce students to Chinese cuisine. Rice vs. Wheat [The Cleveland Museum of Art] For grades 5-9. Comparing the differences of topography shown in images of Japanese rice farming and American wheat farming.
// JAPAN
An Introduction to Japanese Food [The Ohio State University] For grades 1-3. Lesson objective: Students will be introduced to a typical Japanese meal and the use of chopsticks. Japan: Land, the Family, and Political Power [Asia for Educators] This short essay describes land cultivation (specifically, how and who cultivates the land) and the relationship between land ownership and political power. It also discusses the effect of Japan's mountainous topography on the relationship between local and central government control. Discussion questions are included.
RELIGION
// BUDDHISM IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
The Spread of Buddhism [National Geographic] For grades 9-12. This lesson plan, with its links to Buddhist art and map websites, amply illustrates the role of Buddhism in creating a cultural mosaic in East and Southeast Asia.
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