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lesson worksheets.
Lesson Title: Power in Art in Japan and Mali
Name: Harumi Ozaki-Robertson
Discipline: Japanese III – IV, history, visual
arts
School: Prince George’s Co. Public School
Grade level: High school
Time Period: 3 class periods
I. Conceptual Framework
Big Idea: Power
Rationale: Power is an important concept for students
to learn because the dynamics and influences of power begin in the family
unit and branch out in ever widening areas in school, community, business
and world politics. It is important for students to realize they are
controlled by power of some kind in every facet of their life. These
unit lessons compare two divergent cultures where power is controlled
by a caste system, a garb and performance of drumming. The caste systems
of Japan and Mali both create a power structure among its populations,
but they are different in content. A ceremonial garb has significant
meaning of power in both countries and powerful drum performance in
both countries has a long history and deep meaning of their sounds.
These three areas of studies are significantly related into Japanese
and West African history and also the arts forms.
Essential Questions:
- What is power?
- How does power affect the human experience?
- How is power related to symbol?
Key Concepts:
- Power is about dominance.
- Power is about conflict.
- Power is about voice.
- Power is about possession.
- Power is about persuasiveness.
National Standards for Japanese Language Learning:
Communication - Goal 1
1.1 Students engage in conversation, provide and obtain information,
express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
1.3 Students present information, concepts and ideas to an audience
of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.
Culture - Goal 2
2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between
the practices and perspectives of Japanese culture.
2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between
the products and perspectives of Japanese culture.
Connection - Goal 3
3.2 Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints
that are only available through Japanese language and culture.
Comparisons - Goal 4
4.2 Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through
comparisons of Japanese culture and their own.
II. Topics
Topic 1: Caste Systems: Compare and Contrast Japanese Tokugawa
period (1600) and West African (Mali) Caste Systems
Key concepts:
- History of the caste system
- Classification
- Transition
Topic 2: Folktales: The folktales were told and retold by passing
down from generation to generation orally before they were written down.
The lesson is intended to allow students to value cultural diversity
by introducing Japanese and West African folktales.
Key concepts:
- Japanese folktale compared to folktales from West Africa
- Traditional and oral folktale
- Cultural aspect of folktale
- Cultural similarities and differences
- Important lessons in folktale
- Make kamishibai in the West African folktale
Topic 3: “Taiko” drumming: Analysis of cultural characteristics
of Japanese Taiko drumming and West African Djembe Drumming.
Key concepts:
- Introduction of Japanese “Taiko” drumming and West AfricanDjembe
Drumming
- To examine the significance of Taiko drumming and West African
drumming
- Identify meaning of the drum sounds of both countries
III. Art forms/artifacts/performance
IV. Lesson
Grade/Content Focus: Japanese Language level III-IV
This lesson is about caste structures in Japan and the Fulbe community
in Mali, West Africa from 700 to 1600 C.E. This lesson can also be used
as a history lesson as well as visual arts lesson. An adjunct to this
lesson is an art project making family crests.
Lesson 1 Objectives: Students will learn:
- The location of the two countries of Japan and Mali (West Africa)
on the world map.
- Visual differences of Japanese and Mali people and country.
- Customs of each country.
- An overview of the civilizations of both countries.
- A brief history of both countries and their economy.
- The Caste systems of Japan and Mali.
- A comparison between both caste systems.
- Which caste system is most powerful in each country.
- Which caste system is least powerful in each country.
- How the most powerful caste gained power.
- Japanese Kanji and Mali vocabulary words.
- How to design two family crests using art styles of Japan and Mali
based on the caste system vocations.
Vocabulary/Concepts:
| Tokugawa Japan (Edo Period) 1600-1867 |
Tokugawa Shogun (military leader) |
Tennou (emperor) |
| kizoku (nobility) |
daimyo (minor chiefs) |
samurai (warriors) |
| katana (sword) |
noumin / hyakushou (farmer) |
shokunin artisan() |
| shounin (merchant) |
Shi,nou,kou,shou (Tokugawa caste system) |
Edo/Tokyo (the shogun’s new capital) |
| kimono (robe worn by men or women) |
Edo jou (Tokugawa castle) |
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| Mali, West Africa (Fulbe Community) 700 – 1600
C.E. |
Geer(landowners and nobles) |
Tegg (smiths) |
| Neeno (artisans) |
Uude (leatherworkers) |
Seen (woodcutters) |
| Rabb (weavers) |
Gewel (griots) |
Noole (servants, jesters) |
| jam (slaves) |
Wolof, Tukuloor, Sereer, Fulbe, Mandinko, Malinke,
Sarakole (Senegalese ethnic groups) |
Materials:
- World Map
- White board for Venn diagram for class exercises
- Pictures of Japanese and Mali people in the 1600’s
- For each student: diagrams of Japanese and Mali caste system
- Art supplies for designing and decorating Japanese and Mali family
crests
Warm up: The students will be given vocabulary words
that describe 4 Japanese vocations: Samurai, Businessman, Farmer, and
Artisan. Teacher will review with students what each vocation means,
after which students will be asked to list them in order according to
who is most powerful. We will discuss the reasons they chose their particular
order based on the characteristics and status of each. Discussion will
then lead to Japanese caste system. Today we are going to learn about
the Mali caste system and how to determine by symbols which caste system
is most powerful.
Procedure:
- pull down the world map, with no names on the continents, and ask
where Japan, West Africa and Mali are
- display pictures of Mali and its peoples in the 1600s.
- then go over Mali vocabulary words.
- hand out blank caste system chart.
- Students will arrange the vocabulary words into what they think
the Mali cast system could be based on what they already know about
the Japanese caste system.
- ask students for justification for their arrangement of Mali caste
system and discuss
- then display correct system and students will correct their papers
if necessary.
- provide two handouts of Japanese family crests and West African
Symbols as an example to use in designing students version of crests.
Guided Practice:
- Teacher provides each student a list of Mali caste system terms
and asks students to translate the words into Japanese on the paper.
Student uses their Mali caste system chart for reference to determine,
for example, that Geer is Landlord, then translates landlord into
Japanese.
Caste System
| Mali |
English |
Japanese |
| Geer |
|
Shi |
| Neeno: Tegg |
|
nou |
| Uude |
|
|
| Seen |
|
|
| Rabb |
|
|
| Gewel |
|
kou |
| Noole |
|
Shou |
- Teacher allows 7 minutes and then calls on individual students to
come up and write on board the Mali, English and Japanese translation.
- Teacher will provide 2 handouts of Japanese family crests and West
African Symbols as an example to use in designing their crests. Only
the most powerful caste in Japan, the Samurai, possesses a family
crest to symbolize their high rank. We are going to create a family
crest for the highest caste in Mali out of respect for their power.
Independent Activities (Art Activity): Students will create
a family crest for the most powerful Mali caste – the Geer (landlords
and nobles). They will be able to use as a guide examples of the Samurai
crest. Also, they will be presented with a poster of West African symbols
to use in designing their crest. Teachers will provide students with
construction paper, markers, crayons, and colored pencils.
Closure: The students will come up to the front of
the room to show the class their crest and explain the symbols they
chose.
Homework: Students will visit library or research
the internet to find two other caste systems in the world and write
their hierarchy on paper.
Assessment:
Essential question: How does family crest system express
power?
Assessment Content (Big Idea): Students will be assessed
on their ability to explain how the caste system expresses powered
defined by in this unit.
Assessment Content (about West Africa culture): It is most
important for students to understand that power is about dominate,
voice, and possession. Other ideas will be accepted.
Assessment Evidence: Students
- Write – Notebook: graded note taking
- BCR- Brief constructive response
- ECR- Extended constructive response
- Commentary – set purposes for study and to generate questions
to be answered during the presentation
- Presentations/performance –
- process/summarize the whole lesson
- Evaluate predictions
- Identify additional information that would be interesting
or helpful
Criteria:
- Rubric – expressed as a scale, used to assess levels of
student performance
- Student Writing – portfolios
- Student commentary – presentation
- Student performance – group and self assessment
Understanding: write two paragraphs on what power means
to them based on what they learned about the caste system of Japan
and Mali, West Africa.
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