Rebecca Smith, Art Instructor, Williamsburg High School, Williamsburg, Pa
Grade Level: 7
Duration: Three Classroom Periods
Objective
The objective of this lesson is to give the students the opportunity to research a topic of Japan of their choosing. Students can work alone or in pairs. Introductory worksheets introduce the students to new concepts, or they can choose from the original 3,2,1, exercise from the beginning of this unit. Each group will share information with the other students in the form of a handout.
PLN strategies used: please do now, sorting activity, ticket out the door, I search, pair/share, jigsaw
PA Art Standards
9.1.F: Historical and Cultural Production, Performance and Exhibition
9.1.F: Historical and Cultural Production, Performance and Exhibition
9.2.A: Context of Works in the Arts
9.2.B: Chronology of Works in the Arts
9.2.C: Styles and Genre in the Arts
9.2.D: Historical and Cultural Perspectives
9.2.E: Historical and Cultural Impact on Works in the Arts
9.4.D: Artistic Choices
Materials
- Handout of Japanese terms that you make yourself, or this website, KidsWeb Japan has a good list.
- Examples for Japan Research
- Laptops
- Internet
- Microsoft Word
- Printers
Procedures days one – three : I search and jigsaw presentation
Day 1:
- Before: 5 minutes. Please do now: Write a response to : If someone from Japan came to the United States, what would you want them to know about?
- During: 25 minutes. Handout of example of information on I search topic. This includes a short descriptive paragraph and 3 important facts. Internet and book resources have to be included at the bottom. Sort students in pairs. Each will pick a topic to research. Each group will begin Internet research.
- After: 5 minutes. Show teacher progress for the day.
Day 2: The students usually need two days to do this assignment .
Day 3: Students will present their I search to the class. Each group will make enough copies so that everyone in the class can have a copy to put in their book about Japan.
Reflection
This lesson focuses on all four lenses of learning, as well as active reading and writing activities. The students use multiple reading and writing strategies to research a topic of their choice. This gives them ownership in their learning. The students are also required to present information to their peers in the form of a short presentation.