I AM A CURATOR
By Dawn Boland, February 27, 2017
Grade Level
- Middle School
Category
- Other
Subject Area
- Social Studies
Lesson Time
1 TERM - 8 WEEKS
Introduction
As part of the Australian Curriculum requirements, students must study the Tokagawa Shogunate Period (Edo Period). This program uses this lens to develop skills, strategies and processes for students through a design perspective.
Rather than supplying the information for students about this Era in Japan\\\\\\\'s history, students are empowered to develop questions, research and prototype their own museum piece. That means, selecting a primary source from this time period, studying the source, presenting their source in a way that would engage the audience as part of a \\\\\\\'class museum\\\\\\\' and demonstrating how this source reveals important aspects about Japan\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s history at that time.
Students are engaged by putting themselves in the role of a museum curator. Why do curator\\\\\\\'s select specific pieces and what ideas and questions must that person keep in mind to engage and inform the audience (the user).
Students will not only gain knowledge about Japan\\\\\\\'s history but also develop their skills in the Social Studies discipline.
National Standards
Social Studies - Historical understanding Standards 1 & 2
Social Studies - World History Era 6 - 30
Social Studies - World History Era 7 - 36 & 37
Objectives
Essential Questions:
- How might we use the philosophy of the warrior in our own lives?
- How am I like a samurai?
- What is the bushido code?
- What was the connection between the samurai and the world around them?
- key features of themedieval world (feudalism, trade routes, voyages of discovery, contact and conflict
- Societies and cultures have rules, systems and common goals and ideas that help them to function and the causes and effects upon these ideas.
- The way of life in shogunate Japan, including social, cultural, economic and political features (including the feudal system and the increasing power of the shogun)
- The role of the Tokugawa Shogunate in reimposing a feudal system (based on daimyo and samurai) and the increasing control of the Shogun over foreign trade
- The use of environmental resources in Shogunate Japan and the forestry and land use policies of the Tokugawa Shogunate
- Theories about the decline of the Shogunate, including modernisation and westernisation, through the adoption of Western arms and technology
- Sequence historical events, developments and periods
- Use historicalterms and concepts
- Identify and locate relevant sources, using ICT and other methods
- Identify the origin and purpose of primary andsecondary sources
- Draw conclusions about the usefulness of sources
- Identify and describe points of view, attitudes and values in primary andsecondary sources
- Develop texts, particularly descriptions and explanations that useevidence from a range of sources that are acknowledged
- Use a range of communication forms (oral, graphic, written) and digital technologies
Resources
Worksheets and Rotational Activities (attached)
Data Projector and computer
Access to experts if possible in the field of museum / history or your school librarian
Sources for Primary Source Artefacts
http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2015/discovering-japanese-art
http://www.metmuseum.org/search-results?ft=samurai&x=0&y=0
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlights_all_relationships.aspx?Title=Japan%3a+Edo+period+(AD+1600-1868)&ContentType=Article&PageId=23508
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/relationships.aspx?page=34602&Title=Rooms+92-94%3a+Japan&ContentType=Gallery&PageId=15148&relationtypestoshow=highlight%20objects
http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/arms.html
http://www.jcastle.info/castle/profile/35-Edo-Castle
http://cumuseum.colorado.edu/exhibits/what-in-the-world-samurai/interview
http://www.emuseum.jp/top?d_lang=en
http://www.jcastle.info/castle/profile/35-Edo-Castle
http://www.jcastle.info/edo/192
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/crafting-samurai-sword.html
History Channel Videos
Interactive Map Maker
Books about Japan and its history from your school library.
Computers for student research.
Materials
Worksheets and Rotational Activities Provided.
Vocabulary
Anthropology
The study of human development, society and culture.
Bushido Code
The code of the samurai in feudal Japan – a representation of the way of life – loyalty, obedience and honour before life.
Castle
A building or group of buildings that are fortified against attack from outside through use of reinforced walls, gates, towers and / or motes.
Code
A representational system.
cultural
Relating to ideas, customs, characteristics and social behaviour of a particular group or society.
Curator
A person who selects or collects artefacts or works of art to showcase an idea, period of time or organisation/artist.
Daimyo
A lord (nobility), land owner who served as a vassal to the shogun.
distribution
Share or spread throughout a group.
Domestic
Within a country or area.
Economy
Wealth and resources of a country or organisation. This includes production and consumption of goods and services and import and export of resources and the management of resources.
Empathy
The ability to understand or share the feelings of another person.
Emperor
Sovereign of a kingdom or empire.
Environment
The surrounding and conditions of where humans or animals live bound by a geographical area.
Example
An item that demonstrates the general characteristics or rules of its kind.
Feedback
Providing comments and ideas about a person’s ideas and/or work.
Feudalism
A social and government system with nobility at the top of the pyramid of power and vassals or peasants who work the land and pay the nobility for the right to do so.
Foreign
An item, idea or characteristic that comes from another place and that is unfamiliar.
High Fidelity
Close to or the actual final product of the design process.
Honour
Respect and esteem.
Iconography
Using pictures to represent people or meaning.
Influence
The effect or impact upon another person or thing.
Installation
An exhibit which demonstrates a series of artefacts or works.
Interpretation
Explaining a personal meaning or comprehension.
Kami
Relating to the Japanese National Shinto Religion – a divine being and referring to the 4 ways of relating 1. Acknowledging the blessings of nature 2. Respect for parents 3. Worship of ancestors and 4. Loyalty to the government.
Koku
Japanese unit of volume, historically it is a quantity of rice that is enough to feed 1 adult for a year.
Low Fidelity
Sketches and drawings that demonstrate thinking and development - often annotated.
Mandate
An official order, a policy to carry out specific task or action.
Mindmap
Thinking tool which demonstrates categorised thinking and learning of a particular idea or subject.
PMI
Plus, Minus, Interesting – thinking tool
Policy
A course of action enacted by a governing body.
Prototype
A model that acts as an idea from which more ideas flow.
Ramifications
A consequence of an event or action that is complex or unwelcome.
Representation
An object or person that ‘acts’ or ‘speaks’ on behalf of something or someone else.
Samurai
A member of a military ‘family’ who served under the Daimyo.
Shogun
Heredity commander / leader appointed initially by the Emperor who led a military style of government.
Shogunate
A system of government that is Military Based with a General or Governor as the leader. This style of government was in place from c. 1192 to c.1870. Shoguns were appointed by the Emperor.
Tokagawa Shogunate
Also known as Tokagawa Bakufu or Edo Bakufu was the last feudal military based government which existed between 1603 and 1868.
Tradition
Customs and beliefs that are handed down from generation to generation and that are based on the values of the individuals of the time they first enacted.
Urbanisation
The increase in the proportion of people living in towns as opposed to rural areas.
Values
Importance principles or standards of behaviour that are abided by and that can define one’s character.
Procedures
1. Timeline Activity - Find examples of Edo Period Timelines - divide students into groups and ask them to find similarities and differences in both content and presentation. Students see which events are common in each timeline example and create a group timeline to show the common events.
2. Map of Japan - Add cities and areas - Look at other map examples from the Edo Period and discuss aspects of the maps.
3. pre-reading: The Feudal System in Japan – Who has the power? Who was who and where did they stand?
Who is at the party? Empathy / role play (Teacher instruction worksheet provided) - assign students roles and rules for the party. Students stand in their assigned places and act according their profile cards. After the role play, have students discuss the relationships in the role play and the implications of the rules placed upon them.
Creation of pyramid of power
What is an Emperor? Define and give examples
4. What is special about the Emperor of Japan – past and present and make predictions about the future
Have students read the Japanese legend of Sun and the Moon YouTube clip available.
Pre-reading about Shogunate society
5. Tokagawa Shogunate - rotational activities
The Castle, Cultural, The Sword and Samurai, Environment, Economy and the Foreign Mandate.
2 Master classes (Foreign Mandate & Sword and Samurai) these are done with teachers
6 rotations
Mindmap is assessed at the end of the rotations - see rubric
Mindmap of Tokagawa Facts – headings -Social, Cultural, Economic, Political, Power)
Adding to the mind map – continuing the rotations
6. Revision Activity - What makes a relevant, accurate and reliable source? OPVL
Comparing sources What makes a great primary source? 6 examples of sources
Inquiry – Hot Potato Activity
7. Pre-reading – History of the Samurai - EBook
Library Visit to see sources including samurai armour
? Guest speaker?
Read over Assignment Sheet – highlight ready to ask questions.
8. Introduce Museum Activity What makes a great museum exhibit?
Students are asked to select 1 primary source created in the time of the Tokagawa Shogunate. Students are to present this piece in their own version of a museum display that demonstrates their understanding of how that piece contributed to the period and what it reveals about the culture (ethnography) of the time. They are to select an appropriate method to communicate their ideas and piece which could include an online museum, physical (3D print if one exists or photo) museum or audio to accompany their primary source. Lessons should include:
Finding an appropriate primary source
Data projector
Begin research
9. Begin Low Fidelity Design – drawing and draft
Begin Low Fidelity Design – drawing and draft
Gallery Walk and Feedback PMI
Act on Feedback
10. Create High Fidelity Design
Create High Fidelity Design
Gallery Walk and Final Feedback
11. Samurai and the Bushido Code - How are we like warriors?
12. Mind map – what is my code?
13. Iconography – develop icons for your code
14. Presentation of Code and Iconography to peers
Assessment
Assessment in two parts - a mindmap of the knowledge they have obtained during the rotational activities and
an assignment: Students are asked to select 1 primary source created in the time of the Tokagawa Shogunate. Students are to present this piece in their own version of a museum display that demonstrates their understanding of how that piece contributed to the period and what it reveals about the culture (ethnography) of the time. They are to select an appropriate method to communicate their ideas and piece which could include an online museum, physical (3D print if one exists or photo) museum or audio to accompany their primary source.
Enrichment Extension Activities
To differentiate for students the teacher should scaffold activities for students who require extra help or time. Teachers should also direct students to Google Advanced Search and online Databases for finding and researching their chosen primary source.
Teacher Reflection
Students need to continue to revisit how to select sources and evaluate their relevance, accuracy and reliability. This includes source point of origin, purpose, value and limitations.
This unit requires students to be more hand-on in the inquiry process and follow the design process to create their museum display. Rotational activities allow students to have more control over their learning and their learning pathways especially if they are allowed to select when they would like to attend the masterclasses with the teacher/s.