In this lesson, students will explore, through close examination of 19th-century Japanese woodblock prints, aspects of everyday life in 19th-century and contemporary Japan. They will also study the formal conventions of haiku and write a short, haiku-style poem, inspired by a drawing based on a particular woodblock print.

GRADE LEVEL: 3 and up

TIME ALLOTMENT: 2–4 periods

SUBJECT MATTER: Japan, Everyday Life, Seasons, Woodblock Prints, Haiku

NYS LEARNING STANDARDS

Social Studies: II 1-4, III 1-2
English Language Arts: I-IV
Arts: I, III, IV
See Complete NYS Learning Standards

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Students will:

• Be able to investigate, analyze, and discuss a work of art by using visual evidence to support assumptions about the geographical location and historical period in which it was produced.

• Have a basic understanding of Japan’s geographical location and climate as well as of life and art in mid-19th century Edo (Tokyo).

• Be familiar with the formal elements of haiku and able to write a short haiku-style poem.

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