A Visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Workbook Twenty-five

Assignment

Section A: Reviewing the Facts - / 12 marksSection B: Opinion paragraph - / 16 marksSection C: The Arts Reveal Worldview - / 20 marks

ASSIGNMENT TOTAL: / 48 marks

PART ONE – REVIEWING THE FACTS

Student should be able to identify at least four things in each category for a total of 12 marks.

Political Changes / Economic Changes / Social Changes

Shogun became ruler
Emperor had no real power
The Shogun had all the power
Daimyo were in charge of local issues only
Samurai became government employees
No disobedience or challenges were allowed
Freedom of speech lost
Toward the end a person could rise in status based on merit
People began to develop a sense of being a citizen of Japan – a nation unique from other nations

Rice becomes the main trade item
Shogun weakened daimyo by making them fund many projects
Trade with foreigners made both Japanese and foreigners rich
Merchants were the richest people in Japan
Japan became self-reliant
Peasants suffered greatly because they received the benefit from their work only after the Shogun and Daimyo had their share
Samurai became poor and had to take on menial work
Silk trade grew

Samurai became a new class
Confucian and Buddhist teaching became part of society
Rigid class structure
Strict rules for all social classes
Arts became more of a focus and unique styles were created
Education became something all males and some females could take part in
Christianity was banned
People were made to focus on Japan studies
Homogeneous society developed

Total /12 (1 mark for each correct idea)

PART TWO – WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

Student has chosen to write about Japan’s society as a time of prosperity and peace, or a time when progress was very limited and nothing really improved.

Student wrote a paragraph that:

stated opinion in the first sentence
used four facts from the workbook activities and text to support the opinion
wrote a sentence restating opinion at the end of the paragraph

Students’ opinion will vary. The following are some points they may use in their paragraph:
Japan Society a time of prosperity and peace:

Life was controlled by rigid rules. Examples: People could not move from social classes. Little personal freedom. Harsh punishment to any robber. (p315)
Wealth was gained. Farmers increased production of rice through irrigation, two crops, etc. Roads improved, populations in cities increased and Silver and gold coins used as currency. (p.315)
Arts flourished (p 317) Haiku, bunraku, kabuki.

Japan Society a time of limited progress and little improvement:

Most of the above points can also support limited progress.
Most Japanese were not exposed to the new ideas of the West. P. 312
Feudal System Remained p. 313
Economy still tied to agriculture. P. 313

Criteria level / 4 Excellent / 3 Proficient / 2 Adequate / 1 Limited / Insufficient or Blank
Accuracy of contents and relevance to topic / Paragraph includes accurate and relevant details. Four facts support the student’s opinion. / Paragraph includes accurate and relevant details. Only three facts are used to support the student’s opinion. / Paragraph includes relevant details. Only two facts are used to support the student’s opinion. / Paragraph includes limited detail. No facts are used to support the student’s opinion. / Insufficient evidence of student performance based on the requirements of the task.
Introduction and conclusion / Paragraph has an effective and clearly worded statement of opinion. Final sentence restates the topic. / Paragraph has an effective and clearly worded statement of opinion. Final sentence restates the topic. / Paragraph has an effective and clearly worded statement of opinion. Final sentence restates the topic. / Paragraph has an effective and clearly worded statement of opinion. Final sentence restates the topic. / Insufficient evidence of student performance based on the requirements of the task.
Matters of Choice
Matters of Convention / Grammatical or spelling errors are absent or very limited. Errors do not interfere with meaning. Language is very suitable for intended audience. / Grammatical or spelling errors are present but do not interfere with meaning. Language is suitable for intended audience. / Grammatical or spelling errors sometimes interfere with meaning. Language is not always suitable for intended audience. / Grammatical and spelling errors often interfere with meaning. Language is seldom suitable for intended audience. / Insufficient evidence of student performance based on the requirements of the task.

PART THREE – THE ARTS REVEAL WORLDVIEW

Student has completed an assignment that shows the relationship between an art form and Japanese worldview during the Edo Period. Students were given three choices of projects. Rubrics for each are provided for you, the teacher, as well brief outlines of the projects students could select from.

CHOICE ONE: DESCRIBE ONE PIECE OF ART

Students went to the website for the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. They went to the sections featuring art pieces from the Edo period.

It is important that you also are familiar with the art pieces on this site.

Students were given the following example and a template for the e-mail message.

SAMPLE E-mail message

To:

Subject: Art Piece from Edo

Figure 1 Incense Keeper in Shape of Rooster, 1665

Hi Ms. Blagdon,

I finally chose my favorite piece from the collection at the Minneapolis Art Institute.

This is a picture of the coolest incense keeper I have ever seen. The rooster was made to take the place of the box on the right. I like the colors and the pose of the rooster. I also really like the idea that this was actually used as a storage container. It doesn’t look anything like the cheap, plastic storage things you can buy today. Someone actually took the time to carve this from a block of wood! They sure took their tea ceremony seriously.

I chose this art piece because this rooster box was used in some teahouse hundreds of years ago. I can imagine how nice the incense it kept would smell and how the people at the tea ceremony must have enjoyed the way the rooster looks. The tea ceremony was supposed to calm people, and even though I never really saw a rooster as being calm, this one makes me feel relaxed. The soft colors and peaceful look of something from nature is what I’ve learned the Japanese really liked. I found out that I like it too.

I’ll talk to you soon.

Shelly

Assessment Rubric: Art Critique

Criteria level / 4 Excellent / 3 Proficient / 2 Adequate / 1 Limited / Insufficient/Blank
Elements of artwork / Identifies several elements of artwork and art principles and discusses them articulately. / Identifies several elements of artwork and art principles and discusses them accurately. / Identifies elements of artwork and art principles and discusses them adequately. / Identifies few, if any elements of artwork and art principles and fails to discusses them adequately. / Insufficient evidence of student performance based on the requirements of the task.
Making comparisons / Makes excellent comparisons of content in artworks from past, present and world cultures and accurately identifies cultural dimensions and influences in artworks. / Makes very good comparisons of content in artworks from past, present and world cultures and identifies cultural dimensions and influences in artworks. / Makes accurate comparisons of content in artworks from past, present and world cultures and identifies some cultural dimensions and influences in artworks. / Makes few, if any comparisons of content and may or may not identify cultural dimensions and influences. / Insufficient evidence of student performance based on the requirements of the task.
Evidence of research / Excellent information from the sources is used correctly and cited appropriately. / Very good information from the sources is used correctly and cited appropriately. / Good information from the sources is used and cited appropriately. / Adequate information from the sources is used and cited appropriately / Insufficient evidence of student performance based on the requirements of the task.
Message format / The message is written precisely using an appropriate message format. / The message is written well using an appropriate message format. / The message is written adequately using an appropriate message format. / The message does not express meaning accurately and/or may not use appropriate message format. / The report may or may not be divided into sections, or may lack sufficient content for such divisions.
Matters of correctness / The message has been effectively edited and proofread to eliminate all errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation. / The message has been edited and proofread to eliminate errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation. / The message has been edited and proofread to eliminate significant errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation. / The message has not been edited and proofread effectively and significant errors in spelling, grammar and/or punctuation are present. / Insufficient evidence of student performance based on the requirements of the task.

Total / 20 marks

CHOICE TWO: SUMO IS JAPAN

Student was to visit some or all of the following sites and use the information presented to create a presentation about sumo, the most popular Japanese sport in the Edo Period.

1. Your audience is someone who has never heard of sumo.

2. The first part of your task is to explain how sumo started,

Taken directly from first websites listed above in order and color coded:

When it was time to plant the rice, sumo bouts were performed as a way to pray for a bountiful crop or to predict whether that year's harvest would be good. In the Nara period (710-794) and Heian period (794-1192), sumo became an event conducted at the imperial court, and bouts were performed in front of the emperor.
Sumo basically took its present form in the Edo period. Matches were held to raise money to construct shrines and temples or to replace bridges, and the professional sumo wrestler was born. A sport that was once enjoyed only by the rich and powerful became popular among the masses.
Sumo was originally performed to entertain the gods (kami) during festivals (matsuri). Sumo as part of Shinto ritual dates as far back as the Tumulus period (250-552), but it wasn't until the 17th century that it began adopting the intense purification rituals that we see in sumo today.
Sumo is a form of wrestling which goes back to the earliest historical records in Japanese history.
Sumo appears in the earliest histories of Japan, the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki, and in early Shinto. By the end of the Heian period (794-1185), it was established as a court ritual for some three hundred years. In the later feudal periods, it was occasionally used as a method of resolving political disputes by sending forth sumo wrestlers to decide the issue; rather similar to the feudalistic European practice of using champions to decide the right of an issue by might.
In the Edo period, sumo became a popular feature of urban culture among the merchant class and it emerged as a professional sport with rules and ceremonies which are closely related to today's. By the early 20th century the various governing bodies of sumo finally joined to create a single professional organization for the sport.

and what the sport means in Japan today.

In modern times, sumo has become a professional sport and is extremely popular, arenas for sumo are plentiful throughout Japan. Since it is native to Japan, it can perhaps better be described as the national sport rather than baseball, the only competitor for the title.

3. The second part of your task is to describe, in a well-written paragraph how sumo is a reflection of Japanese worldview.

Sumo is a very hierarchical sport.- remember there were social classes very like the social class system of everyone had their place.
Sumo combines some of the most public forms of Shintoritual- connection with religion and their beliefs also evident when Matches were held to raise money to construct shrines and temples or to replace bridges, etc.
As many aspects of old Japan remain in sumo, such as topknots, traditional dress, and ancient customs, professional sumo is more than just a sport; it's a living example of traditional Japanese culture. The wrestlers serve as cultural ambassadors when they take part in events overseas.
The government of the time, though, disapproved of fighting and often issued orders banning sumo. For this reason, the organizers of sumo decided on a set of rules, including the creation of a list of 48 legal moves and the round ring that is still used today. A system of stables was created to train wrestlers. Connection to control over the individual and accepted way at this time in Japan.

4. Illustrations add to any presentation; when choosing an illustration try to interesting and colorful ones.

5. Use your own words, and use language your audience will relate to the best.

6. Be sure to cite all the sources you used in your report.

Assessment Rubric: Sumo is Japan

Criteria level / 4 Excellent / 3 Proficient / 2 Adequate / 1 Limited / Insufficient/Blank
Accuracy of contents and relevance to topic / The report provides accurate, relevant information in a creative and original way about the ways in which the sport of sumo wrestling reflects the Japanese worldview. / The report provides accurate, information in a creative way about the ways in which the sport of sumo wrestling reflects the Japanese worldview. / The report provides information in an appropriate way about the ways in which the sport of sumo wrestling reflect the Japanese worldview / The report provides limited information about how the sport of sumo wrestling reflects the Japanese worldview. / Insufficient evidence of student performance based on the requirements of the task.
Audience / The report uses effective language and specific expressions to explain the topic to a parent or guardian. / The report uses appropriate language and expressions to explain the topic to a parent or guardian. / The report uses adequate language and expressions to explain the topic to a parent or guardian. / The report may or may not address the audience consistently. / Insufficient evidence of student performance based on the requirements of the task.
Visual images / Excellent visual images have been selected to illustrate the report’s content creatively and effectively. / Very good visual images have been selected to illustrate the report’s content creatively and effectively. / Adequate visual images have been selected to illustrate the report’s content. / Few visual images have been selected to illustrate the report’s content. / Insufficient evidence of student performance based on the requirements of the task.
Format / The report is organized effectively to present the information clearly and thoughtfully. / The report is organized effectively to present the information clearly. / The report is organized to present the information clearly. / The report lacks the organization to present the information clearly. / The report may or may not be divided into sections, or may lack sufficient content for such divisions.
Introduction and conclusion / The report includes an effective, clearly worded introduction that informs the audience of the contents and an effective conclusion that restates the topic. / The report includes a clearly worded introduction that informs the audience of the contents a conclusion that restates the topic. / The report includes an introduction that informs the audience of the contents and a conclusion that repeats the topic. / The report makes an attempt to introduce and conclude the topic, or there may be only an introduction. / Insufficient evidence of student performance based on the requirements of the task.

Total / 20 marks