Asian Art Museum

Asian Art Museum

UC Berkeley History-Social Science Project

2012 Medieval Japan Summer Institute

Institute Lesson Final Draft

Brendan Hurd, Seventh Grade

Unit Topic: Medieval Japan

(See provided Medieval Japan Unit Map)

Unit Focus Question:

How did medieval Japan's acts of borrowing from other parts of Asia shape their culture?

Unit Teaching Thesis:

Recognizing their geographical isolation, the Japanese chose to blend ideas of government, religion, and art from nearby civilizations (especially China and Korea) with their own traditions to create a unique culture.

History-Social Science Content Standard:

· 7.5.3 Describe the values, social customs, and traditions prescribed by the lord-vassal system consisting of shogun, daimyo, and samurai and the lasting influence of the warrior code in the twentieth century.

· 7.5.5 Study the ninth and tenth centuries' golden age of literature, art, and drama and its lasting effects on culture today, including Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji.

6 -8 Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skills Standard:

Chronological and Spatial Thinking

· Students explain how major events are related to one another in time.

· Students construct various time lines of key events, people, and periods of the historical era they are studying.

Historical Interpretation

· Students explain the central issues and problems from the past, placing people and events in a matrix of time and place.

Common Core Standards: Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies: Grade 6-8:

Key Ideas and Details

RH.6-8.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

Craft and Structure

RH.6-8.5. Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

RH.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

Common Core Standards: Writing Standards for Literacy in History / Social Studies: Grade 6-8:

WHST.6-8.2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.

Lesson Plan

Lesson Topic: The Tale of Heike and the Gempei War

Lesson Focus Questions: How does the Tale of Heike reflect the values of Bushido?

Lesson Teaching Thesis: The Tale of the Heike reflects the values of Bushido by depicting a sumurai’s skill, bravery, honor, and loyalty.

Texts:

· Medieval and Early Modern Times California Edition by Diane Hart (Pages 336-338)

Pearson Prentice Hall; Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 2006

http://www.phschool.com/atschool/california/webcodes/itext_samples/medieval/iText/products/0-13-133478-6/ch12/ch12_s4_1.html

· Japan in the Days of the Samurai by Virginia Schomp

Benchmark Books Marshall Cavendish, New York 2002

· Short summaries for the Tale of Heike: John Wallace, 27 Dec 2004 http://sonic.net/~tabine/heike081003/Heike_mainpage.html

Primary Source: Tale of Heike and the six panel screen painting of the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani as depicted in Chapter 9 of the Tale of Heike

Battles at Ichi-no-tani Mountain and Yashima, from Tale of the Heike, 1650–1700
Japan
Edo period (1615–1868)
Six-panel screen, ink and colors on gold
The Avery Brundage Collection, Asian Art Museum, B80D2 http://aamdocents.org/AAM/Japan/Rotation/Painting/b80d2HeikeBattles.htm

Primary Source Analysis:

· “I Notice – I See – I Wonder”

Writing Instruction: Writing About the Primary Source

Writing Question: What characteristics of Bushido are illustrated in the part of The Tale of Heike that depicts the battle of Ichi-no-Tani?

Reading Strategy: Passage Level Analysis – Chronological Passage Organization

Lesson Procedures:

Into activity: Students write observations, thoughts and questions about a small section of the six panel screen depicting the battle of Ichi-no-Tani. Encourage them to write as many bullets as they can about what they see in the painting, but also to make guesses about who painted it, who is in the painting and what is going on.

Background reading #1 “The Way of the Warrior”: At least start reading this passage as a class. After reading the first paragraph ask what the main idea will be for the rest of the passage. (Bushido and the two ideals of personal honor and loyalty.) Students then fill in the chart with several details supporting the main idea of the passage that bushido consisted of those two ideals. They will use these same bullets in the writing activity.

Background reading #2 “The Gempei War”: As students read the passage either as individuals or as a class they circle any signal words or phrases for chronological passage organization. Before reading discuss the meaning of the term “chronological”. Ask students why historians might use this form of organization. Consider using pair-share technique for the questions and direct the students to the third paragraph to answer questions 2-5.

Gempei War map: Students follow up the reading about the Gempei War by looking at a map of the battle locations and dates. Consider using a document camera or a digital projection of the map from the website (http://www.samurai-archives.com/map4.html). If this is not available, pass out enlarged maps to pairs or groups. As a class go over the battles and dates and try to put them in order. Identify Kyoto and explain its importance as the imperial capital where the different clans vied for influence over the emperor. Students should see the Taira clan retreated to the Southwest over sea and that the last two battles are not on the main island of Honshu. Finally, the family tree can be used to show the family hierarchy of the clans and the position of Yoritomo Minamoto at the end of the war as Shogun, the leader of the dominant clan.

Primary source analysis- The Tale of Heike: The battle of Ichi-no-tani. Students match close-ups taken from a six panel screen painting depicting the battle of Ichi-no-tani with brief summaries of parts of chapter 9 in the Tale of Heike. They also put together three pictures to make the entire six panel screen. After matching and checking their answers students should use the details of bushido from Background reading #1, “The Way of the Warrior”, to describe the trait from bushido depicted in each event in the Tale of Heike’s description of the battle.

Short paragraph write: Students use the graphic organizer from the matching activity to describe one aspect of bushido using an example from the screen/Tale of Heike. Students should use their own words to describe the details from the tale to support their interpretation and explanation of bushido.

Name ______

Look at the painting above. Take notes on your observations of what you see in the painting. Write down your guesses as to what is going on in the painting. Write down at least one question that you have about the painting or its content.

I notice (observe…) / I Think / I wonder (Question…)

Medieval Japan in the Seventh Grade Curriculum Summer Institute

Lesson Application #1: Gempei War by Brendan Hurd 4

Name Key Key Key Key NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG ANSWERS These are just suggestions

I notice (observe…) / I Think / I wonder (Question…)
Two warriors
The sea
Horses
An upturned boat or is that a whale? Sea monster?
People under the boat
One warrior has a fan
One warrior has white behind him the other has red
One warrior is in the water and the other is on the shore / The warriors are on different sides
The warrior in the sea is losing
The warrior in the sea is afraid
The boat was overloaded
The land looks like brown clouds. / Why is a warrior waving a fan?
What is that? A boat? A whale?
Why is the warrior on a horse in the sea?
Are they enemies or friends?
Is one warrior saving the other from drowning? “Here, take hold of my fan! I’ll pull you in!”

Medieval Japan in the Seventh Grade Curriculum Summer Institute

Lesson Application #1: Gempei War by Brendan Hurd 25

Name

Date______Class ______

The Way of the Warrior

From Medieval and Early Modern Times

Chapter 12 Section 4 (Excerpted from pages 336-338)

The Way of the Warrior

Two ideals guided the samurai warriors of Japan: personal honor and loyalty to one’s lord. These ideals formed the heart of a warrior code called bushido. This was a strict code of conduct that guided the behavior of samurai. It means “the way of the warrior.”

The Code of Bushido

The code of bushido governed a samurai’s life. He trained fiercely, fought bravely, and died with honor. He spent years learning how to use a sword and shoot and arrow with deadly skill. “A samurai should live and die with sword in hand,” one samurai advised….

Loyalty and Honor

Under the code of bushido, loyalty to one’s lord was more important than loyalty to family, religion, or even the emperor. If a samurai’s lord was in danger, he would follow him…

Personal honor was also important. Riding into battle, a samurai shouted out his name and family. He wanted everyone to see his bravery and skill. A samurai was also careful about his appearance. His robe, his armor, and even his horse reflected his pride.

Give details about each of the ideals of bushido from the reading above.

BUSHIDO
PERSONAL HONOR / LOYALTY

KEY KEY KEY KEY KEY KEY KEY

The Way of the Warrior

From Medieval and Early Modern Times

Chapter 12 Section 4 (Excerpted from pages 336-338)

The Way of the Warrior

The Code of Bushido

Loyalty and Honor

Under the code of bushido, loyalty to one’s lord was more important than loyalty to family, religion, or even the emperor. If a samurai’s lord was in danger, he would follow him…

Give details about each of the ideals of bushido from the reading above.

BUSHIDO
PERSONAL HONOR / LOYALTY
1. Samurai shouted their names in battle
2. cared about how they looked
3. Robe, armor and horse were important
4. spent years training with sword and bow
5. Died with honor- What does that mean? Not as a prisoner or as a coward / 1. One’s lord
2. Family
3. Religion
4. emperor
He would follow his lord into danger
He would sacrifice himself and even his family for his lord

Name ______

Date______Class ______

The Gempei War

from Japan in the Days of the Samurai by Virginia Schomp

Chronological Reading Organization:

Read over the paragraphs circling chronological words or phrases. Chronological means “time order”.

Using the chronological sentence starters, complete the summary below (use your own words).

Around 1160 the Taira [clan] swept the Fujiwara [clan] from power. Then the Minamoto [clan] tried to overthrow the Taira. The rivalry between the two clans led to a six-year civil war known as the Gempei War.

The final battle of the Gempei War took place at sea in 1185. The Taira forces had suffered one defeat after another. Now their four hundred ships faced a much larger Minamoto fleet near a beach call Dan-no-ura. Sailing on one of the Taira warships was the emperor, eight-year-old Antoku.

The Tale of Heike, a thirteenth century [1200’s] collection of stories, describes how the Taira forces faced defeat. Antoku’s grandmother “took the Emperor in her arms and said, ‘though I am but a woman, I will not fall into the hands of the enemy…In the depths of the ocean is our capital’”. The old woman told Antoku to say his prayers. Then, holding the boy tightly, she stepped off the ship and “sank with him at last beneath the waves.” Following their example, thousands of Taira soldiers and court ladies leaped into the sea and drowned.

Around 1160

In 1185

In the 1200’s

1. What were the two sides in the Gempei War?

Read about the battle of Dan-no-ura from the excerpt from the Tale of the Heike (in the third paragraph above).

2. What important person was sailing on one of the Taira ships?

Read about the battle of Dan-no-ura from the excerpt from the Tale of the Heike (in the third paragraph on the other side of the paper).

3. Considering what you know of the Bushido code of honor, why did Antoku’s grandmother decide to take her life and Emperor Antoku’s?

4. Who followed the example of the Emperor and his grandmother?

5. What ideals of Bushido does the end of this story illustrate?

Medieval Japan in the Seventh Grade Curriculum Summer Institute

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