Curriculum:
Essential Questions for Japanese

Grade 7: What is culture? What is Japanese culture?

See a sample curricular unit for this grade

Where do Japanese live and what are their homes like?

a. Do Japanese homes reflect Japanese geography?
b. Do Japanese homes reflect the Japanese climate?
c. Are the regional differences in Japan (geography, climate) reflected in homes and other buildings?
d. How does our knowledge of a Japanese home help us understand how Japanese think and live?
e. What influences from other cultures do you see reflected in Japanese homes and architecture?

How does the Chinese legacy manifest itself in contemporary Japanese culture?
How does the Buddhist legacy manifest itself in contemporary Japanese culture?
How does Western influence (beginning with Meiji Period) manifest itself in contemporary Japanese culture?
How does the Tang Dynasty's influence manifest itself in Japanese society (architecture, clothing, kanji characters)?
What do most important rites and celebrations tell us about Japanese culture and history? What cultural values can we attribute to Confucianism?
How have artists, writers and musicians shaped the cultural identity of Japanese?

Curricular Units

Artists, Writers, and Musicians
The Chinese Legacy in Japan
The Japanese Influence
The Western Influence
Rites and Celebrations