LESSON PLAN Step 1

GEOGRAPHY OF JAPAN conclude that the Japanese United States as well as chain of islands is a great between different points on Objectives distance from the United the island chain. ■ Identify major States and close to the larger 4. Ask your students to geographical features of land mass of Asia. complete the map of Japan Japan. 2. Give each student a included in Activity Page 1 ■ Interpret Japan’s copy of Activity Page 1, by placing the names of the geographical location with “Mapping It Out,” and other selected islands, bodies of reference to the United maps you have collected. water, and cities in the cor- States. Using Background Essay 1 rect locations. (Younger stu- as a guide, tell your students dents might enjoy coloring Materials that Japan consists of a chain the landforms and bodies of ■ Copies of Activity Page 1. of mountainous islands water.) When your students ■ Maps of the world, Japan, that cover more than one have finished the activity, ask and the United States thousand miles (1,600 km) them to think about whether (you might also use the from north to south—about an island location might atlas section of your social the distance from Maine to affect the culture of a people studies book). Florida in the United States. (you might also refer to other ■ Pens, pencils, colored Emphasize that only island nations such as Great markers, crayons. relatively small coastal areas Britain, Australia, and of Japan are suitable for set- Cuba). How do people over- Subjects tlement and farming and that come geographic barriers? ■ Geography, social studies there is a great variation in (Consider related issues such climate from north to south. as trade and language.) Procedure 3. Direct your students Mention that traditional 1. Tell your students that to Activity Page 1. Ask Japanese culture incorporated during the next few class them to estimate the distance both indigenous elements meetings they’ll be studying between the west coast of the and cultural influences from some of the traditional art of United States and Japan China and other areas of the Japan. Ask them to describe using the provided inset map Asian mainland. Also note Japan’s location in the world of the world or maps in their that the sea is an important relative to the United States. social studies books or resource to island peoples, Answers may vary, but atlases. (Be sure to stress the both as a source of food students will probably importance of a map’s scale and as a natural means of in determining distance.) transportation. Students should conclude 5. Conclude the lesson by that Japan is about 6,200 telling students that in the miles (10,000 km) from the next step they will be asked West Coast of the United to observe how geographical States. Have them measure features appear in the its distance from the coast of traditional art of Japan. Asia. To place the measure- ments in perspective, have students determine distances between their community and diverse parts of the

Art to Zoo Japan: Images of a People January/February 1997 5 ACTIVITY PAGE 1 Mapping It Out

Directions: Major Islands Major bodies Nearby Selected Cities Honshu of water Countries Tokyo Locate the Kyushu Pacific Ocean Russia Yokohoma following Shikoku Sea of Japan China Kyoto Hokkaido Sea of Okhotsk North Korea Osaka features on Okinawa East China Sea South Korea Nagoya the map. Ryukyu Islands Sapporo

45°N

40° 40°

35° 35°

0 100 200 mi N 0 160 320 km

30° 30°

U.S.

0 3000 6000 mi

0 4800 9600 km 25°

Japan 6 Art to Zoo Japan: Images of a People January/February 1997