Cynthia Colon-Pena

Prof: mark gura

Class: edse 604

Lesson Plan Title: The Samurai: Not only warriors

Grade: 6th grade

Subject(s): Social Studies, Art, Poetry, Technology, research

skills, charts and graphs

Goals: Students will investigate and learn about the ancient

samurai as well as their love of the arts.

Objectives: Students will create 5 Haiku’s and present the one

agreed upon within their group in the format of their choosing

from the list provided.

Timeline: lesson along with Project will be completed in a two

week time period

Materials and Resources: internet, crayons, markers, water

colors, paints, brushes, scrolls of paper, Japanese and

Samurai stickers, printer, fabric, yarn, glue, thread. Kwl

research chart, haiku rubric, kimono, Japanese music, overhead

projector, tea pots (or coffee pots), hot water, tea bags,

coffee cups, mats, napkins.

use of the computer lab in the media center to research their

topic and produce the haiku’s in kerpoof.com. use the

classroom to complete the project

vocabulary: samurai- member of the warrior class

Clan- a group of people with common characteristics,

aims, or interests

Daimyo- feudal landowners that the samurai served

Haiku- form of japanese poetry

bushido- the way of the warrior

shogun- war lord

Soan- tea house

tatami- straw mat

Student Product/Performance--Students will be broken up into

groups of 3 and will present haiku’s either in a format listed

below or a format of their choosing:

Art: a haiku folder, scroll, poster, etc.

A Dance or drama using either themselves or puppets to

show the meaning of their Haiku’s.

Technology: A powerpoint presentation with Japanese

artwork in the background.

All products or performances will be presented during a three

day modified Japanese tea ceremony.

Standards: ela 1e listening and reading, ela 4e listening and

speaking, ss1e, ss2e, mst 2e, mst 7e strategies, mst 5e

computer technology, art 1e visual arts, art 2e visual arts,

ela 2e listening and reading, speaking and writing, art 1e

theater, visual arts, art 2e music, art 3e visual arts, art 4e

theater, art 4e visual arts.

Real World Connection: students will learn to work in a

collaborative setting and learn about cultures other than

their own. They will also Learn that haiku’s are still very

much written today and that the tea ceremony is still

practiced today-- both as an art form.

Procedure: Introduction/Motivation:

Day 1 (morning): I will be dressed in a traditional kimono

with traditional Japanese music playing in the background when

the students come in. Instead of chairs in front of their

desks students will be seated on a tatami. There will be an

overhead showing a powerpoint presentation. The first slide

will show a large picture of a Samurai Warrior. I will Ask

students if they know who or what this person is. I will Have

them write the answers down in their kwl research chart (1).

under the “what I know” column. Encourage students to share

responses in a class discussion (1). I will then go over the

vocabulary words that they may come across during their

assignments that will be given in detail after explaining the

vocabulary words. Students will then be Broken up into groups

of three. Explain to students their individual assignments

within the group and that after recess they are to return to

class to gather their kwl research charts and will then be

heading straight to the computer lab to do research on the

samurai. (I will choose which two students will be recorders

and which one will be the internet researcher (students

assignments given based on academic level)). “Explain to the

class that the “What I Learned” column will be

completed by conducting Internet research with their partners.

keeping track of the websites they have visited and what they

learned in those websites. Collect papers to assess responses

and compile a master list that will be handed out to each

student on day 2) (1). While in the computer lab I will have

students start off their research with:

http://www.timewarptrio.com/adventures/samurai/

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Day 2: hand out master list to each student. Encourage

students to share something that was researched that is

written on the master list (1). I will then go on to give a

brief historical overview of the samurai.

Brief historical overview: “The Samurai rose out of the

continuing battles for land among three main clans: the

Minamoto, the Fujiwara and the Taira. The Samurai eventually

became a class unto themselves between the 9th and 12th

centuries A.D. …Some of them were related to the ruling class.

Others were hired men. They gave complete loyalty to their

Daimyo (feudal landowners) and received

land and position in return. Each Daimyo used his Samurai to

protect his land and to expand his power and rights to more

land.” (7)

ask “In looking at your master list can anyone tell me some of

the things the samurai liked to do during times of peace/ what

their hobbies were when they were not at war?” after responses

are given Focus will be given to Haiku. Give out “what is a

haiku” handout (2)

and give the groups 10 minutes to read it over and discuss it

amongst eachother. Demonstrate on board with two pre-prepared

haiku in the traditional form (one should be from basho a

samurai who lived from 1644-1694. He “is credited for creating

Haiku as we know it today” (2). And two variations of haiku.

Have groups attempt to write one traditional haiku and one

variation of their own.

Day 3 and 4: Students will create 5 haiku’s either in the

traditional format, a variation (with a theme other than a

season) or a mixture of both. Students will begin to write

their haiku’s in class in their notebooks with their group.

Day 5 (morning): groups will choose which haiku they will be

presenting to the class and in what format.

Day 5 (afternoon): groups will be going to the computer lab to

transfer the haiku they have chosen to present to the class to

the kerpoof website so they can be printed out. Explain to

students that when they are at the kerpoof website They will

click on “make a story” and choose the cover of mount fuji.

Day 6, 7: students will work on presentation.

Day 8: briefly explain to students what a japanese tea

ceremony is and how It was used by the samurai. Also explain

that this ceremony will be for the purpose of viewing and

discussing their understanding of their classmates’ work.

three groups of three will present per day.

Each group will decide who will pour the hot water into the

tea cups for their group on the day of the ceremony. A list

will be Passed around of what needs to be brought in for the

ceremony. students will write their name under the item(s)

they will be bringing. Review sheet and make sure each

student’s name is on the list.

Day 9 and 10: Students will continue to work on their

presentation. I will be going around answering any questions.

(for those who finish early, have them View, online the PBS

Documentary Empires: Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire in

class. “This is an excellent media source to learn about the

renaissance period of Japan as told by different people of the

era; the Shogun, the Samurai, the Geisha, the poet, the

peasant and the westerner.” For the purpose of this lesson the

class will only be viewing the portion entitled The Way of the

Samurai. (1)

day 11 (morning) : have students set up the classroom for the

tea ceremony/presentations which will take place in the

afternoon. For those that have chosen to present their haiku’s

in the form of art, their pieces will be hung around the

classroom to be read by classmates. I will be dressed in a

Kimono.

There will be two groups per table (6 students). They will be

sitting on tatami each with a tea cup with a tea bag already

inside and a sweet. Two Tea pots with hot water will be placed

on the tables. In front of them they will also have a small

pad and pencil with which they can take notes during

presentations and readings. When instructed by me, the

assigned students will pour the water into each cup.

Performances and powerpoint presentations will be viewed first

as to give students the opportunity to drink their tea.

Following will be the

walk around the classroom with their pads and pencils to read

the haikus that have been hung up, discuss with classmates,

and take notes.

Day 12 and 13: continue presentations.

Day 13: collect all pads and compile a masterlist for each

group of what was written about their presentation to be

handed out to their group.

Assessment: completed projects, participation in the tea

ceremony for the purpose of presenting the completed haiku,

notes taken in pads.

Modifications/accommodations for students with special needs:

esl students Will be able to write and present their haiku’s

in

their native language.(2)

KWL RESEARCH CHART

TOPIC WHAT DO I KNOW?

WHAT DO I WANT TO FIND OUT?

WHAT DID I LEARN?

WHAT WAS MY

RESOURCE?

www.scholastic.com

Resources

1. Who Were the Samurai? By Cate Sanazarohttp://www2.s

cholastic.

com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=114

2. What is Haiku? By Cate Sanazaro

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id

=115

3.Be the Poet. By Cate Sanazaro

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=116

4. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire/ The Way of the S

amurai

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmJwBV_iJRQ

5. Japanese Tea Ceremony: A Critique for Screens and

Scrolls. By Michelle Harrell

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/3527

6. Lesson Plan--The Tea Culture.

http://www.pardeehome.org/TeaCulture_Module.pdf

7. A Brief History of the samurai

http://edtech.suhsd.k12.ca.us/inprogress/act/dfickett/japan

/iaido_samurai.html

8. Art and the samurai

http://victorian.fortunecity.com/duchamp/410/

tea.html