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Unit Planning Organizer

Subject: Social Studies Grade: 8

Unit/Topic: Japan – Isolation to Adaptation

Date and Unit Duration:

Unit Overview – Critical Inquiry Question

How did Japan’s beliefs, values and knowledge shape their worldview and contribute to their choices to isolate or
adapt?

General Learning Outcomes for Unit

8.1 From Isolation to Adaptation: Japan

Through an examination of Japan, students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the ways in
which beliefs, values and knowledge shape worldviews and contribute to a society’s isolation or adaptation.

Focusing Questions for Unit (Related Questions)

How did Japan’s geography contribute to their worldview?
How did Japan’s religion contribute to their worldview?
How did Japan’s social structure contribute to their worldview?
How did Japan’s worldview contribute to their cultural isolation?
How did Japan’s cultural isolation contribute to their worldview?
How did Japan’s cultural isolation impact society?
How did Japanese isolation and worldview allow arts and culture to flourish?
How did Japan see outside influences? In the Edo and Meiji periods?
How did the West see Japan? Why did they force contact?
What factors led to the rapid adaptations in Japanese society in the Meiji period?

Key Concepts for Unit

 Isolationism
 Adaptation
 Militarization
 Westernization
 Modernization
 Industrialization
 Nationalism
 Imperialism
 Traditionalism
Specific Learning Outcomes for Unit
Knowledge:

SLO 8.1.5: Analyze the effects of cultural isolation during the Edo period by exploring and reflecting upon
the following questions and issues:

 In what ways did Japan isolate itself from the rest of the world? (PADM, LPP, CC)
 How did isolation during the Edo period lead to changes in Japan? (CC, PADM)

 How did the changes resulting from isolation affect Japan economically, politically and socially during
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the Edo period? (ER, PADM, CC, I)

 How did the physical geography of Japan affect its worldview? (LPP, PADM, TCC)

 How did the shogun use the feudal system and the hierarchical social classes to maintain control of Japan?
(PADM, CC)

SLO 8.1.6 Analyze the effects that rapid adaptation had on traditionally isolated Japan during the Meiji
period by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:

 What were the motivations for the radical changes in Japan’s model of organization during the Meiji
period? (ER, CC, PADM)
 How did Japan adapt to changes brought on by the transition from feudal to modern models of
organization? (CC, TCC, I)

 How did the changes resulting from adaptation affect Japan economically, politically and socially during
the Meiji period? (ER, CC, PADM)

 In what ways did changes resulting from isolation in the Edo period compare to changes resulting from
adaptation in the Meiji period? (CC, TCC, I)

 What challenges emerged for the Japanese in maintaining traditional cultural aspects of their society while
undergoing rapid change? (CC, I, TCC)

Attitude:
SLO 8.1.1 Appreciate the roles of time and geographic location in shaping a society’s worldview (C, I, TCC,
LPP)
SLO 8.1.2 Appreciate how a society’s worldview can foster the choice to remain an isolated society (C, I,
TCC)
SLO 8.1.3 Appreciate how models of governance and decision making reflect a society’s worldview (C, I,
TCC, PADM)
SLO 8.1.4 Appreciate how a society’s worldview shapes individual citizenship and identity (C, I, TCC)

Skill:
SLO 8.S.1 Develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking
 analyze the validity of information based on context, bias, source, objectivity, evidence and reliability to
broaden understanding of a topic or an issue
 evaluate ideas, information and positions from multiple perspectives
 generate creative ideas and strategies in individual and group activities

SLO 8.S.2 Develop skills of historical thinking:

 distinguish cause, effect, sequence and correlation in historical events, including the long- and short-term
causal relations
 use historical and community resources to organize the sequence of historical events

 analyze the historical contexts of key events of a given time period

8.S.3 Develop skills of geographic thinking:

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 interpret historical maps to broaden understanding of historical events

 construct and interpret various maps to broaden understanding of given topics

 define geographic problems and issues and pose geographic questions

8.S.7 Apply the research process:

 integrate and synthesize concepts to provide an informed point of view on a research question or an issue
 develop a position that is supported by information gathered through research
 draw conclusions based upon research and evidence
 determine how information serves a variety of purposes and that the accuracy or relevance of information
may need verification
 organize and synthesize researched information
 ¾ analyze and synthesize information to create a product
 ¾ access and retrieve information through the electronic network

Assessment Of/For Learning

Formative Summative
Data organizers throughout entire unit 1. Art and Recreation performance task
1. Isolation 2. Society performance task
2. Power & Control 3. Unit test
3. Outside Influences
4. Changes
5. Realization

Sequencing
Intro to Japan Lesson 1
 Vocab and worldview
Isolation in Edo Japan Lessons
 Geography, time, beliefs, values
 How is Japan isolated? How did they perpetuate this isolation?
 How do different aspects of their worldview contribute to Japan’s cultural isolation?
 How did Japan’s cultural isolation shape worldview?
 Mountains & surrounding oceans, nature (beauty, danger, agriculture), Ainu, Shinto, homogenous society
ASSESSMENT
 Economy, values, society
 How did Japan’s social structure, military power, and governing party work together to control the
people?
 Shogun, ronin, Tokugawa Ieyasu, bakuhan, feudal society, honour & duty, Confucianism
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ryBym88J8g

 Geography, economy, values
 How did the Japanese view outside influences?
 Religious missionaries & Christianity, exclusion laws & their exceptions, economic boom & flourishing
arts and culture (Kabuki, sumo, haiku, bunraku), civil unrest & class upheaval, outside threat of expansion
ASSESSMENT
Adaptation in Meiji Japan
 Knowledge, economy, society
 How did Japan feel about trade with outside partners (United States)?
 What factors contributed to Japan’s decision to end isolation?
 Commodore Perry, civil war, Prince Mutsuhito, oligarchy, Five Charter Oath, education reform,
industrialization & technology,
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 Time, values, society
 Westernization vs. traditionalism, Deer Cry Pavillion, Japanese “essence” (state religion, Conscription
Law of 1873, war with China & Russia, end of militarization and Meiji, WWII
ASSESSMENT