The Edo period in Japan (1615-1868) saw the flowering of many forms of cultural expression, colorful and boisterous, muted and restrained, that today is thought of as typically Japanese. These include kabuki and no drama, the tea ceremony, martial arts, woodblock prints, and porcelain. This culturally diverse and vibrant period gets its name from…

In this lesson plan, students explore the traditions and conventions of haiku, comparing this classic form of Japanese poetry to a related genre of Japanese visual art. Students also compose haiku of their own. The lesson's learning objectives are: (1) to learn about the history and poetic conventions of Japanese haiku; (2) to read and interpret…

In recent years, haiku has become a widely adopted part of the language arts curriculum, particularly at the elementary level. Educators appreciate the simplicity and brevity of haiku as a poetic form that young students can grasp fairly easily and therefore express themselves readily. However, this focus on form has often been to the exclusion of…

Because of close relations between the Philippines and the United States in the earlier years of this century, developments in the Philippines since that country achieved its independence in 1946 are of particular interest to Americans. An important aspect of the island nation's efforts in its first 15 years of complete self-government is the…