In 2006, the Japanese American National Museum funded a three year curriculum development project entitled "Enduring Communities: Japanese Americans in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah." As a member of the team of teachers from New Mexico, I used this experience to study my process of developing meaningful content and…

Presents a biography of Mine Okubo, a prolific Japanese-American artist who was among the thousands of Japanese imprisoned in "relocation camps" during World War II. Provides insights into Ms. Okubo's philosophy as well as the phases of her art, emphasizing her role as a living repository and documentor of Japanese-American history. (JDH)

This Historical Reader on "Japanese American Internment" in World War II introduces students to key events and issues during the period through the voices of people with firsthand experienced. Source documents and illustrations are arranged in chronological order and/or thematic units that establish context. Each selection is followed by…

Explores the wealth of literature by and about Japan and Japanese Americans. Presents a structure for a history unit focusing on Japanese Americans. Summarizes curricular and literary issues to consider. Presents annotations of 69 works of literature and reference and teaching materials. (RS)

The Japanese-American internment experience during World War II continues to affect the Japanese-American community. This ERIC Digest provides six suggestions for teaching about the Japanese-American internment, touching on civil rights, immigration, the media, "loyalty," redress and reparations, and primary and secondary sources.…

Briefly reviews the purposes of law-related education in social studies and demonstrates how these may be achieved through historical case studies. Illustrates this point with various events surrounding the experience of Japanese Canadians during World War II. Includes primary source documents and two photographs. (JDH)

Discusses five books for young adults by author Yoshiko Uchida. Notes that these books, accessible to children in grades 5 and above, describe the prejudice against Japanese Americans, internment camps, and upheaval, sorrow, and anger spawned by the American government's racist actions. Shows how the books can prompt discussions about cultural…

Designed for secondary school students, this 3-5 day unit focuses on the legal context of the Japanese-American internment during World War II and can be incorporated into a history unit or used as a case study of the American legal system or American race relations. Four lesson plans are provided. In lesson 1, the historical events of the…

The problems and rewards of early second-generation Japanese in Hawaii are presented in this novel about a young teenager caught in the middle of the cultural conflict of her generation. Stressing the multinational heritage of Hawaii's people, the book contributes a knowledge and understanding of what the Japanese heritage contributed to the…

Examines the uprooting of Japanese Americans during World War II as portrayed in children's/young adult literature. Discovers the triumph of the spirit of the survivors and replaces suppressed images with empowering ones. Considers stories and narratives in literature as a resource through which readers might shape their understanding of the…

A 28 minute, color videotape program, "Okinawan Festival," was tested in four high school classes in Honolulu, Hawaii. The purpose was to measure the program's effectiveness in providing cognitive information about the Okinawan ethnic group in Hawaii to students in Grades 10-12. A pre-test was administered, the videotape played, and the…

Discusses 26 books that can help promote inquiry and discussion among adolescent readers regarding the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Notes that the books provide a historical overview and reveal personal points of view about the internment. (SR)

This lesson, for grades 7-12, correlates with Era 8, Standard 3c of the National History Standards for United States History: "evaluate the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and assess the implication for civil liberties." The lesson provides background on the internment of Japanese Americans during the war and…

Presents a lesson plan based on a lawsuit resulting from the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Provides background on Gordon Hirabayashi who took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Explains how students can identify the arguments, analyze the judge's actions, and consider implications of the decision. Includes student…

Discusses racism, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and belated redress by the U.S. government. Traces the experiences of one typical family. Comments that bias against Asian Americans was common before the war. Concludes that recognition of this history of racism is necessary to combat present resentment of Asian…