This Teacher Guide is a convenient source of background information, mini-lessons, and
activities that coordinate with the performance and the Student Guide to encourage
learning across the curriculum. Most activities can be easily adapted to suit different age
groups. This guide supports the “Blueprint for Teaching & Learning in the Arts,” and
includes City and State Learning Standards.
About the Company
San Jose Taiko was formed in 1973 by Asian Americans searching for an artistic expression
that could combine their cultural heritage with their diverse experiences in the United States.
As the third Taiko group to form in North America, many of the founding members of the
group were third generation Japanese Americans, who looked to Japan for their initial
inspiration. The instrument they selected, because of its symbolism and possibilities, was the
Japanese drum, known as taiko.
Music
Vocabulary
 Form- the overall plan or organization of a piece of music.
 Dynamics- the loudness and softness of sounds.
 Texture- the way the melody and harmony go together; a melody alone, two or more
melodies together, or a melody with chords. Texture may sound thick or thin,
depending on how the tones are combined.
Whole Class: Explain – Musical compositions have organization, or form. You can create a
composition for percussion by deciding which sound you will use and in what order you will
use them. Here is an example based on an 8-beat rhythm. One third of the class will strike
their mini-taiko drums with chopsticks or pencils like this. Long (2beats)…short (1 beat)…short
(1 beat)…long (2 beats)…short (beat)…short (beat). Repeat the pattern four times. Another
third of the class will rub their pencils along the sides of a spiral notebook for the count of 8.
Stamp one foot on the last count. The last group will strike a chime, cymbal, triangle or an
improvised instrument that has a bell-like sound, every fourth count (ie. 1,2,3 CHIME.
Repeat). Repeat from the top, and enjoy your musical composition!
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Group work: Using homemade instruments or environmental sounds like the rubbing of the
spiral notebooks, each group will decide on a simple pattern that everyone in the group can
play.
Share session: Choose one student to “conduct.” When that student points to a group, that
group plays its pattern four times. The conductor will decide on the form of the composition,
which groups will play in which order and how many times. Allow several people to try their
hand at conducting.
Follow-Up: Make a recording of the different compositions.
Language Arts
Goal: Each student will write an original Haiku.
Whole class: Read some sample haikus and write one on the chalkboard. Explain that Haiku is
a Japanese poetry form consisting of 3 lines of 17 syllables, divided like this poem by Kazue
Mitzumura.
- 5 syllables Wind rustles the trees
- 7 syllables And cherry blossom petals
- 5 syllables Shower onto me
Group work: Divide the class into groups that select or are assigned a theme. Suggested
themes: seasons, animals, sports, games, and family.
Individual work: Each student within the group writes his or her own Haiku based on the
group’s theme, conferencing with peers as necessary.
Share session: Students read their poems to the group, and then groups may share with each
other, Select several to read to the whole class.
Follow-up Activity. Make prints (See Visual Art Activity below) that illustrate each Haiku. Put
together a class book.
Visual Arts
Group Activity: Make a faux Japanese woodblock print to illustrate Haiku.
Goal: Each student will experiment with a new medium to illustrate Haikus composed in
class.
Whole Class: Fish Prints: Explain how in Japan, ink was rolled onto a whole fish, then drawing
paper placed over the fish to get a fish print. This was originally done to keep records of
which fish were being caught, where, and by whom.
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Woodblock prints: Designs are carved into blocks of wood, which are then rolled with ink and
transferred onto paper.
Materials Needed: Clean, rectangular foam trays (from meat or vegetable packages found at
the market), washable marker, sharpened pencil, paper, printing ink, Brayer roller, tray to roll
ink, sponge, newspapers.
Procedure: Demonstrate technique before students begin. Cover work surfaces with
newspaper. Sketch a design on paper. Transfer it to your foam tray with a washable marker,
drawing lightly. Wipe mistakes away with a damp sponge. Words must be drawn backwards.
Draw over marker lines with a pencil, scoring deeply. Place a quarter-sized dab of ink on your
rolling tray. Roll ink out with roller. Roll the roller over your drawing on your foam tray. Place
a piece of paper over the inked drawing. Rub lightly, without moving the position of the
paper. Remove paper. Hand to ry. Roll more prints from the same drawing. Experiment with
colors.
Share Session: When prints are dry, students will select favorite to illustrate their Haiku,
sharing their choices with the group.
Group Activity Origami
Origami is a Japanese art form that encourages creativity and develops manual dexterity.
There are many very good “how-to” books on origami. Allow the students to experiment. The
finished origami can be mounted on a bulleting board with a landscape scene constructed as
a backgrounds, attached to strings for mobiles, attaches to pins with a low-temp glue gun to
make jewelry, or attached to popsicle sticks for an origami puppet show.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR STUDENT AND TEACHER GUIDES
REVELATIONS: Arts Education for Young People is made possible by the Milton and Sally
Avery Arts Foundation, The Kupferberg Foundation, and The Max and Selma Kupferberg
Family Foundation. Additional funding is provided, in part by public funds from the New York
City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council and Queens
Borough President Melinda Katz.
Copyright ® 2014, Kupferberg Center for the Arts
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