2015 Academic A Japanese Militarism Lesson Plan
Dates:
Day One:
1. Quiet Question: Type Two Prompt--- Get out your Japan and Western Imperialism Notes. You
and your partner will be working with two different documents to answer the Reflection
Questions.
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Document One: Timeline of Important Dates in Japan’s History
Document Two: Excerpt From Lord Iwakura, an Ambassador Sent to Europe and USA
Reflection Questions:
a) Write TWO events from the timeline under the correct headings below.
Relative Isolation:
Modernization:
Imperialism:
1)
2)
b) Referring to the excerpt, what did the emperor of Japan plan to do and why? Identify TWO
different examples from your Japan and Imperialism Graphic Organizer Notes that support
this.
Plan/Reasoning:
Example One Explained:
Example Two Explained:
Document One: Timeline of Important Dates in Japan’s History:
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1603-Tokugawa Shogunate begins
1635-Closed Country Edict cuts Japan off from rest of world
1639-Portuguese are expelled; Dutch and Chinese are permitted to trade at Nagasaki
1853 to 1854-US Commodore Perry visits Japan
1867-Meiji Restoration; the emperor takes over power
1889-Meiji Constitution is adopted
1894 to 1895-Sino-Japanese War; Japan gains Taiwan and domination of Korea
1904 to 1905-Russo-Japanese War; Japan acquires Port Arthur and Russia’s position in
Manchuria
1910-Japan annexes Korea
1931-Japan invades Manchuria and sets up a puppet state
1937-Japan invades China
1940-“Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” plan is recommended
1941-Japan attacks Pearl Harbor and sets out to conquer the Pacific region
1945-End of World War Two; Japan surrenders
Document Two: This excerpt, attained from the full powers given to Lord Iwakura and the other
ambassadors, describes the mission of a group sent to Europe and the United States by the Japanese
emperor in 1871.
“The time for the revision of the existing treaties will arrive in less than a year, and we wish to revise
them considerably so as to place Japan on the footing of equality with the civilized nations…We do
not intend to undertake the revision at once. We will first study the institutions of the civilized
nations, adopt those most suited to Japan, and gradually reform our government and manners, so as
to attain the status equal to that of the civilized nations.”
2. Class: As we saw from the last lesson and the two documents for today’s Quiet Question,
Japan chose to become an imperialist power and not be conquered by the Western
imperialists. They are the only country of all we have study this year that chose this path. In
this lesson, we will be examining the Japanese Militarism that developed from their response
to imperialism. The teacher is going to read aloud the attached “Rise of Fascism in Japan”
Reading. As she does, you should be using Active Reading Strategies.
3. Pairs/Triads Depending On Class Size: This is the classwork for the rest of the period and the
homework tonight to finish up.
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You will be assigned one of the examples of Japanese Militarism in the 20th century that you
will take notes in the provided graphic organizer.
You will then be teaching this example to the class in the next period, and the class will be
taking notes from your presentation. You will have about FIVE MINUTES to present to the
class.
Resources:
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Class Set of Ms. Barben’s Japanese Militarism in the 20th Century Powerpoint
Online Textbook Pages
Japanese Acts of Militarism:
1)
2)
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6)
First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895
Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905
Japanese Annexation of Korea
Japan and World War One
Second Sino-Japanese War-Invasion of Manchuria and Rape of Nanking/Nanjing
Japan and World War Two
Textbook Pages:
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First Sino-Japanese War---page 743 under “Beginnings of Expansion”
Russo-Japanese War----pages 743-744 under “War with Russia”
Japanese Annexation of Korea---page 744 under “U.S. Relations”
Japan and World War One---page 835 under “Japan and the West”
Second Sino-Japanese War-Invasion of Manchuria-page 835 under “The Rise of Militarism and
pages 859-860 under “The Japanese Path to War”
Japan and World War Two---pages 867-871 under “Japan at War”, “The Asian Theater”, “The
Asian Theater and pages 883-884 under “Japan” and “Japan and Hiroshima and Nagasaki”
Day Two:
4. Class: The Pairs or Groups will present their assigned act of Japanese Militarism to the class
while the class takes notes.
5. Homework: Finish up the East Asia Imperialism Propaganda Poster. It is due:_____________.