This SPICE curriculum unit with three highly-developed lessons exploring the concept diversity and function of minority groups includes a variety of activities that could potentially take a total of nine to twelve class period to complete. In exploring why diversity exists, this curriculum unit introduces the topic of minority identity issues while providing the framework and opportunities to extend this concept to modern-day people, places, and events through American history, world cultures, civics, sociology, psychology, or health courses. The three main lessons developed in this unit include an introduction to the notions of identity, the burakumin, and the Ainu, Okinawans, and Koreans in Japan through a framework that focuses on the enrichment of knowledge, attitude, and skills.
Lesson One includes a simulation exercise with an excellent introduction and a set of guidelines for teachers to follow so that this activity and debriefing session could be led by teachers throughout a building (from the experienced and creative instructor to the novice and unsure) as part of a school-wide cultural day. It would even be an interesting activity for a staff development workshop! The simulation not only provides an excellent way to introduce the role (and fears) of cultural exchange from time of the Silk Road to the age of imperialism, but it could also help students better understand why Commodore Perry’s fleet was so unwelcome or why Americans felt the need to use relocation camps during World War II. Best of all, the activities in this curriculum unit help students to relate these concepts to their own lives by creating practical situations, facilitating class discussions, and reflecting on concepts which require students to take ownership of their learning.
By building on the foundation laid in Lesson One, Lesson Two continues with opening activities which help students to reflect on their own identities before branching out and exploring the history of the burakumin and the role of discrimination. Through a variety of both independent and collaborative higher-order, critical thinking activities, students can compare the development of the burakumin to the establishment of the caste system in India, the abolishment of slavery in the United States (which was contemporary to the Japanese Edict of Emancipation), the identification and treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany, or even modern-day housing inequalities in America. The establishment of this social class in Japan is also tied to the increasing role of religion in Japanese politics and culture, making Lesson Two open to connections with another SPICE curriculum unit (Religion in Japan and a Look at Cultural Transmission). While balancing the need for guided class discussion, there are multiple avenues for encouraging students to privately journal their thoughts as they investigate the role that a more educated society plays in bringing an end to discrimination. There is also a series of role-playing cards that invite students to work collaboratively to analyze and report on statistics related to the discrimination of burakumin. Once again, a thorough debriefing guide with leveled discussion questions is provided for the teacher to facilitate a meaningful assessment and application of these activities.
Lesson Three takes the previous two lessons one final step as it applies the concepts of minority groups and discrimination to questions of imperialism and the challenges of nation building with extensions to other societies. Once again, a variety of individual and group activities complement the presentation of new information in a historical context. Students are encouraged to use deductive reasoning skills in order to draw parallels with other knowledge such as the role of the industrial revolution, the influence of war, or the theory of social Darwinism in creating a national identity. All of this can be done within the context of the Meiji era or extended beyond and applied to America’s melting pot at the turn of the century. Three separate case studies from Japan, most especially the examination of the Ainu and Okinawans, would also make an interesting comparison to the study of the treatment of the Irish people and the challenges of preserving Celtic culture in relation to Great Britain or Hawaiian culture in relation to American annexation. Further investigation could be made of the Okinawans and the role America played on these islands during the Cold War. With a brilliant map of 19th century Asia laying the foundation and outlining the impact of imperialism on the East in a time of power struggles between and among the two hemispheres, students can explore the roles of geography, economics, and politics among distinct groups. Students could also use the three featured groups for a study in genetics as they examine the physical differences between the Ainu, Okinawan, and Korean people. Additionally, the fact that “birth in Japan does not legally ensure Japanese citizenship, unless one parent is a Japanese national” (61) and the 1950 Japanese Nationality Law would be a very interesting topic to compare with American immigration and citizenship policies, both past and present.
The resources included in this guide include pre- and post-surveys, detailed activity descriptions and handouts, supplemental guided readings (geared more toward the high school level but with key terms defined to help middle school students work through the material), and a variety of activities which challenge students to engage in the 21st century skills of creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical-thinking. Not only will it help our students understand how and why diversity exists, but it will also help us as educators see how we can raise awareness for cultural diversity within our communities as students begin to shape their own identities.
Angie Stokes
7 July 2014
Review