1. Name: ____________________
Japan

2. Introductory Assignment: Map of Japan
Unit 3: Japan
Introductory Assignment: Map of Japan
Label the four biggest islands that make up Japan and color them accordingly:
Hokkaido (green)
Honshu (yellow)
Shikoku (orange)
Kyushu (pink)
Locate and label the following cities:
Sapporo
Tokyo
Osaka
Hiroshima
Nagoya
Kyoto
Yokohama
Fukuoka
Label the following bodies of water and color them blue:
Pacific Ocean
Sea of Japan
East China Sea
Draw a compass on your map and color the flag using the appropriate colors!
Staple and Include an Origami creation of yours to the map! It should show a clear attempt at folding, be recognizable, and demonstrate patient use of time.
Be careful and neat on all aspects of the map!

3. Chapter 12: Shaping a Unique Worldview
Name: __________
Class: 8- __
Word
Definition
Picture/Sentence
Ainu
Arable
Archipelago
Assimilation
Homogenous
Monsoon
Rituals
Stoic
Tsunami

4. Geography and Isolation : The Connection
Section One:
Read the origin story on page 261. In many societies, origin stories include important clues about how people identify themselves and their culture.
What does Japan’s origin story say about the Japanese worldview?
What other origin stories can you think of?
Topography of Japan:
A large portion of Japan is covered by _______________.
Page 266 Activity:
Geography and Isolation : The Connection
Factor
Effect (how did this contribute to isolation?)
The ocean between Japan and Asia
The western coast of Japan (along the Sea of Japan)
European navigation before 1500
European navigation after 1500
Are there any places in Canada that are isolated because of geography? List as many examples as you can think of and explain the specific challenges faced by those places:

5. Section Two:
Japan’s natural landscape has always been a source of great pride.
Many traditional Japanese ________ and ceremonies are linked to the natural world. For example, cherry blossoms are the most beloved _________ among the Japanese. As a result, many festivals and celebrations are held during the blooming of the cherry blossom trees.
Cherry blossoms represent many things to the Japanese, such as:
Shinto
Shinto is the ancient _____________ of Japan.
Shinto is based on the belief that sacred _________ take the form of objects in __________ such as mountains, trees and stones.
_______________ (sun goddess) is considered to be the most important Kami (god).
Humans become Kami when they __________ and are _____________ by their families.
______________ celebrations occur throughout the year to please and celebrate the Kami.
Shinto does not have a founder and there are no religious _________. It is for these reasons that many people believe that Shinto is a ________________________ rather than an organized religion.

6. iti ni san si The Darker Side of Nature
Nature in Japan can be beautiful and calm one minute, and frightening and violent the next.
Examples of this include earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis and typhoons.
The people of Japan have become stoic when it comes to natural disasters. They simply start over and rebuilt as soon as the danger is over.
iti ni
san si

7. Section 3: Factors That Allowed Japan to Remain Self-Sufficient and Prosperous
Despite its size and geographic challenges, Japan had relatively little trade with any other countries before 1853.
Some Examples:
Some Borrowing…
The Japanese have borrowed some elements of their culture from other cultures.
For example, the Japanese originally borrowed the ____________ system of writing, called kanji.
They later combined the Chinese characters with the Japanese language in a new system called __________.

8. Rice: A Symbol of a Country
Traditionally, and still today, _________ has been the food most associated with Japan and its culture.
Rice is not an _______ crop to grow. It involves a labour intensive process and the success of the crop depends on the right amount of ____________.
Monsoons bring ___________ in the summer; if the monsoons don’t come, the rice crop will ________.
In the past, rice was an important part of Japan’s __________. Rice production determined the value of land, and a person’s _________ was determined by the ___________ of rice he/she could produce.
Did you know? When you say “Did you eat?” in Japanese, the direct translation is “Did you eat rice?”! This shows you how important rice is to the people of Japan!
Other Staple Foods
Other than rice, there are three staple food sources in Japan:
Fish (protein)
Seaweed (vitamins and mineral salts)
Soy (protein and other important nutrients)

9. A Homogenous Society
Despite the ______________ barriers in Japan, the people
have long thought of themselves as a homogenous society.
Homogenous = ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
The ________ contributes greatly to this worldview, as most of the population lives along the coast, using the sea to communicate and trade with one another.
Ideas, beliefs and __________ were also exchanged along the way.
The Ainu
This indigenous group has lived in the _______________ part of Japan for several thousand years.
The Ainu had their own ______________ society and territory, but eventually the Japanese began to take over Ainu lands.
There were many conflicts and ________ of resistance, but eventually the Ainu territory was taken over and has become present day _______________.
The Japanese government instituted polices that forbid the Ainu from speaking their _____________, practicing their customs and restricted where they could _________.
These government policies are an example of ________________.

10. Booklet Self-Assessment
Now that you’ve finished the Chapter 12 booklet, how do you feel about your learning in relation to the Essential Learning Outcomes below?
ELOs: General Outcomes
8.1.1: I can explain how time and geographic location shape a society’s worldview.
8.1.3: I can explain how types of governments and decision making show a society’s worldview.
8.1.4: I can explain how a society’s worldview molds individual citizenship and identity.
8.1.5: I can explain the effects of isolation during the Edo period.
Specific ELO
Am I getting it?
Evidence:
Chapter 12
How did the physical geography of Japan affect its worldview?
What activity/activities helped you to learn this ELO?
What suggestions do you have that would help you to learn?
How do you know that you understand this ELO?
Booklet Self-Assessment
Poor=1
Limited=2
Satisfactory=3
Very Good=4
Excellent=5
Most of my answers are incomplete
Some of my answers are complete
My answers are good and mostly complete
My answers are complete and detailed
My answers are thorough and detailed

11. Your quiz will have two parts, and will be out of 20 marks.
Social Studies 8: Japan
Chapter 12 Study Guide
Your quiz will have two parts, and will be out of 20 marks.
Part One is Multiple Choice, and will be out of 8 marks.
Part Two is Short Answer, and will be out of 12 marks.
Which geographic term best describes the nation of Japan?
Using the map and information on page 266, describe the connection between Japan’s geography and its isolation.
What are some advantages and disadvantages to the island location of Japan?

12. 4. Describe the following features of Japan:
Climate
Geographic Features
Resources
Location
Economic Activity

13. 5. What geographic challenges do the Japanese people have to deal with (natural phenomenon, geographical features, etc.)?
6. Why would we use the term homogenous to describe the Japanese?
7. How do the Japanese use their natural resources to support their survival?
What allows them to be self-sufficient?
8. What have the Japanese borrowed from the Chinese culture?