Session 3 (10/3) - Japan Becoming a Pacific Power

[Ester Yang]

It's always great to have the students take the initiative to try to find the answers. I love your approach in showing the students the picutre and have them answer your prompts. They can learn from each other's answers and/or make additional comments/questions. When I have these kinds of notice and wonder assignments, the class conversation never ends. 
If you allow me to add onto your wonderful idea, I'd first partner them up to have the discussion in small groups and then bring it in as a class. Small groups allow all students to participate whereas in a group setting, it's only the certain few who'll speak up. 

[Ester Yang]

As I was researching more facts on woodblocks, I found a link that explains the history and the various techniques used to create woodblocks. It even has a video of an artist making a woodblock, so I thought if anyone is interested they can watch the video to see how they are made. 

https://mymodernmet.com/ukiyo-e-japanese-woodblock-prints/

[Ester Yang]

The restoration period was an opportunity for other East Asian countries to see the power growth of Japan. As a country, it grew rapidly as there was an increase in production and rapid modernization. Japan was highly successfully in adapting the Western models. However, from the Western point of view, they reacted negatively because they didn't want to be seen equal with the Japanese nation. 

[Lizbeth Vazquez-Ruiz]

Thank you so much for sharing this website, I can definitely use this information and include it in my lessons. Students are always able to connect with different cultures when they are given the opportunity to engage in a creative project.I like how the website offers a  brief history on Woodblock prints. I can start my lesson by giving a brief summary of its history followed by a video. I can also show students different photographs of different woodblock prints that have been made throughout history.

[Betsy Telle]

This has been a great thread. What an interesting look at what we hold dear for a time and what we consider trash at another time. And then what do we do with our trash? I try to minimize the amount of paper used in my class, but my elective is a STEAM class and we do various paper crafts and coloring throughout the year. I feel bad because I know that most students are going to just throw away (or recycle) their drawings and work after they are done and graded. It would great to talk about what we can use our unwanted paperwork. Maybe they could use them as wrapping paper even.

[Betsy Telle]

I chose this Woodblock Print. It is called One-Hundred Children. It is from 1743. 

I think that students would find it interesting to see what children were doing across the world, even before the US was a country. I think they will recognize the activities as some that they do with their own friends. They could even draw their own picture of what the scene would look like now in Los Angeles.

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[Thomas Pineda]

This was an artpiece at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco that I thought would also be related to these kind of projects: https://exhibitions.asianart.org/exhibitions/jean-shin-pause/    She designed it out of old cell phones and cords and it relates to other kinds of items that often fail to get recycled, e-waste. While our students may notice things like bottles and bags and they are important waste items that can be reduced in use, this time now in distance learning, I wonder how their use of electronics has changed. Have they had to get more devices to serve everyone in their houses? Or has there been increased use of screens and therefore shortened the lifespan of these devices as well? I this would be another interesting avenue to explore in terms of sustainability that could possibly tie back to art. 

[Nayeli Ruiz-Sanchez]

I am including a Wood Block prints illustrating women. This was found in the Art of Institute Chicago Museum. It shows various wood block prints images that demonstrate women either carrying for children or maintaining their beauty. The one I uploaded looks like a women looking at a mirror while pouting her lips. I feel that this is the typical depiction of women in almost every culture. The website includes a description of the wood block. The title is, “The Interesting Type” and it originates in Japan. This wood block print is from 1787-1798. I think that these woodblock prints are nice and students can possibly create similar items. For example, maybe students can draw a picture about what they learned from the culture and paint it on a wood block to attempt to create their own wood block print. We can then have students see all other classmates’ wood block prints in a gallery walk.

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[Guadalupe Moreno]

Comapre to China, Japan was able to assimilate to estern Western Culture at a more successful rate. Japan was able to assimilate technologies and systems they deemed useful, while still maintaining a nationalist identity that was uniquely culturally and politically Japanese. The Japanese were able to plan better and be proactive in sending a knowledge expedition known as the Iwakura Mission, where they went around the world to study the upcoming transitions others were going through. In my opinion, Japan was able to prepare more effectively for Western influences by taking control over which foreign reforms to implement, as well as how.

 

[Guadalupe Moreno]

It is saddening to learn that many countries that colonized smaller countries or regions within used the Western powers as refernce. It continues to worsen when we learn that Hitler also took to the United States when it came to organizing the Holocuast; focusing on the treatment of Native Americans.  I think your comment about the Great Britan and the U.S. being part of the inspiration for the Japanese Empire yet also being the ones to form the Allies during WII, really caught my attntion. That never really came to mind and I believe moments and realizations such as these are excellent to incorporate into the classroom. Students should realize that they need to look further into thier studies and question the "heros".

[Guadalupe Moreno]

As mentioned in the session, it really takes the Empire to understand and see the value in incoporating Western Ideals. The fight of losing culture actually cause China to loose a majority of tradtions and power. Compared to Japan that decided to embrace Western Ideals and choose what elements would be incoproated into the modernization of Japan. Even though it is still a question for you, I believe your comment on Japans past being the key to transition into global modernization can be true. It seems to make more sense.

[Guadalupe Moreno]

Tara, your suggestion to Thomas comment is perfect. Having students become aware of their own trash and how it can be recycled into art is valuable. I actually have a booked focused in Africa and the way a women came across multiple plastic bags poisining thier community. She decided to make a change and by collecting all the plastic bags, the woman started making bags, bracelts and more out of the bags. Selling them and teaching other women in the village the skilled art, they were able to fix the ecosystem and econoy of the village. I believe this story is perfect for all grades to hear as well as to atempt. Perhpas creating a weaved basket out of platice bags that can be used for recycling or trash could be a fun and intresting project.

[Guadalupe Moreno]

Using art such as photographs, woodblocks and paitings are excellent at teaching students the conntection between history and art. Art allows us to grasp the world and enterpet what is ocurring and how it is affecting us. It can teach children the power visual imagery might have and how they too can partake in the affect they can have on others. Further it allows them to understand the past at a higher level from multiple points of views. This can also be a great lesson that comapres political, economic, or social stances during a specific time in History. 

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