The Process

        This project will take place over a two week period.  The lessons are geared for first grade students, but can be adapted for students in the primary grades.  Key vocabulary, themes, historical events, songs, and poems will be introduced and reviewed throughout the learning activities.  The children will submit daily journal entries that will reflect their understanding of the material presented or the books read.

Day One:

     Read Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say an account of a family’s cross cultural life and history.  Throughout the story, discuss the things that the grandfather loves about his homeland, Japan and his new country, America and the state of California.  Show the children a map showing the United States and Japan.  Go over grandfather’s journey across the Pacific Ocean as a young boy and later in his life.  Make a chart that compares and contrasts grandfather’s life over the years in Japan and life in America.  Discuss the types of clothing, transportation, symbols, and cultures.  Introduce the words, citizen, respect, fairness, freedom and rights, and acceptance.   Focus on different pages throughout the book that emphasize these concepts.

Day Two:

     Reread pages 7-16 in Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say where the author describes his grandfather’s journey from Japan to San Francisco, California.  Talk about the character’s desire to live in America and be a citizen.  Review the key words and the journey on the world map.  Then tell the children that this is a family’s unique personal history, but that many people from Japan came and still come to America to be citizens.  Go over the history of the Japanese in America before World War Two and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Read sections of the introduction to the book The Children Of Topaz The Story of a Japanese-American Internment Camp by Michael O. Tunnell and George w. Chilcoat to give the children an overview of the bombing, war hysteria, and Japanese Internment camps.  Ask the children what they think about these events.  Was it fair that the Japanese were treated in this way?   Were they different than other citizens in America?   How would you feel if your family had to move?  The children will color a map showing Japan and America.  They will also take home a blank map and ask their parents to talk about their ancestors and their origin.

Day Three:

     Introduce the second verse from the song “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” from the South Pacific soundtrack by Rogers and Hammerstein. http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/southpacific. Ask the children to express their opinion and feelings about the words in these lyrics.  Review briefly the war and fear in the nation after the bombing at Pearl Harbor.  

     Next read The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida about young friends who were separated by war.  Pause throughout the book to focus on and discuss the symbols, images, and emotions that are created throughout this story about friendship.  Ask the children questions such as: Do you think this was fair what happened to the Japanese Americans?  Why do you think some of the people were afraid of the Japanese Americans?  Did Laurie accept her friend Emi for who she was as a person, not what she looked like?  What could you do for a friend if they had to move away? Introduce the song “I Will Be Your Friend” from Something For Me, Something For You.  As a follow up, the children will make a macaroni bracelet with a tag attached to it to write a message for a friend.

Day Four:

     Show two pictures of children saluting the American flag.   

www.askasia.org/.../ asamww2/flagboy.htm  

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/10/images/20011003-9.html  One picture shows a group of children saluting the flag at school with President George Bush present.  The other picture shows a group of Japanese American children saluting the flag.  Discuss the similarities and differences of each picture.  Review the key words and talk about loyal acts that show patriotism. Read key sections out of Lynne Cheney’s book America: A Patriotic Primer.  Next show two pictures of children playing a game.

http://www.ohs.org/education/focus_on_oregon_history/images/35971327.jpg

www.cornwall.gov.uk/.../ ns3-2004/ns04-346.htm

     The first one is a picture of Japanese American children playing kickball and the second is a picture of children playing soccer.  Continue the same questions and discussions.  Talk about how it makes children feel to take part in activities and belong to a group.  Read the book Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki about internees playing baseball in an internment camp.   Focus on the description of the barracks, the camp, and the father’s explanation of why the Japanese Americans were in the camps.  Talk about why playing games or saluting the flag makes us feel like we belong.  The children will draw a picture of themselves taking part in an activity.

Day Five:

     Introduce the poem “We Are Alike” by Lucia Kemp Henry from Songs, Poems, and Fingerplays.  Talk about what makes us alike and different from each other.  Do a simulation around eye color or hair color separating the children from the others or showing a sense of discrimination.  Put tags on them with the eye color or numbers that were similar to those that the Japanese American children had.  Ask the children “How did that make you feel?’’  Was it fair to separate you just because you had blue eyes?’’  “Does this ever happen at school?”  Sing song “Something For Me, Something For You” and make a class chart of activities at school where children may be treated unfair and ways to help the situation.  Set up role play situations for children to include others in a game or activity.

Day Six:

     Read Flowers From Mariko by Rick Noquchi and Deneen Jenks about a young girl’s gift to her family.  Focus on the first page of the story where the little girl talks about being an American.  Discuss the feelings the family had leaving the camp and their fears as they start a new life.  Brainstorm things that make us feel afraid and things that bring us hope.  Use a writing prompt and have the children complete this statement “If I was afraid, I would ________________. " After the children complete their writing assignment, they can make a paper flower to add to the class garden of honor.

Day Seven:

     Display the book So Far From The Sea by Eve Bunting about a young girl and her family who go to say good bye to a grandpa she never knew.  First focus on the pictures on the front and back cover.  Ask the children to compare and contrast what they see in each picture.  As you read this book, talk about the present and past.  Spend time reflecting on the symbols, such as the origami birds, cherry tree branch, coins, and the Cub Scout neckerchief.  Reread page 28 about the importance of the Cub Scout neckerchief.  Ask the children to think about what they would leave to honor someone they love.   Talk about these items and ask the children to create a picture showing a shrine and the selected item. 

Day Eight:

     View the site http://www.svcn.com/archives/wgresident and introduce the children to Toshimi ‘Bill’ Kumagai, a landscaper and elementary school science teacher who spent three years in an internment camp with his family.  Pay particular attention to his memory of the camp as a young seven year old boy and the formal apology to the Japanese American internees under former President George Bush.  Read Perfect Crane by Anne Laurin about a paper crane that came to life.  Talk about the way the paper crane came to life and the friendship that developed between the character and the crane.  Relate the crane to the other symbols of nature that are reflected in our past literature selections.  As a symbol of hope and peace, teach the children how to make an origami bird.  Display these birds within our garden of honor mural.

Day Nine:

     Do a brief overview of the Japanese Internment, key words, and the way the Japanese Americans were treated.  Sing the song “I Will Be Your Friend’ and chant the poem “We Are Alike.”  Read the book How My Parents Learned To Eat by Ina R. Friedman about accepting and appreciating others ways.  Talk about the fear that each character had and how they learned to overcome their fear.  Make a chart on ways that friends can accept and appreciate each other.  Make paper dolls that link hands and glue them around the border of our garden of honor.

Day Ten:

     Write each key word on chart paper -- respect, fairness, freedom and rights, and acceptance.  Brainstorm ways that we can show our friends these attributes in the classroom, on the playground, in the lunchroom, and out at recess.  Write their responses on the chart paper.  Discuss how this makes us feel and how it makes our friends feel when we live our lives in this manner.  Divide the children into four groups and have each group work on illustrating actions and situations that show meaning to each key word.  Let each group share their finished charts and receive comments from their classmates.