<p><strong>Using "See, Think, Wonder" and "Parts, Perspective, me", this collection explores how cultural shock influences the way artists see themselves or are perceived by others. The careful analysis of <em>100 Pounds of Rice</em> by the artist Saeri Kiritani provides an opportunity for students to reflect on the similarities and differences with the novel <em>Fear and Trembling</em> by the Belgian author Amelie Nothomb. It also invites students to reflect on their own cultural identity.</strong></p><p>Time- 1 or 2 class periods with optional homework and extension activities</p><p><strong>Guiding Questions:</strong><br /></p> <ul><li>How do art and literature shape our understanding of cultures?</li><li>What kind of knowledge about a literary text and about art do we gain when we compare and contrast them?</li><li>How does language in art and literature represent cultural distinctions and identities?</li></ul><p>Context:<br /></p> <p>In <em>Fear and trembling</em>, Amélie, who is the main character of this autobiographical novel, shares her struggles as a foreign employee in a big Japanese corporation where she is confronted with Japanese protocols and habits that are culturally new to her. In her story, Japanese culture is exposed through a foreign perspective. The aim of the collection is to bring a different perspective to our study, these of a Japanese women living in the US, in order to build a better intercultural understanding of the Japanese culture.</p> <p><strong>Prior knowledge:</strong><br /></p> <p>Students have read the novel <em>Fear and Trembling </em>and analysed the way Western and Japanese cultures are perceived by the different characters. They have explored how the autobiographical novel offers insights on the Japanese workplace culture and reflected on its limitations (a single story embedded in fiction). This teaching unit can be done without the comparative component of literature. It can also be adapted to any other literary work that explores the topic of identity. </p> <p>Day 1:</p> <p>Step 1: Have them do "See, Think, Wonder"individually with <em>100 Pounds of Rice</em> by Saeri Kiritani. Do not show the caption to students yet. The "See, Think, Wonder" routine is good to help students pay attention to details and unveil the artist's choices. It also encourages them to initiate a first interpretation.</p> <p>Step 2: Debrief as a whole group- Discuss the self portrait of  Saeri Kiritani. </p> <p>Step 3: Show the Saeri Kiritani 's youtube video</p> <p>Once students have discussed the sculpture, show them the video and ask them to take notes on the new information the artist provides.</p> <p>Next, go back and look at the sculpture and see how their understanding has shifted from their initial interpretation.</p> <p>Step 4: Read the caption</p> <p>Have students read the caption and answer the questions of the Design Thinking routine "Parts, Perspectives, Me". The routine encourages students to consider the various viewpoints of an object, its users, and stakeholders, and reflect on their own connections and involvement with it. It helps them connect with the perspectives taken in the novel as they are complementary, yet different. It also lead them to reflect on their own identity and prepares them for possible extensions to the activity. </p> <p>Step 5: Debrief the questions as a group</p> <p>Day 2 or Homework</p> <p>Step 6: Have them write an individual synthesis:</p> <ul><li>What did I learn about Saeri Kiritani self-portrait? Fear and trembling? Me?</li><li>How do Saeri Kiritani and Amelie Nothomb express how they experience cultural differences?</li><li>What are the similarity and differences between them? How does it impact your understanding?</li></ul><p>Step 7: Debrief in pair or small group, then as a whole group</p> <p><strong>Extensions</strong></p> <p>Creative project: </p> <p>Step 1 - Once they have completed these activities, ask them:</p> <ul><li>What material or fabric would better represent who you are? Why?</li><li>What part of you would better represent who you are? Why?</li></ul><p>Step 2 - Debrief in group - reflect on the idea of cultural stereotypes: what role do cultural stereotypes play in the construction of self-identity? To what extent do cultural stereotypes limit or facilitate self-identification? Identification of others?</p> <p>Step 3 - Have them sculpt their self-representation with the material of their choice.</p> <p>Step 4 - Exhibition and presentation of the creative process.</p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></p>

<p>Using  Project Zero Design Thinking "Making Moves" [ressource 4], this activity explores multiple haikus from the Edo period in Japan. Through an analysis of these haikus, students will gain an understanding of: the different topics explored in haikus, their structure and, how text and image are intertwined. This will lead the students to create their own illustration of haikus from the Edo period. </p> <p><strong>Step 1: Notice everything</strong><br /></p> <p>Have students silently notice every details on the four works of art [ressources 1-3] and take notes - they don't have access to the captions nor the descriptions.</p>“Notice everything” is a learning move that supports design sensitivity; refer to “Making Moves” [resource 4] for more information.<br /><p><strong>Step 2: Juxtapose</strong></p> <p>Have student compare and contrast the works of art with one another and draw conclusion on recurrent patterns, topics, questions they want to further explore.</p> <p><strong>Step 3: Zoom in on <em>Seated Monk</em> </strong></p> <p>Have the students discover the meaning of the text (Japanese and English version) and its structure 5/7/5. [Ressource 5]</p> <p><strong>Step 4: Envision and Hack </strong></p> <p>- First, have the students illustrate one of the four haikus of their choice and explain their design in a Pair and Share activity. You will find in Ressource 6 (haiku.pdf) four different haikus for this activity. Ressources 7 and 8 are examples of student work.</p> <p>- Then, have the students create their own haiku based on the illustrations of the 2 other works of art (Ressources 2 and 3 - Bats in moonlight and The actors Nakamura Utaemon III as Konobei and Nakamura Matsue III as Shiokumi Kofuji). Once they have finished, have them compare their text with the original haiku.</p> <p><strong>Step 5: I used to think... now I think...</strong></p> <p>To wrap-up the lesson, students go back to their initial thoughts about Haikus, text and image and, reflect on what they have learned. </p>

<p><strong>Description:</strong></p> <p>The goal of this collection is to focus on the ways artists like Shimomura denounce the impact of World War 2 on individuals. The collection is integrated in a unit called Paroles. It is the name of the collection of poems by Jacques Prévert written in 1946 that partly deals with the topic of war. Prévert is famous for taking strong political positions in his poems, using a simple, sometime surrealist and often sarcastic writing [ressources 6 and 7].</p> <p>In integrating the study of  <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/resources/view/27850"><em>Diary: December 12, 1941</em></a> that addresses the Japanese-American Incarceration, students have the opportunity to both understand the uniqueness of Shimomura's style and the global magnitude of his topic by reflecting on the similarities and differences between his work of art. and Prévert's poems.</p> <p>In this collection, students use the thinking routine "Think, Feel, Care" to uncover Shimomura's work of art. It also encourages a comparative study of the ways the two artists approach this global issue and how their work is shaped by culture and by their context of production. This analysis lead them to a broader discussion on how art can be used as a powerful way to give a voice to the unknowns and educate people. </p> <p><strong>Step 1: Sketch the painting</strong>  [ressource 1]- it helps student pay close attention to details, specifically to the superman shape on the background, but also the woman's body language and the architecture of the room - Do not show the caption yet.</p> <p><strong>Step 2: Think, Feel, Care [ressource 2] in small group</strong></p> <ul><li>First, name the person involved in the painting (the American superhero, the Japanese woman, the painter, the public, the American authority).</li><li>Then, analyze the painting using the 3 steps of the routine "Think, feel, care": </li></ul><p>"This routine encourages students to consider the different and diverse perspectives held by the various people who interact within a particular system" (in this painting, the students can identify several systems, from the system of the house to the system of power gender or immigration). My advice is to let them explore one of the system they identify. The additional information provided in step 3 will help them broaden their understanding afterward. </p> <p>"The goal of this routine is to help students understand that the variety of people who participate in a system think, feel, and care differently about things based on their positions in the system. This routine fosters perspective taking, raises questions, and surfaces areas for further inquiry." (Agency by Design, Project Zero)</p> <ul><li>Debrief with the whole group</li><li>Take notes individually on the questions and puzzles that remain</li></ul><p><strong>Step 3: Provide additional information on the context of the painting - use </strong>the caption and the entry of the diary [resource 3], , Shimomura and his grandmother [resource 4]) and Pearl Harbor [resource 5].”</p> <ul><li>Let the students take notes individually</li><li>In small group, answer these questions: what was the artist's intent? What is the artist's impact? In what ways do the symbols used in the painting contribute to influence the public's perspective? What are the similarities and differences between Prévert and Shimomura's approach to World War II?</li><li>Debrief as a whole group</li></ul><p><strong>Step 4: Imagine what poem Prévert could have written to raise awareness about Japanese Incarceration.</strong></p> <p>This activity is an opportunity for the students to reactivate prior knowledge about Prévert's writing style while  rephrasing Shimomura's intent. </p> <p>Tips: Using ressources 6 and 7, the students can use the Thinking routine "Connect, Extend, Challenge" before they write their poem. This activity will allow them to reflect on the differences of style of the two artists. </p> <p><strong>Extension:</strong></p> <p>After the analysis of <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/resources/view/27850"><em>Diary: December 12, 1941</em></a>, invite the students, in small groups of 3, to find another work of art of their choice in the Learning Lab that denounces the consequences of war on individuals. </p> <p>Use the Visible thinking routine "Layers" to help them justify their choice and connect it with Shimomura and Prévert's work.</p> <p>Use the Global thinking routine "The 3 Y's" to help them understand the global impact of the work of art they have chosen.</p> <p>Each group present the work of art to another group.</p> <p><strong>Alternative</strong>: </p> <p>The students write a poem on the work of art of their choice mimicking Prévert's style, instead of writing a poem on <em><a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/resources/view/27850">Diary: December 12, 1941</a></em></p>