Denise Rodriguez
Humanities Teacher
Washington International School
Middle School (13 to 15 years old)
Teacher/Educator
Social Studies
:
World History teacher at the middle school level
I teach world history in Spanish at an international school. Before becoming a teacher, I served as a college instructor. While teaching at the university level, I lead mostly French classes (language, history and literature) and I taught some classes in Spanish, as well. Additionally, I led classes on American history and English while abroad in France.
As a graduate student, I focused on French and Francophone post-colonial history. A Puerto Rican national, I am equally interested in Latin American and Caribbean history and politics on a personal level.
Denise Rodriguez's collections
First impressions about Japan - PreAssessment activity
<p>This collection serves as a pre-assessment activity to a unit on Edo Japan. The artwork in the module is heavily influenced by the Edo period. The goal of this short lesson is to activate imagery and ideas of Japanese art during the Edo period. </p>
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<p><strong>Lesson plan (<1 hour)</strong></p>
<p>Complete *ONE of the following activities:</p>
<p>1. Use the resource "One Step, First Step, Apple Computer, Osaka, Japan" to lead a "Think/Puzzle/Explore" routine. </p>
<p>2. Use all four resources of the Japan Railway Company to complete a "See/Think/Wonder" visible thinking routine. </p>
<p>3. Use either "How Japan Does It" or "MacDonald's Hamburgers Invading Japan/Tokyo Ginza Shuffle" to lead the "3-2-1 Bridge" visible thinking routine. </p>
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<p><strong>*For all three routines: </strong></p>
<p>As you complete the routine, evaluate how much students already know about Japan and the lexicon that they use. Highlight key concepts written in the routine's poster. What do students know and how do these artifacts corroborate or oppose their initial ideas of Japan? Can students discern the historical nature behind some of these ads and posters? For instance, the railway ad displays a screen, and the poster for ‘How Japan Does It’ has a heavy ukiyo-e influence. In this way, these examples of commercial art tie in lasting impressions of a culture with contemporary takes on the country in a fun way. </p>
<p>These three routines could also be completed in unison. Divide the class in smaller groups, provide each group with the images of the collection, and guide each group through one of the routines listed. The result as a class will be a much richer lexicon bank. </p>
Denise Rodriguez
11
Science and Technology - Edo Japan
<p>This collection is meant to be used in the midst of a unit of Edo Japan. Through the study of new technologies and scientific advances at the time, students can further dive into the Edo national dynamics by means of the developments in science. This module on science and technology is geared towards understanding Edo Japan through inventions and progress other than in the arts, and in unison with the rest of the world, therefore opening discussion as to how closed the country really was. </p>
<p>Numerous technologies are tightly linked to cultural expressions such as theater arts and the ukiyo-e , and therefore, a separate series of lessons on arts and culture during the Edo Period is absolutely necessary following or preceding this lesson. A study of the Edo culture remains a common approach to explore the society in Edo Japan; the study of science and new technologies compliments this analysis, and it will facilitate engaging a wider audience. </p>
<p>The artifacts listed here provide illustrations of cross-cultural developments and technological inventions before the end of the Edo period. Through these resources, the teacher can focus on medical advances, particular inventions such as the Montgolfière or simple robots, greater historical processes such as industrialization or everyday objects such as hairpins and cloth, which were also part of the exchange of ideas. </p>
<p>Analyzing these technological commonalities between Japan and the greater global arena, will provide context for the later discussion of ‘rangaku’ (Dutch studies) during the Edo period. </p>
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<p><strong>Lesson plan (2-4 hours) </strong></p>
<p>1. Make the resources and artwork available to the students in preparation for the lesson at least one day ahead of class. These artifacts and texts will serve as a pre-research idea bank and starting point. </p>
<p>2. Teacher can briefly present the material available and prepare a quick lecture or discussion presenting a general overview of science in Japan at the time, or sciences in the world during the same period (e.g. main inventions and discoveries, scientific leaders and award winners, revolutions in science such as the Industrial Revolution.) The lecture could include a brief overview of the state of the social sciences around the world, as well (e.g. theories in psychology, birth of sociology, main theories in anthropology.)</p>
<p>3. Lead the routine "Claim/Support/Question" using the resource "Ukie Edo Nihonbashi Odawaracho uoichi no zu." Discuss the main issues and talking points that surfaced during the routine; tie in the results of the routine with the keywords presented in Step 2. </p>
<p>4. Students explore on their own the resources in the collection and decide on a topic that they would like to research further. A few ideas are: automated technologies, advances in medicine, technology of daily-life objets or technology in the arts. Teacher can also provide research support to guide students into the collection's reading, such as scaffolded questions or a diagram to lead to their preferred topic. </p>
<p>5. Students research the topic of their choice and prepare 10-20 minute presentations on the topic. The goal and format of the presentations can also be defined in class (e.g. slideshow, written piece, a draft for a longer essay, a design technology project...) </p>
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<p><strong>Extension activity</strong></p>
<p>At the end of the lesson on Edo culture and science, create a newspaper that covers the main events of the Edo period. Students can write pieces on the area of their choice: politics, science and technology, arts and culture, or even a column on daily life. Teacher can define the word limit and format, topics covered, and members of each newspaper. After editing and correcting the articles, they can be arranged as a real newspaper. The resources in this collection serve as primary and secondary sources for the activity. </p>
<p>*PDF of examples is attached in the collection.</p>
Denise Rodriguez
13
The Arrival of the Americans and the end of Edo Japan - Post Assessment Activity
<p>This collection serves to end the unit on Edo Japan and retake the discussion of how the period fits within the greater scene of world history. In our class, seclusion and openness of countries is an common through line, and so the arrival of the Americans effectively ending the Sakoku period is an important historical milestone. The main goal of this collection is to lead students into this dialectical reflection of how these two countries interacted and what this meant for a Japan that had consciously shut down most trade relations. The <a href="http://learninglab.si.edu/q/ll-c/usMqMyLDnzdUYDJb">opening lesson on Edo Japan</a> puts in doubt how closed the country really was; this last lesson highlights how Edo Japan had evolved since the edict of 1635, and how it had to open its ports and face the conjunctions of the 19th century's international scene. </p>
<p>This collection also brings into light reactions on both sides of the American arrival. Images and archives from both Japanese, as well as American witnesses, allow students to understand the motivations coming from East, as well as the West. </p>
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<p><strong>Lesson plan (2 hours) </strong></p>
<p>1. Provide the students with the resources "4c United States-Japan Treaty single." "Black Ships and Samurai," "Founding Fragments - Commodore Perry," and "Matthew Calbraith Perry." Allow students time to browse at least two topics from the website and play the video "Founding Fragments - Commodore Perry" for the entire class. </p>
<p>2. Using all the resources in Step 1, lead class through the visible thinking routine "True for who?" While completing this routine, highlight how each country struggles to defend their views. </p>
<p>At the end of this unit, students have a fairly strong understanding of Japanese national interests. For this reason, the teacher can help provide information of the U.S.'s international stance during the 19th century. While the U.S. plays a background role in our curriculum, we do a quick mention of the Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine, as ways in which the students’ own country emulate cycles of international openness or seclusion. Following this through line, it is necessary to stress the arrival of Commodore Perry to Japan as a thematic intersection. The moment marks both the end of Edo period for Japan, and the United States’ efforts to expand their field of influence.</p>
<p>3. Allow students time to read further into the "Black Ships and Samurai" website. Students can also conduct quick research on the arrival of the Americans in 1853, and Japanese-American relations previous to this date.</p>
<p>4. Provide students a copy of Commodore Perry and President Fillmore's letter to the Emperor of Japan. Use resource "Letters of the Commodore Perry and President Fillmore to the Emperor of Japan (1852-1853)" Do a close reading of the letters and highlight the main passages. </p>
<p>5. Present the remaining images and complete a visible thinking routine "Parts/People/Interactions." Allow students to cite the letters in Step 4, as well as the images in this collection. At the end of this lesson, students are able to compare, as well as to question each country’s discourse of seclusion or non-intervention.</p>
Denise Rodriguez
12
Views on foreigners during the Edo Period - Intro Lesson
<p>This lesson serves as an introduction to the Edo Period in Japan. The module is centered around the artwork "Southern Barbarians," a folding screen painting depicting the arrival of Portuguese traders to a Japanese port, a common scene previous to the Sakoku (closed country) period. After a close analysis of the folding screen, students contrast the scene depicted in the artwork with the proscriptions of the Sakoku edict of 1635 and the Portuguese exclusion edict of 1639. The stark contrast between these two trade scenarios will help students understand the nuance of the political and economic situation of Edo Japan. Additionally, transitioning from a scene where international trade is robust and ordinary, to the drafting of these two edicts severely curtailing this very trade, will lead students to inquire into the extent, as well as the limitations of the closed country period. </p>
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<p><strong>Lesson plan (1 - 2 hours) </strong></p>
<p>1. "Southern Barbarians" illustrates and extends understanding of the ‘Nanbanjin’ as well as Nanban trade previous to Edo Japan. 'Nanbanjin' referred to Southern European, usually Spanish and Portuguese. The teacher will explain the main traits of Nanban art in order to elucidate further details of the artwork other than the ones that the students observe during the routine. </p>
<p>For further reference on Nanban Art, read pages 71-142 of the book referenced here. The text contains multiple other examples of folding screens from the period.</p>
<p>See: </p>
<p>Weston, Victoria. <em>Portugal, Jesuits and Japan: Spiritual Beliefs and Earthly Goods</em>. Chestnut Hill, MA: McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, 2013. Print.</p>
<p>Link to online copy: <a href="https://archive.org/details/portugaljesuitsj00west">https://archive.org/details/portugaljesuitsj00west</a> <br /></p>
<p>2. Class completes a 'See, Think, Wonder' routine with the resource "Southern Barbarians in Japan." The artwork is full of details (such as the man carrying fabric from another Asian port because the Portuguese served as relay traders in the region). This routine might take 30 minutes or more to complete for this reason. </p>
<p>As part of a World History class, the teacher could highlight these historic "easter eggs" in the artwork and tie in other topics from class such as cotton and silk trade, slavery, navigation technology, missionaries in the East or the Portuguese empire and extension among other subjects present in the folding screen. </p>
<p>While at first, the Project Zero routines will help to understand the period, the actors and the reasons for drafting the two edicts, the teacher should also emphasize at the end of the routine why this type of art existed and how Japanese viewed Nanban trade. The purpose is to begin the discussion of Edo Japan with an understanding of the complex world of foreign relations, cultural forces and international commerce at the time. <br /></p>
<p>3. Following this analysis, students perform a close reading and discussion of the edicts of 1635 and 1639. The Project Zero routine 'Explanation Game' should help guide the reading of the edicts. Students first read the edicts on their own, clarify obtuse language, and highlight a few proscriptions that they believe define the Sakoku period. Following this, students complete the 'Explanation Game' routine in small groups. </p>
<p>4. At the end of this introductory lesson, the teacher leads a group discussion on the edicts, establishing the main proscriptions and political reasons to ban the Portuguese traders. Teacher should clarify the political and social situation of Japan at the time, the presence of the Spanish and Portuguese traders in neighboring countries and the expansion of their respective empires. If class will continue exploring the nuances of the Edo Period, then the teacher could also briefly explain the difference in operations between the Dutch traders and the Portuguese traders. </p>
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<p><strong>Additional resources</strong></p>
<p>Mini-lesson plan (30 minutes)</p>
<p>The remaining resources in this collection allow to further explore the other foreigners in Edo Japan in order to nuance the discussion of international trade and foreign relations during the period. Smaller groups of 3-5 students can analyze separately various ukiyo-e of foreigners, while completing a 'Question Starts' visible thinking routine and discussing their findings at the end of class period with their classmates. </p>
Denise Rodriguez
11
Women at the Forefront - Heian Japan
<p>This module is designed to compliment a unit on Heian Japan or of feudalism in Japan in general. The goal of this collection is to purposely include the role of women within an evaluation of feudal Japanese society and history. The lesson plan highlights Japanese women in leading roles, with a focus on historical representations of women during Heian Japan; it also includes similar examples of female characters from the Kamakura and Edo period. The two main categories of the collection are warriors and noble women, with the inclusion of the writer Murasaki Shikibu and illustrations of The Tale of Genji. The idea is to study ‘women’ as its own historical component, and the group as actors exerting historical agency. <br /></p>
<p>Given that the purpose of this collection is to concentrate on the role of women, it includes artwork that was achieved after the Heian and Kamakura periods and that are representations of salient women from the feudal era. </p>
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<p><strong>Lesson plan (3-4 hours) </strong></p>
<p>1. Teacher leads an introduction to the feudal system and its particularities in Japan. If the class is by topics, this discussion could easily stem from a general discussion of feudalism in Europe. In our particular case, we have already discussed feudalism in Europe earlier, and so the teachers highlight parallels between the two systems in order to activate the main keywords of the unit and review ideas of how the feudal economy worked. </p>
<p>2. Students read a textbook chapter on feudal Japan and answer comprehension and analysis questions from the text. Key concepts are established following this reading such as: daimyo, samurai, land distribution, family clans, and feudal social pyramid, among others. </p>
<p>See: </p>
<p>Spielvogel, Jackson J. <em>World History: Journey Across Time</em>. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print.</p>
<p>3. In small groups, students analyze original documents from the feudal period. Documents from the book cited below include: the Bushido code, family letters, and excerpts of laws, among other primary sources. Each group of students is in charge of one particular document. Students should identify: main idea, intended audience, who wrote it, and how does this particular document help understand Japanese feudalism. These documents should also help activate many of the key concepts studied earlier. Once all tables have their findings, the class comes together to present and discuss all documents. </p>
<p>See: </p>
<p>Stearns, Peter N. <em>World History in Documents</em>. New York, USA: NYU Press, 2008. Print.<br /></p>
<p>4. Use this collection to shine the light on women during the feudal period. Lead a "Step Inside" routine with the resource "Ohatsu avenging her mistress Onoe." </p>
<p>Students may well have noticed the silence regarding women's role at this point in the unit. In my classes, for instance, students automatically assume that there are working women alongside male merchants and farmers, but they have doubts as to women occupying higher roles in society. This routine can clarify some doubts as to their presence among higher social ranks. </p>
<p>5. Allow students to browse the collection, play one of the videos on female samurais or lead other Project Zero routines with the other paintings of female warriors and writers. Once the class is familiar with the resources in the collection, lead the visible thinking routine "People/Parts/Interactions" to reevaluate society as a whole. </p>
<p>Discuss how their reading of the texts in Step 2 and Step 3 has changed based on this new information. How do they now imagine women in feudal society?</p>
<p>6. Close the unit with the visible thinking routine "Circle of viewpoints." In our class, we use the routine's questions as a prompt for a one-page essay. Students answer the questions of the routine as if they were a person living in feudal Japan; they can choose to write a journal entry or an essay in the third person. Students should use the resources in this collection and in the texts provided to describe the life of their chosen character. This exercise allows students to explore context, society, thoughts, limitations and daily life from the point of view of a historical actor.</p>
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<p><strong>Extension activity </strong>(1 hour) </p>
<p>Instead of leading a written routine of "Circle of viewpoints" students can create postcards written from the point of view of their historical characters. Students also design the flip side of their postcards and the artwork should illustrate the environment or experiences of their historical character. </p>
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Denise Rodriguez
18
