The Travels of Basho, The Adventures of Momotaro, the Peach Boy, The Wakame Gatherers, and The Story of Tanabata

By:听Noel Gannett, Blanca Carbajal-Rodriguez, Michael Carlson, and Leah Ebel with Wendy Blasingame, Christine Cervera, Brenda Gates, Stacey Mandel, Karen Munch, and Gail Stine

Featured Children鈥檚 Literature:听The Story of Tanabata,听adapted by Shin Kitada

story of tanabata book cover showing a drawing of man in red robeLesson (pdf)

Materials (pdf)

Play (pdf)

Puppet Play Images (pdf)

Video (mov)

Objectives:

  1. Students will understand and apply the concept of cultural borrowing.
  2. Students will become familiar with the genre of Japanese听kamishibai听storytelling and use the format to tell a story.
  3. Students will learn about the changes in the听罢补苍补产补迟补听story as it traveled from China through Korea to Japan.

National Content Standards:

History

  • K-4 History Standards Topic 4:听The History of Many Cultures Around the World; Standard 7a: The student understands the cultures and historical developments of selected societies in such places as Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe (Benchmarks: Illustrating or retelling the main ideas in folktales, legends, myths, and stories of heroism that disclose the history and traditions of various cultures around the world and Explaining the customs related to important holidays and ceremonies in various countries in the past)

听Geography

  • Geography Standard 5:听Students know that people create regions to interpret Earth鈥檚 complexity.
  • Geography Standard 10:听Students know the characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth鈥檚 cultural mosaics.

听Reading and Writing

  • Reading Standard 2:听Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
  • Writing Standard 3:听Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
  • Writing Standard 5:听Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Visual Arts

  • Visual Arts Standard 4:听Students understand the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.

听Plan for Assessment:

  1. Students will write their own version of the听Tanabata听story using their own cultural background and/or state as the story setting. A rubric is provided.
  2. Students will be able to define听cultural borrowing听and recognize cultural borrowing in the United States.

Notes:

  • This literacy-based lesson is planned for use with a third- or fourth-grade class. The lesson is expected to take eight to ten 45- to 60-minute class periods to complete. To modify the lesson for younger students, (1) have students work in small groups, (2) write the story as the class dictates it, or (3) pair the class with another older class to write and illustrate the story. Students will require prior knowledge of how to analyze story structure and the elements of a story (setting, characters, problem, and solution). For second language learners, the teacher will need to introduce some vocabulary (e.g., weave, Milky Way, cattle herder). The teacher also should be sensitive to students鈥� beliefs about Santa Claus. This lesson recognizes Santa Claus as a legend.
  • Teaching this lesson requires some understanding of the Japanese festival听Tanabata. The lesson traces the cultural borrowing of the Chinese legend that is the basis for the festival. The story of the oxherd and weaver princess traveled from China through Korea and was imported into Japan in the Nara period (710-794 CE). The story attempts to explain the positions of the stars Altair and Vega across the Milky Way in the summer sky. The听Tanabata听festival (Qixi听festival in China;听Chilseok听festival in Korea) takes place on the seventh day of the seventh month.听Different areas of Japan observe either the solar or lunar calendar dates and have different customs around this holiday. Most people celebrate by writing wishes on small pieces of paper and hanging them on bamboo. These wishes are often something that the writer hopes to achieve, such as being a faster runner or doing well in school. Wikipedia provides details about the Tanabata festival, along with photos (see听Resources and References听section).
  • If you are not familiar with the听kamishibai听storytelling format, a little practice prior to teaching the lesson may be beneficial. Originating in Japan, t his form of entertainment was popular during the early Showa era (1926-1989).听Kamishibai听practitioners sold candy and narrated stories from a stage on top of their bicycles to neighborhood children. In this form of storytelling, the 鈥�kamishibai听man鈥� reads from 12 or 16 illustrated story cards. The text appears on the back of the previous illustration, as the cards are drawn out and placed at the back of the stack as the story is told. For a visual reference see the听Kamishibai Man听video clip (provided). In the case of听The Story of Tanabata听featured in this lesson, the text is provided in both English and Japanese. An excellent 鈥淗ow to Use鈥� guide can be found on the Kamishibai for Kids website listed in the听Resources and References听section. The teacher's guide that accompanies听The Story of 罢补苍补产补迟补听also has information to help you with this storytelling format.

Materials:

  1. The Seventh Sister,听by Cindy Chang, illustrated by Charles Reasoner
  2. 鈥淭he Cowherd and the Spinning Girl鈥� in听Chinese Children鈥檚 Favorite Stories,听by Mingmei Yip
  3. The Story of Tanabata听, adapted by Shin Kitada
  4. Copies of听Story Structure Worksheet,听Story Map Worksheet, and听Rubric: Writing a Kamishibai Story听(provided)for all students, plus one large copy of the听Story Structure Worksheet听for use in making a class chart (you may enlarge or simply copy on the board or on chart paper)
  5. Chilseok听Play听(provided)
  6. Images for听Chilseok听Puppet Play听(provided) (Optional: If you wish, you may use these images to make simple puppets by printing the images on card stock and gluing each card to a large craft stick or a paper bag that could be slipped over the hand; use of puppets in reading the听Chilseok听play is recommended if you have a large number of second language learners in your class)
  7. Kamishibai Man听video clip (provided)
  8. Chart paper
  9. Map of Asia showing China, Korea, and Japan
  10. Kamishibai听stage, two wooden sticks, hard candy, small drum (Optional for lending authenticity to the听kamishibai听storytelling)
  11. For each student or student group鈥檚 use in making their听kamishibai听stories: glue stick; scissors; pencil; draft paper; markers, crayons, or colored pencils, and/or paint brushes and water colors; five sheets of 8.5 x 11 card stock; and 9 x 12 manila envelope with an 8x10.5 inch rectangle cut out from the center of each side of the envelope (if possible, laminate the envelopes for more durability)
  12. Computer, LCD projector, and screen

Implementation:

Introduction to Cultural Borrowing

  1. Play the game Telephone with the class. Have the students sit in a circle or divide into groups and line up in rows. Whisper the phrase 鈥�罢补苍补产补迟补听is a festival celebrated in Japan鈥� into the ear of the first child. Have the students pass the phrase on by whispering what they heard into the ear of the person next to them. Continue around the circle or down the rows. Have the last student say aloud the phrase that was whispered in his/her ear and compare what they heard with the original phrase. Generally, the phrase is distorted as it is passed along.
  2. Tell students that the game illustrates an important idea they will learn more about in this lesson鈥攖hat things change as they move from person to person or place to place. Ask students: What do pizza, Pok茅mon, soccer, and Santa Claus have in common? (They are all things popular in the United States that were borrowed from other cultures: pizza from Italy, Pok茅mon from Japan, soccer from England, and Santa Claus from a historic bishop in what is present-day Turkey.) Explain that this is called cultural borrowing.
  3. Develop the Santa Claus example further by sharing how the Turkish figure of St. Nicholas, a bishop known for giving gifts to poor people, was borrowed into Northern European cultures and mixed with the figure of Odin and the celebration of Yule. British and Dutch immigrants brought the image and customs surrounding Father Christmas and St. Nicholas, respectively, to the American colonies, where the image and customs were adapted further.
  4. Remind students of the Telephone game. Ask: Was the message I whispered to the first student transferred to other students exactly as I said it? (No, people changed it. If it passed down several rows, it may have changed in different ways depending on the path of individuals it took.) Explain that most cultural borrowing is like this, adaptive rather than direct鈥攑eople change the thing or idea they borrow to make it fit their own needs and wants. In our increasingly fast-paced, high-tech global society, there is the potential for less of the origins to be lost when an idea is borrowed into another culture. However, adaptation still occurs; as an example, although the images of Pocket monsters from Japan might be the same in the United States, many of the characters鈥� names are changed to make sense to an English-language audience.
  5. With the class, create a definition of听cultural borrowing. Help students develop the following points in their definition
    • Cultural borrowing is the act of using ideas, customs, and/or social behaviors from another culture.
    • Cultural borrowing can also include patterns of speech, actions, and artifacts that are characteristic of another culture.
    • In many cases, cultural borrowing is听adaptive, meaning the borrowing culture changes the idea being borrowed to suit its own cultural background.
  6. Have students suggest more examples of cultural borrowing. If they need guidance, suggest that they think about music, food, language, games, and toys. Begin a running list, entitled 鈥淓xamples of Cultural Borrowing,鈥� on a piece of chart paper and add to it throughout the lesson.
  7. Show a map of Asia. Point out China, Korea, and Japan, or have your students label the map. Discuss the fact that many aspects of Japanese culture came from China, often via the Korean peninsula. For example, the Japanese adapted the Buddhist religion (which originated in India and spread to China, then to Korea, and finally to Japan) to mesh with their native religion of Shinto. The Japanese use Chinese characters as the base of their written language.
  8. Explain that over the next several days, the class will look at a story that explains the position of two stars on July 7 and how the story has been culturally borrowed in East Asia.

Instruction: Reading and Analyzing 鈥淭he Cowherd and the Spinning Girl鈥� and听The Seventh Sister

  1. Read aloud 鈥淭he Cowherd and the Spinning Girl鈥� in听Chinese Children鈥檚 Favorite Stories.
  2. As a whole class, fill in a class chart of story structure (setting, characters, problem, and solution), while students fill in their听Story Structure Worksheet.
  3. On the map of Asia, identify where the story came from. Tell students you are going to read another version of the story. They should listen carefully to fill in their听Story Structure Worksheet. Remind them they are listening for setting, characters, problem, and solution. Read aloud听The Seventh Sister听to the class.
  4. Have students fill in the听Story Structure Worksheet听and add听The Seventh Sister听to the class chart.
  5. Discuss similarities and differences in the first two stories and why they occur. Record students鈥� ideas in the 鈥淐omparison鈥� column of the class chart. Allow them to copy into their听Story Structure Worksheet.
  6. Ask if there are any examples of cultural borrowing in this story. Add any new ones to the 鈥淓xamples of Cultural Borrowing鈥� list.

Instruction: Reading and Analyzing听the听Chilseok Play

  1. Point out the Korean peninsula on the map. Introduce the听Chilseok听play, reminding students that they will be filling in their worksheets on the parts of the story as they did for the previous two stories. Assign roles and, as a class, dramatically read the听Chilseok听Play听from Korea. As an option, you may use puppets created from the听Images for听Chilseok听Puppet Play听in telling the story. (Puppets would provide visuals to help second language learners better understand the vocabulary and the story.)
  2. As a whole class, fill in a class chart of story structure (setting, characters, problem, and solution) while students fill in their worksheet.
  3. Discuss the similarities and differences between the stories, putting particular emphasis on setting, characters, problem, and solution. As you discuss, record the findings in the 鈥淐omparison鈥� column of the class chart and have students fill in their听Story Structure Worksheet.
  4. Ask for any new examples of cultural borrowing and add any new ones to the class list.

Instruction: Reading and Analyzing听The Story of Tanabata

  1. Review the story and responses from yesterday on the听Chilseok听play and where the Korean peninsula is on the map of East Asia.
  2. Ask the class what they are noticing about the various stories. Discuss any similarities and/or differences they have noticed. For this step, focus the discussion on story content rather than the format of the stories (i.e., book, play).
  3. Next, have the class reflect on the different forms of stories they have read thus far (i.e., books and a play). Discuss different kinds of storytelling and give examples (e.g., puppets, oral storytelling, African storytelling with instruments, story songs). Point out that reading from a book is not the only way to tell a story. Note that stories were passed down orally before they were shared in written form. Remind students of their experience in the Telephone game. Discuss: What might happen to stories that were passed orally from one culture to another?
  4. Introduce the class to the final story,听The Story of Tanabata. Tell them that this version is from Japan; review where Japan is on the map of Asia. Explain that this version of the story is in a distinct Japanese storytelling format called听kamishibai. Pass out the cards of听The Story of Tanabata. Lead an inquiry discussion, asking: What do you notice about the cards? (Text is on the back. Picture on the front doesn鈥檛 match the text on the back. The Japanese is written vertically and read right to left. English is horizontal and read left to right.)
  5. Show听the Kamishibai Man听video clip of a听kamishibai听storyteller presenting听The Story of Tanabata听in Japanese. Discuss with students: How did the听kamishibai听man use the cards? What storytelling elements did you observe?
  6. Using the听kamishibai听cards, dramatically tell the story of听Tanabata, sliding the cards to the right and placing them at the back of the set. To add authenticity, use a traditional听kamishibai听stage (mounted on a bicycle); dress-up as a听kamishibai听man; announce the beginning by clapping together two wooden sticks called听hyoshigi听(as shown in 鈥淜amishibai Man鈥� video clip); 鈥渟ell鈥� or pass out hard candy; and/or use a small drum to add sound effects while reading.
  7. Complete the class chart as students fill in their听Story Structure Worksheet.
  8. Use the completed听Story Structure Worksheet听and class chart as the basis for a debriefing discussion on all four stories. Discuss the similarities of the four stories. Ask students: What aspects (characters, setting, problem, solution) are constant? What are some recurring themes in all the stories? Start a list of these similarities. Discuss the differences in the stories: What changed as the story was passed from China, to Korea, to Japan? How does this illustrate that adaptation is part of cultural borrowing?

Guided Practice: Creating听Kamishibai

  1. Explain to students that they will be writing their own version of the story听Tanabata.听They will borrow the story and adapt it to reflect their own cultural background and/or to be set in their state. Based on the similarities list generated in the debrief of the听Story Structure Worksheet, outline what constant aspects of the story the students should include. Provide guidance as to story elements they might adapt (clothing, setting, type of bird, type of ruler, etc.)
  2. Optional: For further guidance, create and share with the class an example of a parallel story or create a version as a whole class. Discuss the similarities between the other stories and the one you have written.
  3. Explain that the students will be borrowing the听kamishibai听format to write their听Tanabata听stories. Go over the logistics of creating a听kamishibai. They will be writing the text and then doing the illustrations on card stock.
  4. Give students some time to think about and discuss with other students their ideas for their version of the story. Give each student a听Story Map Worksheet听to fill in. Any students who are having trouble developing an idea can conference with you or in a small group. For students who need extra support, provide the option to work in small groups and create a group story.
  5. When students complete their story maps, review their worksheets and/or conference with them to be sure they are on the right track. When you have okayed students to begin writing, provide each student or group with paper to write a draft of their story. Their story should be a minimum of five paragraphs (beginning, three details, and end). Give time for students to write the drafts of their story.
  6. Review the students鈥� drafts and/or conference with them. Once you approve each story draft, provide students or groups with the cardstock to create an illustration of each paragraph of their story. Give students time to illustrate at least five cards (one per paragraph). In a corner of each card, have students number the illustrations in order.
  7. Have students write a final version of their story on the computer or in good handwriting. Have students number the paragraphs in order.
  8. See听Extensions and Cross-curricular Activities听for activities for students who finish quickly.

Guided Practice:听Kamishibai听Assembly

  1. Once all the students have final story paragraphs and completed illustrations, as a class, assemble the听kamishibai. Review the听kamishibai听format, specifically reminding students that the text of a scene is on the back of the card showing the previous illustration.
  2. Instruct students to paste Paragraph 1 on the back of the last illustration. Survey the class to see that each student successfully completed the first step. Then instruct students to paste Paragraph 2 on the back of Illustration 1. Continue by instructing students to paste Paragraph 3 on the back of Illustration 2, and so on until all of the students鈥� paragraphs have been applied to the illustrated cards.
  3. Pass out the 9 x 12 manila envelopes. Give students time to practice reading their stories and sliding their cards, using an envelope as their听kamishibai听stage.

Conclusion:听Tanabata Kamishibai听Presentations

  1. Have the students present their versions of the听Tanabata听story, reading them dramatically as if they were听kamishibai听men. If feasible, you might use the props and effects of the听kamishibai听man.
  2. After each presentation, have other students analyze how/what the student or group culturally borrowed in their version of the story. Example: 鈥淚 liked the way you borrowed _____________________ from the (country/story title) version.鈥�
  3. Optional: Invite other classes and/or parents to see the presentations. Travel to lower level classrooms to present the stories.
  4. Use the class 鈥淓xamples of Cultural Borrowing鈥� list to review with students what they have learned about cultural borrowing and the path that the听罢补苍补产补迟补听story has taken on its travels from China to Japan. Ask: How has the story changed along the way to adapt to the various cultures in East Asia? How has it stayed the same?

Extensions and Cross-Curricular Ideas:

  1. Advanced students could read additional versions of the story. For example, they could read and fill out the听Story Structure Worksheet听for one or more of the following versions:听Legend of the Milky Way听by Jeanne M. Lee (additional Chinese version);听The Two Love Stars: The Story of Kyonu and Chingnyo听by Mi-ae Lee or听The Love of Two Stars: A Korean Legend听by Janie Jaehyun Park (additional Korean versions); or 鈥淭he Princess and the Herdboy鈥� by Florence Sakade (additional Japanese version).
  2. Read with the class Allen Say鈥檚 book听Kamishibai Man听or have advanced students read and share the story with the class to give them more information on the genre of听kamishibai听storytelling.
  3. Have students do more research on cultural borrowing and prepare a presentation on what they have learned. They could focus on aspects of cultural borrowing in their own lives or on other cultural features Japan borrowed from China (e.g., Buddhism, written language, architecture).
  4. Engage the class in studying听Tanabata听in greater detail. Have the class make听罢补苍补产补迟补听decorations to hang from a bamboo sprig (real or made from a piece of rolled up green butcher paper and cut out leaves in the shape of bamboo leaves). Prepare听tanzaku, small strips of paper on which students write a wish. Refer to the information from听Kamishibai for Kids听that is included in the case of听The Story of Tanabata听cards for听kirigami听designs to fold and hang as well. Learn听罢补苍补产补迟补听songs (see books in听Resources and References).

Resources and References:

Resources for Use in Lesson

Chang, Cindy.听The Seventh Sister. Charles Reasoner, illustrator. Mahwah, NJ: Troll Communications, 1996.

Kitada, Shin , adaptor.听 Yukihiko Mitani, illustrator. Donna Tamaki, translator. New York: Kamishibai for Kids, n.d.听

Yip, Mingmei. 鈥淭he Cowherd and the Spinning Girl.鈥澨�Chinese Children鈥檚 Favorite Stories. North Clarendon, VT: Tuttle, 2005, pp. 27-35.

Resources for Use in Extensions or Cross-Curricular Ideas

Healy, Pete.听Japanese Children鈥檚 Songs. San Francisco: Nihonmachi Little Friends, 1982.

Lee, Jeanne M.听Legend of the Milky Way. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1982.

Lee, Mi-ae.听The Two Love Stars: The Story of Kyonu and Chingnyo. Seoul: Borim Publishing Company, 1997.

Park, Janie Jaehyun.听The Love of Two Stars: A Korean Legend听. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2005.

Sakade, Florence, ed. 鈥淭he Princess and the Herdboy.鈥澨�Kintaro鈥檚 Adventures and Other Japanese Children鈥檚 Stories. Yoshio Hayashi, illustrator. Rutland VT and Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1958, pp.17-23.

Say, Allen.听Kamishibai Man .听New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005.

Sono, Janet, and Maren Sono.听听New York: Kamishibai for Kids, 1998.听

References for Teacher Background

De Las Casas, Dianne.听Kamishibai Story Theatre. Westport, CT: Teacher Ideas Press, 2006.

听

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.听

Human Flower Project.听

China.org.听

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.听

The Program for Teaching East Asia at the University of Colorado gratefully acknowledges the support of the听Freeman Foundation听and听听in the development of听Texts and Contexts: Teaching Japan Through Children's Literature.

Created 2010 Program for Teaching East Asia, University of Colorado.听