Ancient Empires: Japan

Dive into the rich history and vibrant traditions of Ancient and Medieval Japan in this engaging class! Perfect for students curious about Japanese history and culture, this course provides an in-depth look at the fascinating era of feudal Japan.

Students will uncover the geography of Japan and its influence on early civilizations like the Jomon and Yamato. We'll explore the roles of the emperor, shogun, daimyo, samurai, ronin, and the mysterious ninja, while learning about martial arts such as ju-jitsu, karate, and judo.

This interactive class also delves into the spiritual traditions of Shintoism and Zen Buddhism and introduces students to iconic elements of Japanese culture, including haiku poetry, woodblock printing, sumo wrestling, and more.

With a PowerPoint presentation and a guided notes packet, students will gain a thorough understanding of Japan’s feudal system and cultural heritage.

This course is designed to be mostly a PowerPoint presentation with some videos that are relevant to the topic.  Students will review what they learned in the previous lesson, then transition to the new content, and the class will end with a comprehension check to ensure students understand the new material. All students will need to have a functional camera and microphone as class discussions are an essential component of the course. Students will be provided with a guided note worksheet in aPDFf format to meet each student’s needs. During the final class, students will review what they have learned by completing an interactive Kahoot game.   

Students do not need any prior knowledge about Japan to get the most out of this class!