Teaching the geographic concepts of region, cultural boundary, and movement can be challenging. This unit helps students explore these ideas as they learn about the geographic distribution and spread of major world religions throughout Asia.
Students study cultural perceptions in this unit, based on encounters among Europeans, Americans, and the Japanese in the mid-1800s. Historic images from woodblock prints and paintings, journal entries, and other primary sources bring these interactions alive for students as they think about issues such as perceptions and stereotypes.
This unit introduces students to feudal Japan, its castles, and the towns that grew up around them. The lessons in this unit can be used to complement teaching about the Middle Ages in Europe.