The Densho Project at
Nathan Hale High School
Nathan Hale High School has been fortunate to house a Densho server for use with our classroom activities. The Densho project incorporates video interviews saved to a hard disk, of Japanese Internment Camp victims. Their evocative experiences provide a stunning insight into an unfortunate chapter in American history. Take this link to find out more about The Densho Project.
LESSON PLAN: Technology/Cultural Immersion AssignmentUtilizing the Densho Project to facilitate a cultural immersion experience for high school students
The Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to deepen your understanding of No-No Boy and the Japanese American Internment. You will also learn how to design a web page.
The Process: There are three (3) steps to this assignment:
(1) Experience: You must complete two requirements for the first step of this assignment. First, you must do some in-depth research in the Densho Project archive. For example, you might watch all the video pertaining to a particular theme like identity, or you might want to look at all the interviews with a particular person. Tom and Jenna will give you some more ideas in class on February 18th. Second, you must immerse yourself in the local Japanese American culture. This can be done in a number of ways. For example, you might want to take a walking tour of the areas described in No-No Boy. (This will require some pre-planning and research so that you do not end up just aimlessly meandering.) Tom and Jenna suggested that an alternative to this option might be to take a virtual tour of Nihonmachi (Japantown) through Densho since many of the original buildings and landmarks no longer physically exist. Other ideas include making a visit to the Wing Luke Asian museum (Gordon Hirabayashi speaks there on Saturday, February 19 from 1-3 pm), viewing a documentary film about the internment at the UW media center, reading another book about the internment, or interviewing a surviving member of the camps. I have created a set of resource web pages that have some more specific suggestions. I will show you these in class on the 18th. You are also welcome to propose your own immersion experience, but you must pre-approve it with me before taking the plunge! You should spend at least two (2) hours on each of these two required activities.
(2) Document: After you have completed the two requirements in part I, you must document what you have learned in some way. You may simply write up a one page paper on what you did and learned, or you may get more creative. For example, you might want to keep a journal of your thoughts as you do a walking tour of No-No Boy sites. Jenna suggested that those who do a virtual tour of Nihonmachi might be able to create a photo essay using pictures from Densho. Or you might want to splice passages of yourself reading No-No Boy together with audio clips from Densho - putting Ichiro and an interviewee in conversation with each other! Whatever way in which you choose to express yourself, it should demonstrate a thoughtful reflection upon your experiences in completing part I of the assignment.
(3) Design: The final step of this assignment is to design a web page that will be home to your two reflections. I will demonstrate how to make a web page and review all the required elements in class on Monday March 13 at which time the first two parts of the assignment are due. You will then have some additional class time (in the lab) to create your pages. You will present your pages to the class on Thursday and Friday March 30 and 31.
Last Thoughts: This is not a terribly difficult assignment, but it will take some time to complete. So don't wait until the last minute! Winter break is an ideal time to get started (hint, hint). If you need to run any ideas by me during the break, feel free to e-mail me: lairu@uswest.net
LESSON PLAN: The Technology Component
Name: Larry Uhlman Grade: 11th Date: 3/24 Subject: LA Periods: 1, 2 & 4
Learning Target(s):
- Students will learn how to create use Front Page express to create a web page.
- Students will apply some of the main concepts of good web page design.
Objective(s): Given a brief overview of how to use Front Page editor, students will create at least two web pages which meet the requirements of the technology/immersion assignment.
Preparation: Teacher Materials: Multi-Media machine w/ Front Page Express, technology requirement handout
Student Materials: Computer with FPE, diskette, Immersion and Densho write-ups
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Context and purpose (5 mins.): Part of becoming a well-rounded and well-prepared student these days is knowing how to effectively use technology. As you know, being able to communicate with others via the internet is a powerful and rapidly becoming indispensable skill. The idea behind this assignment is to create a "web of learning" that we can share with others in the Nathan Hale community and thereby extend our schoolwide understanding of the Japanese American internment. Along these lines, the Densho Project should serves as our model - we are trying to create our own version of an on-line archive of information about this aspect of American history and the artistic reactions to it.
Procedure (35 mins):
Teacher will:
- Demonstrate how to use Front Page Express in order to create a web page that meets the requirements of the technology assignment
- Individually help students as they work on creating their pages
Students will:
- Listen attentively to presentation of FPE
- Work diligently on creating their web page
Closure (5 mins.):
- Review any problems and/or successes that students had with assignment
- Remind students that drafts of their first paper are due on Monday March 27th
Evidence that objectives have been achieved: completed web pages that meet the requirements of the technology/immersion assignment
Students Working in the ECL (Electronic Classroom/Lab)
Student Projects
Supplementary Material
This guide is designed to help you in completing your Technology/Cultural Immersion assignment. While you are not limited to what is included here, the guide contains many excellent resources and suggestions for taking your plunge into the Japanese American Internment and Japanese American life in Seattle. This guide is a work in progress, one that you will complete as you create your own pages to report back on your experiences. By sharing our experiences with each other, we will truly create a web of learning more powerful than any one of us could create on his or her own. Follow the links in the table of contents below to access the information in each category.
- Books
- Feature Films
- Documentaries
- Websites
- Seattle Immersion Opportunities
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