Program Description

TALES OF JAPAN is a  travelogue program which concludes with some Japanese folktales chosen from  THE FUNNY LITTLE WOMAN AND HER RICE DUMPLING. THE BOY WHO DREW CATS, THREE STRONG WOMEN, ISSUN BOSHI, MOMOTARO PEACH BOY, THE BOY OF THE THREE YEAR NAP, and others.

   Artist Bio

Cathy Kaemmerlen, professional actress, dancer, and storyteller, is known for her variety of characters, one-woman shows, and for her rapport with audiences.  A performer and “creator of shows” since she can remember, she has toured in schools coast to coast, since receiving a BA in English/elementary education from UNC-Charlotte, and a MFA in dance performance/choreography/theatre at the University of Wisconsin.  She tours through Young Audiences of Atlanta, the Georgia and South Carolina Touring Arts Rosters, Fulton County SAP, and has received numerous grants and honors, including Outstanding New Interpreter for her region with the National Association of Interpreters.

    Background on Art Form
Telling stories is an oral tradition, dating back to when mankind first developed a language or form of communication.  Storytelling is a universal way of passing down information to be saved and remembered for generations to come.  It is an interactive art form in which the storytellers’ passion for the story, material, and information, is passed on to the audience, who sorts through, interprets, stores, and synthesizes what is heard.

Prepare:

Teachers, please read this to your students.

Today we are going to have a program by actress storyteller Cathy Kaemmerlen about Japan.  She took a trip to Japan and is going to tell us about her experiences.  She found out that the Japanese sometimes do things the opposite of the way we do.  She will end her program by acting out Japanese folkltales sometimes with the help of the audience.

Warm Up Questions to set the stage for engaging students:

.Where is Japan and how do we get there?
.How do you think the Japanese culture might be different from our?
.What makes Japan so interesting to us?
.Do the Japanese have the same customs and religion as we do?
.Can you find some Japanese books and stories to read before the program?

Vocabulary to look at before and after:

Oni-Japanese for wicked monster
Jizo sama- Japanese for wise man
sushi- raw fish the Japanese eat
sayonara-Japanese for good bye
domo arigato-Japanese for thank you very much
tatami mats-what the Japanese sleep on
ryokan-a Japanese hotel
kimono-traditional Japanese costume
futon-a soft, sleeping pad
Nippon-a name for Japan meaning “source of the sun”.  Japan is called “the land of the rising sun.”  (Note:  the flag of Japan has a red sun on a white background.)

Warm Up Questions for meeting the Georgia Performance Standards for "Listening/Speaking/Viewing":
.Describe the perfect audience.
.What are some of our class rules for being good listeners?
.How do we show someone we appreciate their visit to our school or classroom?
.How does being part of an audience help make you a good citizen?
.What are some examples of bad audience behavior or attitudes?
.How does a negative audience member effect your enjoyment of a show or performance?
.How would this make the performer feel?
.How do we want the performer to feel when they leave our school or classroom?

Reflect:

Research characteristics of Japan--for example, Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, weather in the country, geography of the island, time difference between places in the U.S. and Tokyo, ryokans, structure of houses, clothing and eating customs.

Discuss interesting customs with your students.  The Japanese remove shoes before entering a house; they usually sit on the floor at a table to eat; they eat with chopsticks; noisily slurping noodles and other food is an accepted form of behavior; children squat down on their haunches as they wait for school buses, etc.  What customs do we have in the United States that might appear strange or different to the Japanese?  Set up a chart to compare customs in the United States and in Japan.

Read one of the books in the bibliography. Choose a section of the book to dramatize.  With a group of classmates, dramatize your scene for the class.

Resources:

THE FUNNY LITTLE WOMAN by Arlene Mosel/Blair Lent
SAYONARA, MRS. KACKLEMAN by Maira Kalman
THE PAPER CRANE by Molly Bang
THE MAGIC FAN by Keith Baker
HOW MY PARENTS LEARNED TO EAT by Ina R. Friedman/Allen Say
THE CROW BOY by Taro Yashima
THE BICYCLE MAN by Allen Say
THE BOY OF THE THREE YEAR NAP by Diane Snyder
TREE OF CRANES by Allen Say
THE WAY WE DO IT IN JAPAN by Geneva Cobb IIJima
THE INCH-HIGH SAMURAI by Shiro Kasamatsu
THE WISE OLD WOMAN retold by Yoshiko Uchida

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   This is a great source of information on Japan.  They have a Japanese flea market and publish a weekly newsletter featuring a different topic about Japan, such as the weather, how to wear a kimono, the silk market, sushi, etc.  I look forward to their weekly features and print them all to save for reference. 

QCC's:  Grade 2: Social Studies:  11; Character Education:  7 Citizenship