Lesson

Title/Focus

Did the time period support isolation in

Japan? Would it work as well now?

Subject/Gra
de Level

Grade 8 Social Studies

Unit

Japan: Intro to Edo

Date
Time
Duratio
n
Teache
r

April 12th
50 minutes
Mr. Bradley

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General
Learning
Outcomes:
Specific
Learning
Outcomes:

8.1 Through an examination of Japan, students will demonstrate an

understanding and appreciation of the ways in which beliefs, values and
knowledge shape worldviews and contribute to a society's isolation or
adaptation.
8.1.1 - appreciate the roles of time and geographic location in shaping a
society's worldview.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

What do you want your students to learn?

Students will:
1. Respond to current events material regarding isolationism by comparing and contrasting
the controversial policies put forth in the 2015-2016 U.S Republican primary campaign, and
the isolationist practices of North Korea while answering corresponding questions.
2. Respond to whether or not Canada could, hypothetically, be successful in instituting
isolation and supporting their position.

ASSESSMENTS
Formative /
Summative

How will you know your students have learned?

Although the responses will be added to student notes, I will be

collecting them for completion and to check for understanding
before returning them to students for studying.
Introduction discussion will act as review and pre- assessment to
determine whether or not students still have a strong
understanding of isolationism.

LEARNING
RESOURCES CONSULTED

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT- #s

Roberts, S.L. (2011, December 20). North

Korea: Life in cultural isolation. Retrieved
from
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine16243995

jim hoft [sic] (2015, June 16) Donald Trump: I

will build great, great wall, and make
mexico pay for it. Retrieved from
https://youtu.be/w0GMcYD2Oz8
Response chart, map, and North Korea article
packet.

PROCEDURE
Attention Grabber /
Introduction

Learning Activity
Sponge activity:

Introduction
Today we will be reviewing the main concept of our unit:
Isolationism.
To get started, who can tell us what isolationism is?
- The policy or doctrine of isolating ones country from
the affairs of other nations.
- What might be some isolationist actions or policies? (5
min)
Body
Use power point to introduce lesson material and activity. Also
include discussion. (5- 10 min)
First we will be watching a video of one of the republican

Time

5 minutes

Time
33-38
minutes

primary candidates in the U.S election, he has been widely

criticized for his controversial policies, one of which is perfect
for our discussion of isolation.
Donald Trump Video 3 min
- Now most would not consider Donald Trump to be an
isolationist, but he does have one major campaign
promise that exemplifies isolationism, and that is his
stance on immigration and his enthusiasm to build a
wall on the southern border of the United States.
Hand out comparison chart booklet.
Today you will be working in pairs to compare these two
examples and answer some response questions to go along
with it. 25 min

Closure/
Next Class

Closure
Once everyone has completed their charts, students will
share their, paragraphs for the last question by reading to the
class. 10 min

Time

Geography and time have a great impact on worldview, for

the purposes of our discussion, they influenced the Japanese
in many ways and had a huge impact of the success of their
isolation where others do not.
- Prompt Q&A on what made Japans geography, and the
Edo time period, part of a successful isolation. 5 min

Approx.
15 min

Personal Reflection Notes:

I was originally a little concerned about the engagement of this lesson, but students responded really well
to being able to work in quiet pairs, and many were engaged with the material regarding Donald Trump.
From the formative assessment sheet, I found that students picked up on the most important points of the
lesson and overall I found it successful. In the future, I would have to adapt the current events used, but
students felt engaged to the current material. To use his lesson again, I would also have to know my class
well, if no one is even immediately interested in current events, then the political route may not be as
engaging as historical examples.