Sadako & the Thousand Paper Cranes By Eleanor Coerr

About Japan                                                        

Map of Japan Japan is a group of over 1,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. Tokyo, the nation's capital, is in center of Japan.

Traditional Families The staple food of the traditional Japanese diet is rice, with meals being eaten with chopsticks. Although Japan's traditional dress is the kimono, it is now usually worn only on special occasions, such as weddings and during New Year.

Furo- Hot Bath The Japanese are very fond of the furo, the hot Japanese-style bath. They clean themselves with soap outside the tub first, washing themselves down with a hand-held shower. They do not wash themselves in the tub. This way, the water will stay clean and can be used by others later.

Kimono The kimono is the traditional dress of Japan. It's got long sleeves and reaches from the shoulders all the way down to one's heels. Different types of kimono are worn depending on the occasion; kimonos for everyday wear are a lot simpler than those for formal occasions.

Elementary School   Classes begin at 8:55 a.m., but once a week the students come to school at 8:00, when in the summer they weed the schoolyard and in the winter, with temperatures dropping to minus 10 degrees Celsius, they shovel snow along the route to and near the school. They also have fun building snowmen and having snowball fights.  

Elementary School Classes begin at 8:55 a.m., but once a week the students come to school at 8:00, when in the summer they weed the schoolyard and in the winter, with temperatures dropping to minus 10 degrees Celsius, they shovel snow along the route to and near the school. They also have fun building snowmen and having snowball fights.    

Typical traditional sports are sumo, kendo, judo, and aikido. Many kinds of sports are enjoyed in Japan, especially popular are baseball and soccer,

Sadako Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr is a true story about a girl who lived in Japan toward the end of World War II. This Web Quest is designed to introduce you to Sadako Sasaki and her country of Japan. Find out why Sadako is a heroine to the children of Japan.

Summary This story is based on the life of a young girl (Sadako) who was dying of leukemia caused by the use of the atom bomb in World War II. The paper cranes are viewed as a sign of good luck: If a sick person folded 1000 of them, the gods would gran their wish and make them healthy again. Sadako worked hard during her illness and was able to fold 644 cranes before she died. Her classmates folded 356 more so that the cranescould be buried with their friend.