1. Lines in the notes indicate when a new topic should be used.
The following note taking slides can be inserted into the lessons in place of the reading sheets for each topic and cover the basic points for each.
Students can use the note sheets provided. I’ve also included a resized set which can be cut out and pasted into a standard journal book along with copies of the maps from the unit.
Lines in the notes indicate when a new topic should be used.

2. NOTE TAKING STRATEGY
Good note taking means not writing down every word that appears in the text or on the screen.
If you try to write everything down you’ll run out of space and time. It will also be hard to use your notes later to study.
It’s nest to just write down the key words and use lines and small pictures or symbols to link events or facts.
Don’t write every word
Link Events & Facts
GOOD NOTE TAKING
Lines
Space
Key Words
Writing Everything
Hard to use
Time

3. LT 1 – JAPANESE GEOGRAPHY

4. Japan lies of the east coast of Asia
Japan lies of the east coast of Asia. Over millions of years, the movement of Earth’s plates has pulled it further and further away from the mainland.
Japan is made up for four main islands and thousands of smaller ones.
From North to South the main islands are called Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
Most of Japan is covered in hills and mountains. Only around 20% of the land is flat enough to build or farm on.

5. Japanese farmers grew rice and raised animals on the areas of flat land near the coast.
Seafood has been a major part of the Japanese diet for thousands of years.
Many different types of fish are eaten as well as crabs, lobsters, octopus, and seaweed.
Japan’s most famous food is sushi – raw fish combined with rice, vegetables, and fruits – often in very artistic styles.

6. Japan is located on the Ring of Fire – a chain of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean.
The land is very unstable and often experiences large earthquakes. On in 1923 destroyed most of Tokyo and killed over 100,000 people.
Some earthquakes can create huge waves called Tsunami which can wash many miles inland – destroying everything in their path. A tsunami in 2010 killed over 20,000 people.
Japan’s volcanoes sometimes erupt covering farms and crops in a layer of ash. Tokyo is built close to Japan’s most famous volcano, Mount Fuji.
Every year Japan is hit by large tropical storms called typhoons. These can have winds with speeds of almost 200 mph. They can also cause flooding as they dump huge amounts of water on the land.

7. GEOLOGY DIET NATURAL DISASTERS
JAPANESE GEOGRAPHY
DIET
NATURAL DISASTERS

8. LT 2 – EARLY JAPAN

9. During the last ice age, Japan was linked to Asia by land bridges
Between 40,000 and 30,000 years ago people began to migrate to Japan following the herds of animals they hunted.
Over the next 20,000 years they began making and using tools which allowed them to hunt more animals and catch fish.
By around 1,000 BC, the Japanese had learned how to grow rice which allowed them to settle down in the first small villages.

10. People in early villages all belonged to the same extended families
People in early villages all belonged to the same extended families. Eventually some of these grew into clans, led by chiefs.
Chiefs organized their communities and led religious services. Some began to claim that they were descended from powerful nature spirits called Kami.
Eventually a religion called Shintoism would develop. Shintoists believed that everything in nature had a spirit.
People built temples and shrines where they could pray to, and leave offerings for, these spirits. People would also pray to the spirits of their ancestors.

11. In around 1,000 BC, the Japanese learned how to make iron from the Koreans and Chinese. Warriors used iron weapons to conquer new territories while farmers used iron tools to clear land and grow more food. With more food, the population began to increase.
Between 250 and 500 AD, a powerful clan called the Yamato began to conquer its rivals.
The Yamato leaders claimed that they were descended from the most powerful of all the kami – the goddess of the sun. They then began calling themselves the emperors of all Japan.
The Yamato began to push out other peoples from their lands. The most famous of these were the Ainu – whose appearance, language, and culture was very different to other groups in Japan. Eventually, the Ainu were forced onto the northern island of Hokkaido.

12. FIRST PEOPLE RELIGION YAMATO & AINU
EARLY
JAPAN
RELIGION
YAMATO & AINU

13. LT 3 – CHINA & KOREA

14. By 500 AD, the Japanese had created many trading links with China and Korea.
Japanese rulers began to see that the cultures and societies of these two countries were much more advanced and wealthier than their own.
They began sending officials to these countries to learn more about them. They also hired Chinese and Koreans to come to Japan.
One of the most important early influences were Korean shipbuilders who helped the Japanese to improve their boat designs. Fishermen could now sail further out to sea and catch more fish.

15. The early Japanese had no written language of their own.
Between 400 and 600 AD, the Japanese began using the Chinese writing system which used symbols called kanji to represent objects, sounds, or ideas.
During the 700s AD, the Japanese developed their own writing system called Hiragana which used simple symbols to represent sounds.
Eventually these two writing systems were combined. However, many wealthy or powerful people continued to write only in Chinese which became the official writing system of the government.

16. One of the most important early rulers of Japan was Prince Shotoku.
During his reign he created a more powerful central government. Important positions were given to people based on their skills rather than simply because of their birth.
Shotoku welcomed Buddhist missionaries from China and Korea. He then helped to spread Buddhism by building new temples. He also built many Shinto shrines.
Eventually the two religions would merge into what became known as Shinto-Buddhism. This is the religion still followed by most people in Japan today.

17. EARLY CONTACTS WRITING PRINCE SHOTOKU
CHINA &
KOREA
WRITING
PRINCE SHOTOKU