Cover of book J-boys with two boys on scootersBy:ĚýCatherine Ishida and Karen Krzystof-BansleyĚý
with Kaarina Demers

Featured Children’s Literature:
J-Boys: Kazuo’s World, Tokyo, 1965

Lesson (pdf)
Handouts (pdf)
Teacher Materials (pdf)

Objectives:Ěý

After completing this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Actively engage with international, translated fiction.

  • Recognize and explain the significance of some aspects of Japanese culture and geography.Ěý

  • Evaluate legacies of the 1964 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and develop well-reasoned and evidence-based claims.

  • Understand the concept of continuity and change and identify continuities and changes specifically in cultural and geographic aspects of Japan, as well as legacies of the 1964 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Guiding Questions: Ěý

  • What are some aspects of Japanese culture and geography that affect Japanese people’s everyday lives?

  • How does hosting the Olympic Games shape changes and continuities in Tokyo and Japan?

Standards and Guidelines:Ěý Ěý

Ěý

  • Globally competent youth investigate the world beyond their immediate environment by examining issues of local, global, and cultural significance.

Ěý

Key Ideas and Details

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

Research to Built and Present Knowledge

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Comprehension and Collaboration

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

  • Era 9 (20th Century Since 1945), Standard 2: The search for community, stability, and peace in an interdependent world. Standard 2F: The student understands worldwide cultural trends of the second half of the 20th century.

  • Standard 14: How human actions modify the physical environment.

  • Standard 17: How to apply geography to interpret the past.

Dimension 2, Human-Environment Interaction: Place, Regions, and Culture

  • D2.Geo.5.3-5. Explain how the cultural and environmental characteristics of places change over time.

Dimension 2, Change, Continuity, and Context

  • D2.His.2.3-5. Compare life in specific historical time periods to life today.

  • D2.His.2.6-8. Classify series of historical events and developments as examples of change and/or continuity.

Plan for Assessment:Ěý

Over the course of the lesson, the KWL, optional description of characters, constant or change activity, matching game, and Olympic legacies rating activities can be used as formative assessments of each student’s comprehension of the material and concepts, as well as his/her ability to reason and use evidence. Periodically throughout the lesson, check student’s work in one or more of these activities and observe student’s interactions and work in small groups.Ěý

There are two summative assessments for individual students, one for participation in a expert-group research activity and a second to determine the student’s understandings of the concept of continuity and change as applied to legacies of the 1964 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. (See J-Boys Research Project and °Ő´Ç°ě˛â´Ç’s Two Olympics: Continuity and Change Chart for rubrics.)

Notes:Ěý

This lesson is written for 5th through 8th grades, however it can be adapted for both younger and older students. The focus on continuity and change is a concept that is important for all age levels and is fitting for this autobiographical historical fiction chapter book. Students will explore how lives and conditions over time are alike and how have they changed.Ěý

Teachers can teach this unit as a multi-day, in-classroom mentor-text study or as a before- or after-school book group for an international children’s book in translation. Days 15-17 can be a stand-alone lesson on continuity and change regarding legacies of °Ő´Ç°ě˛â´Ç’s two Olympics.

For the full text study in which the class reads all 15 chapters of the book, the suggested time frame is 17 days of a 40-minute period. As a time-saving option, teachers can read the following chapters and share summary points of skipped chapters to bridge the gaps in story development.

  • “The Tofu Maker”

  • “Yasuo’s Dog Dreams”

  • “Mžąąô°ě”

  • “Bathing and the Beatles”

  • “J-ľţ´Ç˛â˛ő”

  • “Winter Earnings”

  • “Kazuo’s Typical Tokyo Saturday”

  • “Kazuo’s Journey”

  • “An Author’s Note to his Readers”

Chapter 7 “Pet Phrases” teaches the difficult topic of the May 24th firebombing of west Tokyo through a survivor’s account. Consider students’ sensitivities that could be triggered by reading about this traumatic event.

Technology options are suggested for handouts to be paperless and/or used as a whole-class document.

Materials:

Mentor Text

J-Boys Kazuo’s World, Tokyo, 1965 by Shogo Oketani and translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa. One copy for read-aloud, or multiple copies for small groups to read along, or a classroom set for individual reading.

Materials Provided

Online Resources

  • Optional ´ł-ľţ´Ç˛â˛ő’ list of characters on .ĚýPrepare individual copies or provide students with web access.

  • , The Olympic Museum video clip, 57 sec.

  • , The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games video, 5 min. 3 sec.

  • , The International Olympic Committee video, 1 min. 30 sec.Ěý

  • , Toyota Motor Corporation video, 2 min. 59 sec.

  • , The Japan Times video, 3 min. 34 sec.ĚýĚý

Other materials

  • Computer, projector, and Internet connection

  • Document projector (recommended for read-alouds)

  • Multiple tablets or computers for the expert-groups research project on Days 1-7 and video viewing on Day 16

  • Optional wall poster or trifold board for Option 3 for character descriptions in Day 1

Implementation:

Day 1 - J-Boys and Japanese Culture and Geography

  1. Introduce the book, J-Boys:ĚýKazuo’s World, Tokyo, 1965 to the whole class. Share that the J-Boys are a group of elementary school-aged boys living in south Tokyo, twenty years after the end of World War II. Author Shogo Oketani first wrote the book in Japanese based on memories of his own childhood. The story was translated into English by Avery Fischer Udagawa. The story is an autobiographical fiction because, in Oketani’s words, “Everything that happens in this book sort of happened to me--or my friends, you might say--but not in exactly the same way.” (Oketani, 2011, 199)Ěý

  2. Initiate students to the characters’ names to better understand the text.Ěý

    • Option 1: Use the character information prepared and provided by the author on the webpage atĚý. This list will serve as a reference during reading. Pass out individual copies of the “The Characters” section of the website or show students how to access this webpage themselves.

    • Option 2: After reading each chapter, have all students describe the major and/or minor characters using a shared electronic version of the J-Boys Characters graphic organizer. Show students how to access this document to enter their thoughts. If appropriate, teachers can differentiate by: 1) focusing on only the major characters; and/or 2) populating the organizer with information from the webpage and having students build upon it.

    • Option 3: After reading each chapter, have all students contribute descriptions of the major and/or minor characters on a wall poster or trifold board. Each student should be accountable for adding two items and initial their post.

  3. Pass out individual copies of the J-Boys KWL Chart or show students how to access the electronic version to enter their thoughts individually as each chapter is read. Each day collect and check this to guide the next day’s whole-group discussion and address any misconceptions. Provide a few minutes for students to complete “K” for J-Boys Chapter 1, “The Tofu Maker”.Ěý

  4. Read aloud “The Tofu Maker” with students following along via the document camera projection or small group/individual copies. Instruct students to work on their J-Boys KWL Chart while reading “The Tofu Maker.”

  5. Provide a few minutes for students to complete the KWL for “The Tofu Maker” on the J-Boys KWL Chart and, for the optional J-Boys Characters graphic organizer or poster/trifold, add information about the seven major and minor characters named in this chapter. Debrief questions volunteered from students based on their KWLs.

  6. Introduce the small-group student research activity on aspects of Japanese culture and geography which will complement the book study. Raise the guiding question: What are some aspects of Japanese culture and geography that affect everyday life for Japanese people? Explain that while reading about life in Tokyo in 1965, students will research aspects of Japanese culture in the present to consider what has remained the same over time and what has changed from the 1960s. They will also make comparisons and contrasts to their own culture and geography. Share the nine topics inspired by J-Boys:

    • Trains as Fast as a Bullet (Train Transportation in Japan)Ěý

    • From Mountains to the Sea, Rural to Urban (Geography of Japan)

    • I Like Tofu (Tofu Dishes, Origins, and Production)Ěý

    • Soaking It Up (Bathing Culture in Japan)ĚýĚýĚý

    • Latitude Doesn’t Lie (The Variety of Climates in Japan)Ěý

    • Cool Japan (Types of Japan’s Popular Culture )Ěý

    • Food is Food, Is It?Ěý (Japanese Meals, Origins, and Presentation)Ěý

    • Living Large in a Small Home (Types and Features of Japanese Homes)

    • °Ő´Ç°ě˛â´Ç’s Second Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games)

      Organize student-expert groups for each topic in differentiated groups of at least two and no more than four students. (The topic of bathing requires mature students).Ěý Pass out the J-Boys Research Project and go over the directions and expectations (including the rubric) for the research and presentations with students. For the remaining time, have student-groups delegate tasks, create a slideshow template, and begin research with the website provided as a starting point. Groups will have 20 minutes across six class periods to prepare their slideshow.

Day 2

  1. Prior to teaching, review students’ entries on their J-Boys KWL Chart. Address any questions and misconceptions with the class as a start to Day 2.

  2. On the J-Boys KWL Chart, have students complete “K” for J-Boys Chapter 2, “Yasuo’s Dog Dreams.”Ěý

  3. Read aloud or have students read “Yasuo’s Dog Dreams.” During and after reading, have students complete the KWL for “Yasuo’s Dog Dreams” and, for the optional J-Boys Characters graphic organizer or poster/trifold, add information about the characters.Ěý

  4. Introduce the concept of “continuity and change” as a main theme of J-Boys: Kazuo’s World, Tokyo, 1965. Define “continuity” (what has remained the same over time) and “change” (what is different over time) for students. Connect this theme to students’ own experiences and have the whole class practice recognizing continuities and changes using the following question with one of the activity options below.ĚýĚý

    • Comparing kindergarten to your current grade, didĚý ______________ remain constant or change? (Fill in the blank with: your height; your weight; your school; your teacher; your home; your birthday; your hair; and how you travel to school.)

      • Option 1: In a quick-paced, Constant or Change? Quiz, have students answer silently from their seats, putting their arms in the air, forming a circle for “constant” or crossing their arms in an “X” for “change.” Model the first question to confirm students understand the instructions. Answers will vary.Ěý

      • Option 2: Pass out individual copies or provide electronic access to the Constant or Change? T-Chart. Go over the instructions and model the first question to confirm students understand the instructions. Have them give a final answer based on their own criteria. Answers will vary.

  5. Use the Constant or Change? Quiz (Option 1 above), based on the reading of the first two chapters. Ask students what changed in the Nakamotos’ lives in terms of tofu? What remained the same? Verify answers by showing students the text on the page in parentheses.Ěý

    • The death of Mr. Yoshida, the tofu maker (18). (Change.)

    • Kazuo’s afternoon routine (24). (Change.)

    • Where the Nakamotos purchase tofu (24). (Change.)

    • The tastiness of the tofu that the Nakamotos eat (12, 19). (Change.)

    • Availability of tofu made with well water and boiled soymilk on a wood stove (19). (Change.)

    • Tofu is part of the Nakamotos’ meals (27). (Constant.)

  6. For the remaining time, have student-groups continue the J-Boys Research Project. Suggest that they accomplish today: creation of the title slide and continued research on the specified websites. Remind students to divide work evenly, with all members contributing.

Days 3-7

  1. Prior to teaching, review students’ entries for the previous day’s chapter on their J-Boys KWL Chart. Address any questions or misconceptions to begin the day. Each day have students work on the KWL (and optional characters task) prior to, during, and following reading a chapter of the book. Debrief questions volunteered from students based on their KWLs.Ěý

  2. For the remaining time, have student-groups continue the J-Boys Research Project. Suggest that they accomplish at least two slides a day to keep pace. Check in with two groups per day to assess progress and provide guidance.

Days 8-12

  1. Prior to teaching, review students’ entries for the previous day’s chapter on their J-Boys KWL Chart. Address any questions or misconceptions to begin the day. Each day have students work on the KWL (and optional characters task) prior to, during, and following reading a chapter of the book. Debrief questions volunteered from students based on their KWLs.

  2. Have two student-groups present their J-Boys Research Project slideshow. To promote active listening among the class, make sure each group poses two questions to their classmates before their presentation and has classmates answer the questions at the end of the presentation.Ěý

Day 13

  1. Prior to teaching, review students’ entries on their J-Boys KWL Chart. Address any questions and misconceptions with the class as a start to Day 13.

  2. On the J-Boys KWL Chart, have students complete “K” for J-Boys Chapter 13, “A Farewell in the Snow.”Ěý

  3. Read aloud or have students read “A Farewell in the Snow” and have students complete the J-Boys KWL Chart. During and after reading, have students complete the KWL for “A Farewell in the Snow.” Debrief questions volunteered from students based on their KWLs.

  4. Divide students into groups of three. Pass out one set of the Matching Game Cards per group. Have students put all images face up in the center of their group and divide text cards seven per student. Play Jan, Ken, Pon (Rock, Scissors, Paper) to determine which student is first to place a text with an image. All players agree or disagree with the match. Once the match is correct, it is the next student’s turn.

Day 14

  1. Prior to teaching, review students’ entries on their J-Boys KWL Chart. Address any questions and misconceptions with the class as a start to Day 14.

  2. On the J-Boys KWL Chart, have students complete “K” for the last chapter and epilogue.Ěý

  3. Read aloud or have students read J-Boys’ last chapters, “Kazuo’s Journey” and the epilogue, “An Author’s Note to His Readers.” During and after reading, have students complete the KWL for each chapter on the J-Boys KWL Chart. Debrief questions volunteered from students based on their KWLs.

Day 15 - °Ő´Ç°ě˛â´Ç’s Two Olympics

  1. Prior to teaching, review students’ entries on their J-Boys KWL Chart. Address any questions and misconceptions with the class as a start to Day 15.

  2. Re-read aloud pages 14-16 of Chapter 1, beginning with the last paragraph on page 14, “‘We’re living in good times now…” and ending at the break in the story on page 16. Also read the sidebar tab “Tokyo Olympics” on page 15. From the passage, ask the students:

  • When were the Tokyo Olympic Games? (Summer 1964)

  • According to Kazuo, what were some of the highlights? (Bob Hayes’ gold medal winning 100-meter sprints. Judo, a Japanese sport, became an Olympic event, but Japanese athlete, Akio Kaminaga, lost the final judo match to Anton Geesink of the Netherlands.)

  • According to the author’s sidebar, what were other highlights? (The Ethiopian marathon winner, Abebe Bikila. The Japanese national women’s team winning the gold medal in the first Olympic competition for women’s volleyball.)

  1. Together with the students view The Olympic Museum’s video clip online at (0.57). Explain that in 1964 on their new TV sets, the J-Boys saw this legendary sprint by Bob Hayes and his come-from-behind anchor-leg sprint in the 4X100m relay. According to author Oketani, to the Japanese watching Hayes run in the 1964 Games, he seemed “superhuman.” Hayes’ runs are Olympic legacies.Ěý

  2. Ask students, overall what does J-Boys tell us about the positive impacts of the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games for the country of Japan? If necessary, prompt by focusing on the sidebar (15) and Uncle Yoshio’s visit (121). (Japan regained international acceptance by rebuilding relationships with some World War II enemies [15]. Construction of buildings and highways for the Games created jobs [121].) Explain that a long-term impact of Olympic Games is called a “legacy.”Ěý

  3. Review pages 162-163 of Chapter 13, beginning with the first full paragraph on page 162, “He had recently begun to realize... “ and ending with the second sentence in the second full paragraph on page 163, “Car fumes dirtying the air was certainly a problem, but the tall buildings and automobiles showed that Japan was becoming wealthier.”Ěý

ĚýĚýĚý From the passage, discuss with students:

  • According to Kazuo, what was the cause of the change in Tokyo? (The 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games.)

  • How was Tokyo changing? (Dirt roads became paved. Wooden houses were destroyed and replaced with stucco. New taller buildings, stadiums, and highways were built. The bullet train began running. The number of cars and associated air pollution increased. Pedestrian signals became necessary to cross the street.)Ěý

  • Does J-Boys share other ways Tokyo was changing? If necessary, prompt students with topics such as: transportation; diet; homes; public health; pollution; technology; and manufacturing. (Subways [114]; school lunch [34-42]; plenty to eat [14-15, 27, 92, 106, 130-132, ]; pop up of company housing (danchi) [20-22]; stray dogs collected to improve public health [28]; river pollution [27];TV to watch the Olympics [23]; and the way tofu is made [19].)

  • How was Tokyo remaining the same? If necessary, prompt students by asking about buildings, transportation, war memories, and minorities. (Tokyo Tower still stands. Roads and houses are in the same places. Adults still hold sad and frightful memories of firebombings [105] or losing sons in service of the Japanese Imperial military [19,142]. Discrimination against Zainichi Koreans continues [60-69].)Ěý

  1. Read this passage on page 168: “The fact that Tokyo was quickly changing, and that the movie theater and kamishibai man had disappeared, was not something he could blame entirely on the Olympics or TV, he realized. He himself, and Nobuo and Yasuo, and Mother and Father, and the many people living around them, had begun to prefer the new Tokyo over the old. He wondered if this was good or bad.” (168) Debrief by discussing with students, how does Kazuo evaluate the positive and negative impacts of the changes in Tokyo?Ěý

  2. Share background information with students about the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games: Tokyo was first selected to host the Games in 1940 but cancelled them because of world war, expenses, and the potential of other countries not attending in protest to Japan’s war in China. In 1958, thirteen years after the end of World War II, the International Olympic Committee selected Tokyo to host the 1964 Summer Olympics. Japan had already begun to rebuild its cities destroyed by wartime bombings, its weak economy, and its international reputation. The 1964 Olympic Games showcased these renewal efforts and left lasting legacies which identified Japan as a peaceful nation, a world economic power, and a technological leader. By hosting the Olympics, Japanese people felt reaccepted into the world.Ěý

  3. Explain that in a survey activity, students will read and evaluate some legacies of the 1964 Olympics for Tokyo and Japan. Raise the guiding question: How does hosting the Olympic Games shape changes and continuities in Tokyo and Japan? Display the Legacies Spectrum and explain the numbered ranking from “Negative” to “Neutral” toĚý “Positive.” Use one or more legacy strips from the Legacies of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics to model how students will present to the whole class: read aloud the legacy, post it on the spectrum (below the line for 1964), and present reasoning for the placement closest to 1, 5, or 10. Once students are gathered in their expert groups, distribute, differentiating if appropriate, one legacy per student from the Legacies of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Have students write their name on the strip. Have students prepare by discussing among their group their legacy strips, where to place them on the spectrum, and why. Following student presentations, ask the class if there are differing opinions about the placements on the spectrum. Connect to the concept of “cause and effect,” by querying students if there were positive and negative impacts of the same change? Leave the spectrum posted for re-use the next day.

Day 16

  1. Quickly review with students:Ěý

    • What is an Olympic legacy? (A long-term impact of the Games).Ěý

    • What types of legacies did the 1964 Tokyo Olympics leave? (Refer to categories [economy, peace, sports, technology, urban development, and environment] and specific legacies from Legacies of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics strips posted on the Legacies Spectrum.)Ěý

Emphasize that these are realized legacies of the past Tokyo Games. Ěý

  1. Acknowledge the information about the Tokyo 2020 Games shared by the student-expert group. Explain that today students will think about the guiding question, “How does hosting the Olympic Games shape changes and continuities in Tokyo and Japan?”, in terms of legacies being planned by the organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Ask students to consider °Ő´Ç°ě˛â´Ç’s 1964 Olympic legacies and how they will change or remain constant, as they learn about what legacies 2020 Games organizers are planning.

  2. Together with the students, view The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games’ video about the venues for the 2020 Games, online at (5:03). Debrief by discussing: What legacies are organizers planning? and What are the themes of the legacies?

  3. Divide students into three groups to view another video. Instruct groups to view the video and be prepared to share answers to: What legacies are introduced? and What are the themes of the legacies?

    • The International Olympic Committee’s video online at (1:30).

    • Toyota Motor Corporation’s video online at (2:59).

  • The Japan Times’ video online at (3:34).

Facilitate share-out so that the class learns about the content of all three videos in regards to: What legacies are being planned? and Under what themes?

  1. Fill in with further background information about the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games: Following recession after the 2008 global financial crisis and the devastating and costly earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster of March 2011, in 2013 the International Olympic Committee selected Tokyo to host the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Games organizers planned the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games with social, environmental, technological, economic, and other legacies in mind. Building on the legacies of the 1964 Tokyo Games is also important to planning 2020 legacies. By definition, legacies are long-term impacts. We won’t know for years to come if the efforts towards Games that are environmentally friendly, inclusive, technologically innovative, and connecting the past and future (add other themes from the students’ video analysis) will be realized as legacies of the 2020 Tokyo Games.

  2. Display the Legacies Spectrum and explain that students will resume the survey activity by looking at legacies that Japan and Tokyo hope to attain by hosting the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. Remind students of the guiding question: How does hosting the Olympic Games shape changes and continuities in Tokyo and Japan? Use one legacy from the Legacies for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to model how students will present to the whole class: read aloud the legacy, post it on the spectrum (above the line for 2020), and present reasoning for the placement closest to 1, 5, or 10. Once students are gathered in their expert groups, distribute, differentiating if appropriate, one legacy per student from the Legacies for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Have students write their name on the strip. Have students prepare by discussing among their group their legacy strips, where to place them on the spectrum, and why. Following student presentations, ask the class if there are differing opinions about the placements on the spectrum. Leave the spectrum posted for re-use the next day.

Day 17: Conclusion

  1. Acknowledge: ´ł-ľţ´Ç˛â˛ő’ theme of continuity and change (Day 2); how Kazuo evaluates the positive and negative aspects of the changes in Tokyo (Day 15, no. 29); and students’ work on the Legacies Spectrum in rating the positives and negatives of realized legacies of 1964 (Day 15) and planned legacies of 2020 (Day 16).Ěý

  2. Remind students of the guiding question: How does hosting the Olympic Games shape changes and continuities in Tokyo and Japan? Pass out individual copies of °Ő´Ç°ě˛â´Ç’s Two Olympics Chart or show students how to access an electronic version to enter their thoughts individually on continuities and changes between °Ő´Ç°ě˛â´Ç’s 1964 and 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Referencing the °Ő´Ç°ě˛â´Ç’s Two Olympics Chart, go over the directions and expectations (including the rubric) for Part 1 of this two-part concluding individual assessment. Allow students to reference the completed Legacies Spectrum and copies of Legacies of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and Legacies for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to complete the activity. Notify students that an evaluation different from the rating on the Legacies Spectrum is valid with well-reasoned and evidence-based claims. Model the examples provided for Part 1 and provide 20 minutes for partner discussion and completion. Refer to Suggested Responses for students who need more assistance to complete the assignment.

  3. Referencing the °Ő´Ç°ě˛â´Ç’s Two Olympics Chart, go over the directions and expectations for Part 2 of this concluding individual assessment. Use the remaining time for students to develop a written paragraph. Have them finish for homework if they require more time.

Extensions/Enrichment:Ěý

  1. Have students read Taro and the Tōfu by Masako Matsuno and compare and contrast the illustrations and the story elements (characters, setting, plot, conflict and resolution, and theme) to Kazuo’s tofu-related experiences in J-Boys.

  2. Assign students to write about an episode of their life in a form similar to a chapter in J-Boys: Kazuo’s World, Tokyo, 1965. The episode should have a focus on an aspect of everyday culture, popular culture, or school life. Like J-Boys, the writing should be for an audience who lives 50 years in the future. Students can add a sidebar with a photo explaining the cultural aspect.

  3. Ask students to write a narrative from the perspective of someone who attended the 1964 Tokyo Olympic or Paralympic Games and who attends the 2020 Olympic or Paralympic Games. Students should answer the questions: What was the same in each Games? and What changed?

Resources and References:

“Close-up of Bob Hayes, 100m final, Tokyo 1964.” The Olympic Museum. 58 sec. October 18, 2016. .

International Olympic Committee. “Tokyo 2020: Sustainable Games for a Sustainable Society.” July 25, 2019. . Access for:

  • “Animation Sustainable EN.” The International Olympic Committee. 1 min. 30 sec. July 25, 2019.Ěý .

  • “Mobility for All.” Toyota Motor Corporation. 2min. 59 sec. July 22, 2019. .

Matsuno, Masako. Taro and the Tōfu. Kazue Mizumura, ill. Cleveland and New York: The World Publishing Company, 1962.

Oketani, Shogo. . Avery Fischer Udagawa, trans. Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press, 2011. Seattle: CreateSpace, Amazon, 2018.

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. “Venues.” Tokyo 2020. No date. . Access for:

  • “Infinite Excitement.” The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 5 min. 3 sec. April 22, 2019. .

Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and Bureau of Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 Preparation, Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Tokyo 2020 Guidebook. January 2018 issue..

“ Toyota’s Olympic robots and vehicles for Tokyo 2020.” The Japan Times. 3 min. 34 sec. July 24, 2019. .

Additional references are listed on specific Teacher Materials.