In this lesson students will write a research report about communities and how they use their environment. Students will use CultureGrams from the Utah's Online Library to complete their research. Main Thumbnail was found at: "The group of children, 1909" by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Activity: Students will be instructed regarding the Japanese community in Utah, emphasizing Japan Town in SLC. Students will be able to view this community via a Google Earth tour. The instructor will review the Japanese Church of Christ, the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, and end the tour with a look at the Salt Palace Japanese Garden and reviewing photos from the North American Japanese Garden Association. After being able to see an example of Japanese architecture and landscaping, students will create their own Japanese-inspired communities by drawing or dioramas. Purpose: Students will get to learn about the cultural significance of Japanese buildings and landscaping and the significance of Japantown, SLC. Students will solidify their knowledge and show in a creative formative assessment what characterizes Japanese landscaping and architecture.  

Activity: Students will watch a PBS-sponsored and illustrated video of Hawaiian storyteller Kealoha Kelekolio chronicling the creation story of the Hawaiian island chain. After seeing an example of Pacific storytelling, each student will chronicle their family creation story (or another event of equal importance), emphasizing events of significance or providing an illustration of their family. Students will then share their stories within groups or as a class to experience storytelling as a traditional skill.Purpose: Students will participate in the difficult storytelling process that Pacific Islander communities use to pass along their histories.