CSULB History Social Science Lesson Plan Template

Lesson Title: European and Japanese Feudalism Date:

Unit Central Historical
Question(s:
Su!"ect # Course: $orld History: %edie&al Europe
'rade: (
Lesson Duration: )* min lesson
Lesson +!"ecti&e, Historical T-in.in/ S.ill, as 0ell as Cali1ornia Content 2 Common Core Standards
Lesson Objective Students will be able to compare and contrast European and Japanese feudalism by
writing a short essay.
Historical hin!ing S!ill" #omparison
Standard $.%.& 'nderstand the development of feudalism( its role in the medieval European economy( the
way in which it was influenced by physical geography )the role of the manor and the growth of towns*( and
how feudal relationships provide the foundation of political order.
$.+.& ,escribe the values( social customs( and traditions prescribed by the lord-vassal system
consisting of shogun( daimyo( and samurai and the lasting influence of the warrior code throughout the
twentieth century
3arrati&e Summary o1 Tas.s # 4ctions
.or my lesson / will start off with a brief overview and discussion of the content covered in the previous
lesson. 0fter the discussion / will introduce the topic of today1s lesson and show them a short video that will
serve as an introduction to the lesson.
0fter the video / will have a lecture that will consist of 2ower2oint slides with images and bulletpoints. ,uring
this lecture / will also be discussing the material presented and as!ing my students 3uestions along the way.
0fter the 2ower2oint lecture( the students will split up into groups and read a short handout article and then
create a poster consisting of a 4enn diagram( on European and Japanese .eudalism( and two images that
relate to the topic. 0fter students will share their wor! with the class.
he students will then write a short essay to demonstrate their understanding of the material presented in
the class.
.inally( the class will close with the students writing one thing they li!e and disli!ed about the lesson and
why.
%aterials # E5uipment
#omputer with 2ower2oint
Handouts
2oster 2aper
#oloring 5aterial
e6tboo!
4ideos
/mages of both Japanese and European .eudalism
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CSULB History Social Science Lesson Plan Template
7oteboo!s
S8c8epans!i( 9allie. :;<&. =.eudalism in Japan and Europe.> 0sian History. 0bout.com.
?http"@@asianhistory.about.com@od@japan@a@.eudalism-/n-Japan-0nd-Europe.htmA.
6n5uiry7Based Lesson Plan 1or History7Social Science
89 4nticipatory Set Time:
.or the introduction to the lesson / will open up with a class discussion providing a short review of important
topics covered in the last lesson. / will do this to ma!e sure they have the appropriate bac!ground
!nowledge. 0fter the discussion( / will introduce them to the focus of the lesson( which is the comparison of
feudalism in Europe and Japan. 0fter( / will have them watch a short video as a review of one aspect of
feudal Japan. he video is titled( =he Samurai and the Bushido> 0fter this video / will instruct the students
to ta!e out their noteboo! and be prepared to ta!e notes on the following 2ower2oint lecture.
:9 Central Historical Question Time:
;9 Teac-er 6nput (deli&ery o1 -istorical conte<t Time:
.or the teacher input / will be giving a lecture( reviewing the two feudalistic societies. / will start with the
Japanese .eudal system. he 2ower2oint will go over main topics that ma!e up feudal Japan( such as
shogun( daimyo( samurai( and peasants. 0fter going over the information that ma!es up Japanese feudalism
the 2ower2oint will shift over to a review of the previous lesson( the European feudal society. he
2ower2oint slides will show a number of images such as maps( pictures( and charts. he slides will also
contain bullet point items help the students gain a better understanding of !ey information in the lesson.
,uring the lecture / will be engaging my students in discussion and be as!ing 3uestions chec!ing for
understanding.
=9 Student 4cti&ity and 6n&esti/ation (0#
di11erentiation
Time:
Students will be split up into groups of three( to read a handout of a source discussing European and
Japanese feudalism. he source consists of an article from 9allie S8c8epans!i( a historian that has studied
and lived in 0sia for more than five years. 0fter reading the article the students will discuss what they have
learned from reading the source and lecture. he group partners will be instructed to develop a 4enn
,iagram regarding the subject( on poster paper supplied with the reading handout. / will also as! the groups
to draw two images on their posters( one that relates to Japanese feudalism and one that relates to
European .eudalism. / will also encourage the students to draw images of topics they find interesting. / will
be loo!ing to see what the students list regarding comparing and contrasting the two feudal societies. / also
be loo!ing to see what my students find interesting about the lesson( by observing what my students draw.
0fter the students have had enough time to complete the poster( / will have them post them around the
classroom. / will have one member from each group stand ne6t to their poster and describe to the class the
4enn diagram the prepared and images they drew and why.
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CSULB History Social Science Lesson Plan Template
>9 Lesson 4ssessment (0# di11erentiation Time:
0fter the group activity and discussion( / will instruct my students to write a short essay on what society they
would li!e to have lived in and whyC / will also instruct the students to choose to be from one of the classes
from this society. hey can choose any class and must use specific e6amples from the lesson. / will also
instruct my students to use information from both feudal societies to argue their point. / will not grade strictly
on grammar or structure( but will focus on the e6amples and reasons presented in their essays
?9 Closure Time:
.or the closure / will as! the students to rip a piece of paper in half and write one thing they li!ed about this
lesson and why and one thing they disli!ed and why. / will use this slip to loo! at ways to better my lessons
and also use this as a e6it tic!et for my class.
(9 Student @e1lection (metaco/nition Time:
.or homewor! / will have my students research any 5edieval European Lord and any .eudal Shogun. .or
their assignment / will as! the students to create a brief research paper. he paper will consist of an image
and five brief bullet points about each person.
Feudalism in Japan and Europe
Comparison of the Feudal Systems
By Kallie Szczepanski,
Although Japan and Europe did not have any direct contact with one another during the medieval
and early modern periods, they independently developed very similar sociopolitical systems! "#ten,
these systems are la$eled as feudal!
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CSULB History Social Science Lesson Plan Template
&hat is #eudalism' (he great )rench historian *arc Bloch de#ined it this way+ ,A su$-ect
peasantry. widespread use o# the service tenement /i!e! the #ie#0 instead o# a salary!!!. supremacy o#
a class o# specialized warriors. ties o# o$edience and protection which $ind man to man!!!. 1and2
#ragmentation o# authority leading inevita$ly to disorder!,
3n other words, there are peasants who are tied to the #arm land and work #or protection plus a
portion o# the harvest, rather than #or money! &arriors dominate the society and are $ound $y codes
o# o$edience and ethics! )inally, there is no strong central government. instead, lords o# smaller
units o# land control the warriors and peasants, $ut these lords owe /at least theoretical0 o$edience
to a distant and relatively weak duke, king or emperor!
Similarities between Japanese and European Feudalism
)eudal Japanese and European societies were $uilt on a system o# hereditary classes! (he no$les
were at the top, #ollowed $y warriors, with tenant #armers or ser#s $elow! (here was very little
social mo$ility. the children o# #armers $ecame #armers, while the children o# lords $ecame lords
and ladies! /"ne prominent e4ception to this rule in Japan was (oyotomi 5ideyoshi, $orn a #armer6s
son, who rose to rule over the country!0
3n $oth #eudal Japan and Europe, constant war#are made warriors the most important class! 7alled
,knights, in Europe and ,samurai, in Japan, the warriors served local lords! 3n $oth cases, the
warriors were $ound $y a code o# ethics! Knights were supposed to hew to the concept o# chivalry,
while samurai were $ound $y the precepts o# bushido, or ,the &ay o# the &arrior!,
Both knights and samurai rode horses into $attle, used swords, and wore armor! European armor
was usually allmetal, made o# chain mail or plate metal! Japanese armor included la8uered leather
or metal plates and silk or metal $indings! European knights were almost immo$ilized $y their
armor, needing help up on to their horses, #rom where they would simply try to knock their
opponents o## their mounts! Samurai, in contrast, went with lightweight armor that allowed them
8uickness and maneuvera$ility, at the cost o# providing much less protection!
)eudal lords in Europe $uilt stone castles to protect themselves and their vassals in case o# attack!
Japanese daimyo also $uilt castles, although Japan6s castles were made o# wood rather than stone!
Differences between Japanese and European Feudalism
Japanese #eudalism was $ased on the ideas o# the 7hinese philosopher Kong 9iu or 7on#ucius
/::1;<= B7E0! 7on#ucius stressed morality and #ilial piety, or respect #or elders and other
superiors! 3n Japan, this #unctioned as the moral duty o# daimyo and samurai to protect the peasants
and villagers in their region, and the duty o# the peasants and villagers to honor the warriors and pay
ta4es to them in return!
European #eudalism was $ased instead on >oman 3mperial laws and customs, supplemented with
?ermanic traditions, and supported $y the authority o# the 7atholic 7hurch! (he relationship
$etween a lord and his vassals was seen as contractual. lords o##ered payment and protection, in
return #or which vassals o##ered complete loyalty! 3t is interesting that these two very di##erent
legal@moral systems ended up creating such similar sociopolitical structures!
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CSULB History Social Science Lesson Plan Template
Another di##erence $etween these two #eudal systems is their timing! )eudalism was well
esta$lished in Europe $y the ABBs 7E, $ut appeared in Japan only in the 11BBs as the 5eian period
drew to a close and the Kamakura Shogunate rose to power! European #eudalism died out with the
growth o# stronger political states in the si4teenth century, $ut Japanese #eudalism held on until the
*ei-i >estoration o# 1ACA!
A key distinguishing #actor $etween the two is landownership! European knights gained land #rom
their lords as payment #or their military service. they thus had direct control o# the ser#s who
worked that land! 3n contrast, Japanese samurai did not own any land! 3nstead, the daimyo used a
portion o# their income #rom ta4ing the peasants to pay the samurai a salary, usually paid in rice!
Samurai and knights di##ered in several other ways, including their gender interactions! Samurai
women, #or e4ample, were e4pected to $e strong like the men, and to #ace death without #linching!
European women were considered #ragile #lowers who had to $e protected $y chivalrous knights! 3n
addition, samurai were supposed to $e cultured and artistic, a$le to compose poetry or write in
$eauti#ul calligraphy! Knights were usually illiterate, and would likely have scorned such pasttimes
in #avor o# hunting or -ousting!
)inally, knights and samurai had very di##erent approaches to death! Knights were $ound $y
7atholic 7hristian law against suicide, and strove to avoid death! Samurai, on the other hand, had
no religious reason to avoid death, and would commit suicide in the #ace o# de#eat in order to
maintain their honor! (his ritual suicide is known as seppuku /or ,harikiri,0!
DowerDoint Slides
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CSULB History Social Science Lesson Plan Template
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CSULB History Social Science Lesson Plan Template
Short Essay Drompt
"n your own write a short essay, no longer than a page in length, stating whether you would rather
live in a #eudal European or Japanese society! 3n addition, select a status in the society and list the
reasons why you choose your status and society! Also include in#ormation on why you did not
choose the other society! 3nclude in#ormation you have learned in this lesson!
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