Two women in traditional Japanese clothing examine a patterned cloth, reflecting early 20th-century Japan, with colorful geometric patterns and text evoking the artistic trends of modern Japan in the background.

Becoming Modern: Early 20th-Century Japan through Primary Sources

This curriculum is one of several Teaching about East Asia (TEA) Online Curriculum Projects from the University of Colorado Boulder that offers secondary teachers interesting resources. This curriculum offers seven lessons that examine a critical period in Japanese and world history: the period of Japan’s modernization and international expansion from the 1880s through the 1920s, a time span overlapping the late Meiji, Taishō, and early Shōwa periods. The lessons draw upon a range of historical source materials—including art, literature, memoir, interviews, board games, and government documents—to teach Japanese history using pedagogical approaches that address national content standards and Common Core skills.

Lesson Plan