Portland Public Schools

Grant High School

`redA JIS A: U.S.-Japan Relations

Instructor: Stephen Luft

School Year: 2008-2009

School: Grant High School

Subject: JIS A: U.S.-Japan Relations Days of week offered: 4 Contact information:
stephenluft@gmail.com
Prerequisites: Successful completion and recommendation of Japanese Magnet Program at Mt. Tabor Middle
School, or Japanese oral and literacy proficiency for the Oregon Benchmark VI
Type of credit(s) earned:
Core: Elective
Pathway: Arts and Communications, Human Resources
Course description:
Students will learn about topics relating to Japan’s relationship with the West, and cultural differences between
Japan and the West, through listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Japanese. This study will provide
students an opportunity to acquire the target language in a meaningful context and to gain a deeper
understanding of historical and contemporary issues in Japan’s relations with the Western countries. The
content will be drawn mainly from topics surrounding Japan’s encounter with the West (19th century – 21st
century) and the study of cultural differences between Japan and the U.S.
Learning objectives:
• To continue to learn to use Japanese appropriate for communication with Japanese native speakers.
• To develop a working knowledge of Japanese history during the 19th to 21st centuries.
• To acknowledge and analyze how the two nations resolved or failed to resolve conflicts.
• To gain appreciation and understanding of a foreign culture.
• To learn to use Japanese grammar principles appropriate to High School academics
• To learn to apply Japanese style differences (casual vs. polite, spoken vs. written, etc.)
• To learn 80-100 new kanji and related compounds related to the contents of the course

References, text book(s), resources:

• Teacher created materials based on textbooks U.S.-Japan Relations: The View From Both Sides of the
Pacific and Japan Meets the West: A Case Study of Perceptions.
• Other teacher created materials related to Japanese culture.

Assessment/evaluation/grading policy:

Grades will be based on the following:

30% Class Participation
20% Assignments
20% Quizzes
30% Tests/projects

A = 100% - 90% B = 89% - 80% C = 79% - 70% D = 69% - 60% F = 59% - 0%

Students who earn below 70% will be viewed as not having mastered enough of the material to continue to take
JIS classes.

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Participation: Points are given for participating positively in class (using Japanese appropriately, participating in
discussions, answering teacher questions, etc.). Points are taken away for participating negatively in class (using
English when Japanese should be used, making inappropriate comments, disrespecting the teacher or fellow
classmates, etc.). To receive full credit, one generally needs between 5 and 10 points each week. A negative 5 in
participation will result in detention, which will include contacting your parents. Opportunities for extra
participation points are also available outside of class.

Assignments: This includes written work done both during and outside of class.

Quizzes: Quizzes covering new kanji learned during the week are generally every Friday. Other quizzes will
also be given.

Tests/Projects: This includes all tests (usually given at the end of a quarter) and projects.

The weekly schedule of assignments, quizzes, projects, and tests is given on the class blog:
www.jis-a.blogspot.com.

Make-up Policy:
• Late work will be accepted for half credit
• Late work for excused absences may be turned in for full credit.
• Major projects (essays, culture projects, etc.) will receive a 10% deduction each day late.
• It is the students’ responsibility to be aware of due dates and to turn in assignments on time.

Student opportunities to meet state benchmarks for work samples:

Students will have the opportunity to take online examinations (STAMP) for PASS (Oregon Benchmark VI).
Behavioral expectations:
• Respect others: listen to others, use appropriate language, treat others’ property with respect.
• No drinking or eating in class.
• No hats.
• No electronic devices.
• Hall Pass: to be used no more than once per class period, and you are not to be gone longer then 5 minutes.

Safety issues and requirements: N/A

Additional opportunities:

( ) field trips
( ) work shadows related to curriculum
(X) paid or non-paid internships
(X) project-based learning
(X) service-learning

Schedule of topics/units covered (optional)

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Student Accommodation(s)1 and support available: (e.g., tutoring, differentiated instruction):
Activities which include differentiation strategies from the following list will be used in this class:
- Open-ended activities
- Role-play
- Using multiple intelligence theory to provide access to different kinds of learners
- Flexible grouping
- Multi-level writing activities
- Ongoing (formative) assessments

Conference Time: Thursday conference period or by appointment

Please inform the instructor as soon as possible if you require accommodation.
Signature of instructor completing this form:

Effective date of syllabus: September 3, 2008 School Year: 2008/2009

Department Head Approval (if applicable)

Administrator Approval:

(by signing this form the administrator verifies that the course code written on this form is accurate and that
this code has been correctly placed into eSIS by the school’s data clerk and that the teacher listed on the
syllabus meets the endorsement requirements as set forth by ODE and NCLB)
1
“Accommodation” means an alteration in how a test is presented to or responded to by the person tested; it
includes a variety of alterations in presentation format, response format, setting in which the test is taken, timing
or scheduling. The alterations do not substantially change level, content or performance criteria. The changes
are made in order to provide a student equal access to learning and equal opportunity to demonstrate what is
known. For student with disabilities, accommodations may be stated on the student’s individualized education
plan (IEP).

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