I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS

Purpose of This Lesson

Students will learn what Haiku is, as well as the history of Haiku.

Teacher Instructions

1. Before class prepare the handout and transparency. Put post-it notes on the boxed sections to hide the words on Transparency 2.
   
   
2. Show Transparency 1 to students and read the poems together. Ask students what Haikus are, and if the students have ever made Haikus themselves. Use Script 1. Read the two Haikus and introduce the purpose of this unit.
   
   
3. Show Transparency 2 and briefly introduce the history of Japan using Script 2. Ask students if they know the time periods covered by the post-it notes, and as teacher explains, remove the post-it notes.
   
   
4. Show Transparency 3, but cover Activity 2 for Trivia. Have students work on Activity 1 for the words 歌集 and 連歌. Then explain Activity 2 in English. Do the first question together as an example. Review the first answer. Then start the activity by allowing the students to answer each question individually before reviewing the answer with the class. The “Notes” section below explains the history of Haiku. Add explanation when necessary.
   
   
5. Distribute the handout and have students form pairs. Show Transparency 4 and explain the activity. Have students summarize what they learned in this lesson by filling out the Haiku history chart. Review the chart together in class.

Teacher Presentation Sample Scripts

Script 1

はい、これを見てください。一緒に読んでみましょう。

これは何ですか。（俳句です。）

そうですね、俳句ですね。

俳句って何ですか。（世界で一番短い詩、音の数が決まっている、日本から来た、など自由に答えさせる）

Poetryを日本語で｢詩｣と言います。俳句の場合は｢歌｣とも言います。

みなさんは俳句を作ったことがありますか。いつ作りましたか。

どんな俳句を作ったか覚えていますか。

それじゃあ、この二つの俳句をもう一度読んでみましょう。

Show the first Haiku: これは、１８世紀に与謝蕪村（よさ・ぶそん）という人が作った有名な俳句です。どんな詩でしょう？（菜の花(brassica)がたくさん咲いていて、今春の一日が終わるところだ、という詩）

Show the second Haiku:

これは、学生が作った俳句です。これはどんな詩でしょうか？（教室の開いている窓から春の風が入って来て、授業中眠くなる、という詩）

これから、俳句の歴史を勉強したり、俳句のルールを勉強して、俳句を作ったります。最後のプロジェクトは、俳句を作って、それに合った絵を描きます。

Script 2

[Explain this in English if it is too difficult for your students.]

これはアメリカと日本の歴史のチャートです。日本の歴史は、いろいろな時代に分かれます。今は、何時代と言うか知っていますか。（平成時代）

今年は何年ですか。（平成XX年です。）(2006=Heisei18, 2007=Heisei19, 2008=Heisei20)

この時代の名前を読んでみましょう。（奈良時代、平安時代）

はい、この頃は貴族（きぞく= aristocracy）の時代でした。

じゃ、次にこの時代の名前を読んでみましょう。（鎌倉時代、室町時代、安土桃山時代、江戸時代）

この頃は、武士（ぶし= worrier）の時代でした。

室町時代は、コロンブスがアメリカを見つけた時ですね。

じゃ、次にこの時代の名前を読んでみましょう。（明治時代、大正時代、昭和時代）

この明治時代から、外国の文化がたくさん入ってきました。それから、外国とたくさん戦争もしました。第二次世界大戦（だいにじせかいたいせん= the World War II）では、アメリカと戦いました。

Answer Key to Student Activities

1. (1) 歌集 = a collection of poetry   (2) 連歌 = a long poem created by more than one person stringing together original verses one by one (5-7-5 7-7 5-7-5 7-7 5-7-5 etc.)

2. (1) b   (2) b    (3) a   (4) c   (5) c    (6) a    (7) a 

Haiku Rekishi Chart (Handout & Transparency 4)

俳句歴史チャート

Suggestions

Haiku Trivia on Transparency 3 provides students with extra knowledge about Haiku. If the activity is too difficult, allow students to work in pairs. This activity is done in English.

Notes

The Japanese poetry “Yamato-uta” or “Waka” was enjoyed among aristocrats during the Nara period. The poetry was originally called “Chooka” (literally ‘long poems’) with Japanese syllables, or mora, of 5, 7, 5, 7, 5, 7, … 7, 7. However, “Tanka” (literally ‘short poems’) with mora of 5, 7, 5, 7, 7, became more popular. Then, in the Hei’an period during the eighth and twelfth centuries, aristocrats began to enjoy Renga (literally ‘chaining poems’). In Renga, several poets create poems cooperatively. Members alternately add verses of five and seven syllables, until they complete a poem composed of about one hundred verses. During the Muromachi period between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Renga, which was a dignified academic poetry, became very popular among commoners. The commoners’ Renga was called “Haikai-Renga” (‘Haikai’ means ‘humorous’) because people often used jokes in Renga.

During the Edo period of the seventeenth century, a great Haiku poet, Matsuo Bashoo, created poems using the first part of the Haiku pattern of five, seven and five syllables. This was called “Hokku.” Bashoo created poems about deep psychological states and human life, which heightened “Haikai” to literature. After him, many poets including Yosa Buson and Kobayashi Issa followed Matsuo Bashoo’s method, though many people still enjoyed Haikai for the jokes.

At the beginning of the Meiji period of the nineteenth century, Masaoka Shiki, a famous poet, criticized the states of Haikai. He renamed his poetry “Haiku” to reform the style. He advocated a new way of Haiku called “Shasei” (sketching), which idea led to the visual description and to the concise style of his Haiku. To this day, ordinary people in Japan and throughout the world enjoy Haiku, the shortest form of poetry in the world.

Visual resources:

http://www.ese.yamanashi.ac.jp/~itoyo/basho/index.htm (Matsuo Bashoo)

II. STUDENT ACTIVITY HANDOUTS

III. VISUAL AIDS FOR TEACHERS

Transparency 1

Transparency 2

Transparency 3

1. Guess the following words in Kanji

(1) 歌集 = (                  )  ヒント：　歌 = poetry, 集 = to gather

(2) 連歌 = (                  )  ヒント：　連 = to string, 歌 = poetry

2. Your teacher will read the questions about Haiku. Guess the best answer. If you think (“a”) is the correct answer, raise your hand to answer.

(1) 日本で一番古い歌集（かしゅう）である「万葉集（まんようしゅう）」はいつ作られましたか。

When was “Man’yoo-shuu”, the oldest collection of poetry in Japan , compiled?

a.　３世紀（せいき）     b.　８世紀              c.　13世紀

(2) 平安（へいあん）時代（794年〜1192年）に、連歌(れんが)がはやりました。「連歌（れんが）」という歌の遊びは、どんな遊びですか。

Renga became popular during the Heian Period (794-1192). What kind of a playful event is “Renga”?

a.　みんな集まって歌のコンテスト 
       Many people get together and have poetry contests.

b.　数人で交互に歌い続ける  
       Several people take turns and create a sequence of poems.

c.　歌を詠みながらおどる
       People dance while creating and chanting poems.

(3) 平安（へいあん）時代、連歌はどんな人たちの間ではやったのでしょうか。

During the Heian Period (794-1192), among which group of people was Renga popular?

a.　貴族（きぞく）      b.　僧侶（そうりょ）    c.　庶民（しょみん）

   aristocrats            monks                 commoners

(4) 室町（むろまち）時代（1338年〜1575年）には、どんな人たちの間で連歌がはやったのでしょうか。

Among which group of people was Renga popular during the Muromachi Period?

a.　貴族（きぞく）    b.　僧侶（そうりょ）       c. 庶民（しょみん）

(5) 室町時代から、このような連歌は「俳諧（はいかい）の連歌(れんが)」とよばれるようになりました。この「俳諧」とはどんな意味だと思いますか。

This kind of Renga was called “Haikai no Renga” during the Muromachi Period. What do you think is the meaning of “Haikai”?

a.　美しい                  b.　明るい                  c.　おもしろい

(6) 江戸（えど）時代に、松尾芭蕉（まつおばしょう）という人が
５・７・５の部分だけで歌を作って、　　　　　　　。

During the Edo Period, Matsuo Bashoo made poetry
using only the 5-7-5 part and he                       .

a.　これを文学に高めました。　

　　heightened this poetry to literature.

b.  これを初めて「俳句」とよびました。

　　called this poetry ‘Haiku’ for the first time.

c.　これを俳諧のルールにしました。

     made a rule to make Haikai.

(7) 俳句は世界で一番短い詩です。スペインの画家、パブロ・ピカソは、俳句をこうよびました。

Haiku is the shortest form of poetry in the world. Pablo Picasso, a Spanish artist, calls Haiku                  .

a.　「広々とした自由」     “Spacious freedom”

b.　「広々とした想像性」 “Spacious creativity”

c.　「広々とした小箱」     “Spacious little box”

Transparency 4

same as student handouts