Japan and the Koreas: Geographic Passport


World Cultures East Asia Japan and the Koreas: Geographic Passport
Students are introduced to the physical geography of Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. They label a map with geographical elements of all three countries. They also create a map to reveal and compare elements of each country. Then they create a geographic passport of each country, comparing and contrasting their features. Finally, they explore the effects of limited space in Japan.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for Japan and the Koreas: Geographic Passport:

Preview - Scene 1
Exploros Learnign Experience Scene Navigation


Engage


Overview

In this experience, students are introduced to the physical geography of Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. They label a map with geographical elements of all three countries. They also use a map to reveal and compare elements of each country. Then they create a geographic passport of each country, comparing and contrasting their features. Finally, they explore the effects of limited space in Japan.

Objectives:

  • Describe the physical features and climate regions of Japan and the Koreas.
  • Identify and compare and contrast geographical features of Japan and the Koreas.
  • Explain ways in which people in Japan have adapted to the challenges of overcrowding.


Do people in North and South Korea both speak Korean? And what is the relationship of the Koreas to Japan? In this experience, you will explore geographical features of all three countries and find out what makes them distinct.

Objectives:

  • Describe the physical features and climate regions of Japan and the Koreas.
  • Identify and compare and contrast geographical features of Japan and the Koreas.
  • Explain ways in which people in Japan have adapted to the challenges of overcrowding.

 

Take a look at the following maps of Japan and the United States.


maps of the Far East and the U.S.

Comparison of Japan versus the United States


Based on the maps, how do you think the geography of Japan is similar to or different from that of the United States?



Discuss student responses. Answers will vary, but will likely focus on the size of the two countries as well as the fact that Japan is an island.


Now look at this map that shows Japan as well as North Korea and South Korea.


political map of the Far East

Geographically, how do you think Japan, North Korea, and South Korea compare to one another?

Post your answer

Discuss student responses, which will vary. Students will notice that North Korea and South Korea are both smaller than Japan. All three countries are surrounded by a lot of water, but Japan is the only one that’s an island. South Korea is a peninsula. 

Now encourage students to list some questions they have about the geography of these three countries. Save the questions to be sure that student questions are answered by the end of the experience.


What questions do you have about the geography of these countries?



When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.


End of Preview
The Complete List of Learning Experiences in East and Southeast Asia Unit.
Would you like to preview the rest of this learning experience, and get access to the entire functioning World Cultures MS course for your classroom? Sign up using your school email address below.
Back to top