Ray Matsumiya
Cambridge, MA, USA
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The Oleander Initiative ( OleanderInitiative.org ) is a 10 day program that gathers high school teachers from around the world to Hiroshima, Japan in order to co-design lesson plans about the "lessons of Hiroshima."Since 2016, educators from the Middle East, North Africa, South Korea, US and Japan have gathered during the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, today a vibrant metropolis known as the City of Peace. During their time at the Oleander Initiative, educators develop their own lesson plans specifically tailored for their students informed by their experiences in Hiroshima. These lesson plans -- fine-tuned and co-developed with Oleander staff and fellow participants during the program – are designed to have a concrete and tangible impact on their students and communities.Program Activities:• Live testimonials from hibakusha atomic bomb survivors• Instruction from top academics on peace culture, historical memory and reconciliation• Visits to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Dome and other sites of conscience• Site visits to Hiroshima schools– the only system in the world where peace education is mandatory in all levels of education• August 6thatomic bombing memorial ceremony hosted by the city of Hiroshima• Meetings with Hiroshima city officials via the Hiroshima Peace Culture office• Networking opportunities with Hiroshima Peacubuilding NGOs• Attendance at the World Conference against A & H bombs, the oldest and largest of its type• Personalized guidance to assist development of educational activities best suited for Oleander educators’ local contexts• Cultural Activities including Kagura performance, tea ceremony, and calligraphyOrganizer: The Oleander Initiative is organized by the University of the Middle East Project (UME.org), a US 501c 3 non-profit, non-partisan organization that builds bridges through education. Since its inception in 1997, UME has implemented 49 programs for over 2500 educators and community leaders.
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Description
In the Hiroshima Peace Park there is a statue that honors Sadako Sasaki. At only two years old she survived the US atomic attack on Hiroshima. At twelve she developed leukemia. While in the hospital she folded more than one thousand origami cranes in the hopes of getting better. There is a Japanese folk legend that says cranes can live for one thousand years and if a person folds one origami crane for each year of a crane’s life their wish will be granted. Sadako’s wish to recover did not come true, but she did make the world a better place by inspiring her friends and classmates to honor her and all of the children who lost their lives in the atomic bombings.Learning Objectives
- Learn about a history lesson indirectly in an English language class
- Learn what happened after Hiroshima through an interactive reading activity that kindles their motivation and interest.
- Deduce some of the devastating effects of war on children.
- Sympathize with Sadako and her friends being victims and at the same time strong and powerful peace mes-sage believers.
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Description
This is a year long project involving research, discussion, poetry, and the performance arts to honor the lives of 2 Hibakusha. Students create two separate “activities” which honor the life of both individuals. For example, they might make a crane in honor of the hibakusha they selected. Other activities include some sort of activism. This could include: (1) writing and publishing an editorial/article, hosting a program at a local venue (with guests in attendance). For example, maybe the individual was a gardener. The student could plant flowers/trees in his/her honor. They could create something like a TED talk. You could go to a play (or watch a documentary) on the subject matter.Learning Objectives
- Students will learn about the the lives of the hibakusha, their experiences, and how to express respect for the hibakusha’s lives and experiences.
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Students engage in a gallery walk with images from Hiroshima in order to answer the following Essential Questions: How could “peace culture” emerge from the ashes of Hiroshima and the world’s first atomic bomb used as an act of war? How are we connected today to this event that happened on August 6, 1945?Learning Objectives
- Students will learn what peace culture is and understand the cultural significance of survivors of the atomic bombings sharing their stories.
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Description
Learning objectives: By the end of this workshop students students will be able to: 1-Gain a greater understanding of the consequences of nuclear war on humanity . 2- Become peace makers in their classes, at school and in their community 3- Become problem solvers when their colleagues have conflicts inside classrooms.
Learning Objectives
- Array
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Description
This lesson plan familiarizes students with Hiroshima Peace Memorial Day while discussing the importance of working for peace as an individual and a community member. The plan includes a video about Hiroshima Peace Memorial Day, provides questions to ask students and exercises like a reading and the Hiroshima Peace Day Survey.Learning Objectives
- Identify important symbols associated with other cultures and explain their significance ( Hiroshima Peace Day )
- Teach students how Japanese people celebrate peace every year and encourage them to organize events on Peace International day September, 21st to raise awareness about the necessity of banning nuclear weapons.
- Show students how individuals can make a difference in achieving peace in the world.
- Teach students how a peace day can make a difference in your school, community, country , and in the world.
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Description
Powerpoint presentation for High School students providing context, impact and effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima with discussion prompts.Learning Objectives
- Be familiar with the impact and effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
- Be introduced to Sadako’s story
- Be familiar with the HAPP analysis method
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Description
HAPP Analysis is a way of analysing primary sources by taking into account:- Historical Context
- Audience
- Purpose
- POV
- Barefoot Gen Comic Book
- Children’s art from Hiroshima
- Nuclear Ban Conference Pamphlet
- Interview with a Hibakusha
Learning Objectives
- Describe the relevant content of the document in a concise, detailed way
- Explain how it supports the argument using a consistent historical thinking skill
- Explain the Historical Context / Audience / Purpose / POV of the document
- Explain why this is significant to understanding and using the document
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Description
Lesson Goals Through Sadako’s story, Students and teachers will 1. Explore the devastating effect of war on children, the most vulnerable group in society. Sadako Sasaki was two years old when the bomb was dropped on her home city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Sadako survived but ten years later, she developed leukemia, "the atom bomb disease." Through Sadako’s story, Students and teachers will- Explore the devastating effect of war on children, the most vulnerable group in society.
- Show that children, what society calls its future, are victims and a powerful peace message believers.
Learning Objectives
- Be familiar with Sadako’s story.
- Be introduced to children’s feelings under the effects of wars and disasters.
- Aware that war is synonym to sadness.
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Description
Students study radiation, communication, and culture throughout the curriculum. We will focus our study on the impact of nuclear war through children’s stories as a way to promote empathy for others. Students will learn about the effects of radiation, experience the impact of atomic war on culture through readings and documentaries, and learn about Japanese children who experienced WWII in Japan and about those who also experienced the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.Learning Objectives
- describe the medical consequences of nuclear war based on readings and videos.
- discuss the experiences of Japanese children during WWII after completing selected children’s books.
- identify the cultural changes that occurred in Japan during WWII.
- discuss the ethical implications of using nuclear weapons .
- synthesize knowledge of the American and Japanese stories of WWII in an artistic representation.
- demonstrate empathy and understanding for victims of war.
- develop an informed statement regarding the use of nuclear weapons in war.