Alabama Social Studies SS24.8.4d
The Standard
- SS24.8.4
- Compare and contrast the cultural, economic, geographic, and political structures of the civilizations of medieval Asia, including China, India, Japan, and Korea.
Trace the development of the feudal structure of medieval Japan, including the establishment of the Shogunate by Minamoto no Yoritomo.
2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain how landowners came to rely on samurai as the imperial court lost control of private estates. They trace how Yoritomo's victory over the Taira led to military rule from Kamakura.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students put the growth of private estates, samurai protection, Yoritomo's victory, and the Kamakura government in order. They explain that Yoritomo received the shogun title in 1192, while the emperor remained in Kyoto.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think Yoritomo became emperor or that the emperor left Kyoto. They may also assume that samurai owned every estate they protected.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Put these in order: samurai protect estates, Yoritomo defeats the Taira, private estates grow, military government begins in Kamakura. Then name who held military power and where the emperor remained.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs four event cards for estates, samurai, Yoritomo's victory, and Kamakura; have them order the cards and connect causes with string.
Ask students to write two sentences answering: How could Yoritomo command warriors while an emperor remained in Kyoto?
Play a role match: students pair emperor, shogun, landowner, samurai, and farmer cards with descriptions of each person's power or work.
On a current map of Japan, locate Kyoto and Kamakura, then label the emperor's court and Yoritomo's military headquarters.
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Printable SS24.8.4d Worksheet
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Related Standards
- SS24.8.16a
Trace the rise of militarism in Japan and explain how it led to the invasion of Korea.
- SS24.7.12c
Trace the development of Buddhism, including the contributions of Emperor Ashoka, and explain how Buddhism influenced society in Classical India.
- SS24.WH.5c
Analyze the rise of Japan’s power in East Asia beginning with the Meiji Restoration.
- SS24.8.16c
Compare the policies of absolutism and social structures of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan to European monarchies.
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