IntroductionBeginning with the Sino-Japanese War in 1984-95 and the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-05, the place of Japan in the world changed. Analyze the documents on the following slides to understand how that change was perceived at the time it occurred.

Question: How was this turning point and change perceived at the time it occurred both within Japan and in other countries?

Part One: AnalysisThe first thing to do in an analysis is to break things down for closer inspection. Examine the following documents (slides two through 16). Answer the questions that follow each document to help you analyze the meaning.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology © 2006 Visualizing Cultures

Images from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection of Japanese Postcardsat the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Asia Rising and Yellow Promise/Yellow Peril – Lesson 04Visual Documents-Based QuestionPerceptions of a Turning Point

European-produced

1. Who is portrayed here?

2. The two people are lined up side by side. What does that suggest about their status or relationship?

Document 01

Japanese-produced

1. What moment is portrayed in this picture?

2. What mood was the artist trying to evoke?

3. What is notable about the portrayal of the woman in this Japanese-produced postcard?

Document 02

German-produced

1. How is Japan’s emperor portrayed here? Use three adjectives to describe the artist’s portrayal.

2. How would the Japanese people have reacted to this image?

Document 03

Japanese-produced

1. What is portrayed here?

2. What languages are used? Why?

Document 04

French-produced

1. What is being portrayed in this postcard?

2. What mood is established by this portrayal of events?

Document 05

Japanese-produced

1. What is being portrayed?

2. How is it portrayed? Use three adjectives.

Document 06

European-produced

1. How is this postcard connected with the Russo-Japanese War?

2. What message is the artist trying to convey?

3. How is Japan personified here? What human characteristics are assigned to Japan?

Document 07

German-produced

1. How is the Russo-Japanese War portrayed in this postcard?

2. Who is controlling the action? Who would connect with this postcard? Why? Who would not connect with this postcard? Why not?

Document 08

Japanese-produced

1. What aspect of the Russo-Japanese War is portrayed in this postcard?

2. How are Japanese people portrayed here?

3. What adjectives would you use to describe the mood established by this artist?

Document 09

European-produced

1. The job of a soldier is to fight but the soldiers are doing something else here. What are they doing?

2. Why would the artist choose this scene to illustrate?

3. How are these Japanese soldiers portrayed here?

Document 10

French-produced

1. Identify the main symbols and characters in this two-part postcard series.

2. What event do you think is being portrayed here?

3. According to this artist, how should this event be perceived by the many countries in Europe?

Document 11

European-produced

1. Use three adjectives to describe the emperor of Japan as he is portrayed in this postcard.

2. Name specific details the artist used to assist him in this portrayal.

Document 12

Japanese-produced

1. What is being portrayed in this three-part series of postcards?

2. Examine the style the artist chose to use. What kinds of emotions would this rendering evoke in the viewer?

Document 13

European-produced

1. What is being portrayed?

2. Compare the personification of Russia here to the personification of Japan.

Document 14

Japanese-produced

1. How does the artist here combine different elements? Why?

2. How is the viewer supposed to view the emperor here?

Document 15

The second step in a VBQ/DBQ is to put similar ideas together. Think about the question posed at the beginning of this VBQ. How was this turning point and change perceived at the time it occurred both within Japan and in other countries? Look at your analysis of each of the visual texts from the Russo-Japanese War. Can you now organize the answers so that those with similar meanings are put together? Use the spaces below to organize and identify your documents. Place the numbers of similar documents together here. Don’t leave any documents out; every document should fit together with at least one other. (Note: You do not have to use all five groups.)

Group 1Document Numbers ______, ______, ______, ______

Group 2Document Numbers ______, ______, ______, ______

Group 3 Document Numbers ______, ______, ______, ______

Group 4Document Numbers ______, ______, ______, ______

Group 5Document Numbers ______, ______, ______, ______

Part Two: Organization

Synthesis is putting ideas together. What is the main idea that holds each of your groups together? You had an idea when you grouped those visual texts together and now you need to articulate that idea. In your own words write the main idea here.

All of the postcards in Group 1 show that:

All of the postcards in Group 2 show that:

All of the postcards in Group 3 show that:

All of the postcards in Group 4 show that:

All of the postcards in Group 5 show that:

Part Three: Synthesis

Examine your main ideas. Do any of them overlap or fit together in some way? You are looking for items in common that make sense in a logical way. Do some main ideas address similar elements or similar points? Group those main ideas consecutively so you are not jumping from main idea to main idea. Remember the question:

Question: How was this turning point and change perceived at the time it was occurring both within Japan and in other countries?

In answering this question:

This main idea should go first:

This main idea should go next:

This main idea should go next:

This main ideas should go next:

This main idea should go last:

Part Four: Logical Ordering

How to make a generalization and form a thesis statementRead the following statements:

Statement 1: Many people use the Internet to shop.Statement 2: Many students communicate through instant messaging.Statement 3: People are able to complete distant education courses over the Internet.Statement 4: More people are subscribing to newspapers online.Statement 5: College students often use online reference services rather than hard

copy books.

Now think about what one general statement you can make that is true for each of these specific points. Examples of possible answers:

The Internet has many uses.The Internet has changed the way people conduct their daily business.The Internet has many positive effects.

Final thesis statement Make a further generalization from the very specific statements in part four that will answer the VBQ question: How was this turning point and change perceived at the time it occurred both within Japan and in other countries? Look at your main ideas in part four. Ask yourself: what one general idea does each of these specific ideas support? Write your generalization here:

This is your thesis statement for your VBQ essay.

Part Five: Generalizations

You already have the parts of the outline you need for your essay.

Your thesis statement is the generalization you made in part five.

To support your thesis statement, simply use your main ideas from part four as your topic sentences and you are ready to write a well thought out, well supported essay.

Part Six: Generating an Outline

Beginning with the Sino-Japanese War in 1984-95 and the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-05, the place of Japan in the world changed. Using the documents from part one, answer the following:

How was this turning point and change perceived at the time it was occurring both within Japan and in other countries?

Part Seven: Writing the Essay