K-12 Educator Workshop: Teaching with the Japanese Garden with USCI and Japan Society
Nov. 9, 2025, 10 a.m.—2 p.m.
Free with reservation | This program is for K-12 Educators. Admission to The Huntington and lunch are included.
Educators
Education and Visitor Center, Steven's Classroom and Japanese Garden
This workshop explores how Japanese art, design, and lived experience have shaped the cultural and physical landscapes of Los Angeles. Professor Tosh Minohara provides a historical foundation through Japonisme, Japan’s global exhibitions, and the Japanese American experience, while Professor Miya Elise Desjardins leads a site-based exploration of material culture—tracing how Japanese gardens, interior design, and aesthetics took root and evolved in Southern California. Learn about the features of the garden, immerse yourself in the Japanese Garden through a mini guided tour, and practice engagement strategies you can use with your students.
This workshop is in collaboration with The Huntington and sponsored by the USC U.S.-China Institute. It is offered in partnership with the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia and with support from the Freeman Foundation and Japan Society.
Key Details
- This is a full-day workshop.
- This program aligns with California State Standards.
- We recommend wearing comfortable shoes. A portion of the workshop involves standing and walking on wood and concrete paths.
- This program is suitable for educators of all grades and subject areas.
- Admission and lunch are included in the program's cost.
If you have any accessibility needs, please email Kristin Brisbois McNutt, Educator Programs Specialist, at kbrisbois@huntington.org.
Program Schedule
10 a.m. | Workshop begins
10:15 a.m. | Discussion: Japanese Garden with Professor Tosh Minohara
Noon | Lunch with peers
12:30 p.m. | Mini-tour in the Japanese Garden with Professor Miya Elise Desjardins
1:30 p.m. | Classroom application and reflection
2 p.m. | Workshop ends
Educators attend a workshop presentation. Photo by Harrison Truong.
| The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.Aligning California State Standards
- VA:Pr6 Convey Meaning Through the Presentation of Artistic Work Objects, artifacts, and artworks collected, preserved, or presented either by artists, museums, or other venues communicate meaning and a record of social, cultural, and political experiences resulting in the cultivating of appreciation and understanding.
- VA:Re7.1 Perceive and Analyze Artistic Work Individual aesthetic and empathetic awareness developed through engagement with art can lead to understanding and appreciation of self, others, the natural world, and constructed environments.
- VA:Re8 Interpret Intent and Meaning in Artistic Work People gain insights into meanings of artworks by engaging in the process of art criticism.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own ideas clearly and persuasively.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
- ELD.PI.K-12.1 Exchanging information and ideas with others through oral collaborative discussions on a range of social and academic topics.
- ELD.PI.K-12.3 Offering and supporting opinions and negotiating with others in communicative exchanges.
- ELD.PII.K-12.6 Connecting ideas.
In-Person Class Ticketing Policies
- Advance registration is required. Tickets are not sold at the door for this event.
- To join the waitlist for this event, please email teachers@huntington.org. A space is not guaranteed, but you will be contacted if a space becomes available.
- To receive a refund, you must cancel at least 5 days prior to the event. Cancellations made within 5 days of the event will not be refunded.
- A certificate of attendance can be provided upon request.
