Asian American Resources
Books for Young Readers Lesson Plans Educator Resources
Books for Young Readers
Journey to Topaz
by Yoshiko Uchida (Author), Donald Carrick (Illustrator)
Ages: 9+ years
Journey Home
by Yoshiko Uchida (Author), Charles Robinson (Illustrator)
Ages: 10+ years
Obāchan told me Gaman
by Samantha Matsukawa (Author), Asano Swenson (Illustrator)
Ages: elementary (This book is in every elementary school in Utah)
Lesson Plans
Asia Center | University of Utah
The Asia Center promotes interest in and knowledge of Asia through public events, K-12 outreach and teacher training, and partnerships with K-12 public schools and post-secondary institutions. Scroll to find lesson plans under K-12 Teacher Resources: Curriculum and Lesson Plans.
Lesson Ideas for Use
With the Picture Book
Coolies, by Yin
These lesson ideas were compiled to coordinate with the use of the 2001 award-winning picture book entitled Coolies, by
Yin, with illustrations by Chris Soentpiet.
Learn about the lives and experiences of the Chinese railroad workers who built America’s first transcontinental railroad. Best for grades 4-6.
Spike 150 Lesson Plans
Explore teaching resources developed by the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah Education Network about the transcontinental railroad. Explore the rich history and the many ways the railroad transformed life in Utah and across the United States.
Educator Resources
Japanese Internment in Utah
Browse primary source sets for important pieces of history regarding Japanese internment.
Minidoka Education
Minidoka National Historic Site in Jerome, ID shares the stories of the 13,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated in the region during World War II. The site also holds lessons on civil and constitutional rights, racism and the fragility of democracy in times of crisis.
Spike 150
The joining of the rails at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869, marked the beginning of a new era for the nation, the West and Utah. Explore resources that bring to light the people who worked side-by-side building the transcontinental railroad.
Topaz Museum
The Topaz Museum in Delta, Utah aims to preserve the nearby Topaz incarceration site and its World War II history. It also seeks to interpret the impact of Topaz on the people who were detained there and the Millard County community.