Classroom Resources - The Japan Foundation, Sydney

Play: The Big Turnip

Students act out this children’s story which can be easily understood by an audience with or without knowledge of Japanese. The play can be used by students not only in the classroom but also as a presentation for a school event. There are 9 parts.

Family Group_work Skits Traditions Primary Junior_Secondary Reading Speaking
Skit: Make a Japanese TV Commercial

Students choose/create a product that will be promoted in their TV advertisement. Students work in teams to write and rehearse the ad. They can use the samples given or create their own. This activity could begin by viewing some Japanese commercials on the internet.

Skits Primary Junior_Secondary Speaking Writing
Skit: Tanabata

Students perform a short skit about the origins of the Tanabata Festival held in July. The skit emphasises the months and how the lovers can only meet once a year.

Annual_events Skits Primary Junior_Secondary Reading Speaking

Creation of Japan: Myth

Students read a manga about the myth of Japan’s creation and answer some questions on the text in English.

Folktale Manga Skits Primary Junior_Secondary Reading Speaking
Play: The Juunishi Story

Students act out this story about the origin of the Juunishi (Chinese/Japanese zodiac). The play can be used by students not only in the classroom but also as a presentation for a school event. There are 15 parts.

Animals Annual_events Folktale Group_work Skits Traditions Primary Junior_Secondary Reading Speaking
How We Use Water

Students will practise numbers as they discuss the percentage of water in plants and animals. They will then brainstorm verbs relating to water use and discuss Australia’s and Japan’s use of water.

Environment Integrated_curriculum Numbers Verbs Junior_Secondary Senior_Secondary Listening Reading Writing

Tokyo Sightseeing with Relative Clauses

Using sightseeing spots around Tokyo as the subject matter, students create complex descriptive sentences.

Grammar Travel Senior_Secondary Reading Speaking
Race Around Tokyo on the Train

Students use the train map supplied to work out who can get to the bomb fastest before it explodes. Students work out a route for each of the four detectives and add up the minutes it takes to them to reach the destination in time.

Differentiated_learning Problem_solving Time Junior_Secondary Senior_Secondary Reading
Survey Quiz Show

Students participate in a game show (like the old show “Family Feud”) where they guess how people responded to a survey.

Family Games Grammar Role_play Skits Senior_Secondary Listening Reading Speaking

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