1. Elementary School - 1

Bentoo

Target Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretative Communication

1.3. Presentational Communication

2.1. Practices of Culture

2.2. Products of Culture

3.1. Making Connections

4.2. Cultural Comparison

Students at an elementary school in Indiana learn about Japanese school lunches, bentoo and kyuushoku. The teacher provides magazines, books, and access to software and/or the internet for students to research bentoo and kyuushoku. A guest native Japanese speaker comes in to speak about typical lunches. Students compare the Japanese school lunch with their own and find out about their nutritional values. They create models of Japanese school lunches out of paper, clay, styrofoam, etc. and present them to the class using "-desu" expressions. They learn that, among many choices, onigiri is very popular. Then they come to an agreement on one or two typical Japanese lunch menus and try to make them. They learn that it is not good manners to leave anything on the plate. They reinforce the usage of ritual expressions such as "Itadakimasu" and "Gochisoosama." They also learn songs like "Onaka no heru uta" and "Bentoo."

Reflections:

1.1. Students use the expressions "Itadakimasu," "Gochisoosama," and others.

1.2. Students listen to explanations of the Japanese school lunch by native Japanese speakers.

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1.3. Students make typical school lunches with paper, styrofoam, etc. and present them to the class in Japanese.

2.1. Students discuss the practice of school lunch. (English may be necessary.)

2.2. Students demonstrate knowledge about the Japanese school lunch, diet, and table manners. Students sing obentoo-related Japanese songs and recognize these as authentic Japanese songs.

3.1. Students identify some basic concepts about nutrition and use art skills to create paper obentoo.

4.2. Students compare Japanese lunches with their own.

If students can obtain a rice cooker, they make onigiri in class as part of the lesson.

2. Elementary School - 2

Undookai

Target Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretive Communication

1.3. Presentational Communication

2.1. Practices of Culture

2.2. Products of Culture

3.1. Making Connections

4.2. Cultural Comparisons

5.1. School and Community

Students at an elementary school in Indiana learn about Japanese undookai. The teacher shows a video about undookai and explains the importance of undookai not just for schools but also for the people in

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the community. The teacher uses as many Japanese expressions as possible while explaining this phenomenon. After watching the video, the class invites a native speaker (or native speakers) to the class. Although English is used, visitors make an effort to speak in Japanese as much as possible. Students learn the popular undookai games, such as tamaire, karimono kyoosoo, ninin sankyaku, etc. They learn expressions used during undookai. They compare undoookai with sports events at their own school. They learn about the lunch (bentoo) typically eaten at an undookai. After learning about undookai, students plan their own mini undookai. The class chooses two or three undookai games to play. As a class, they make a program and draw posters which can be given to their family, friends, and Japanese people in the community to invite them to the mini undookai. The mini undookai is held during Japanese language class, and the students play the undookai games.

Reflections:

1.1. Students use certain set Japanese expressions while participating in and describing undookai.

1.2. Students understand some Japanese spoken by the teacher and the guest speaker(s). They also recognize some expressions on the video.

1.3. Students make posters and write invitations to undookai.

2.1. Students recognize the various games and practices that comprise the undookai.

2.2. Students play undookai games.

3.1. Students make connections with physical education.

4.2. Students compare undookai with popular sports events at their school.

5.1. Students invite people in the community to their mini undookai.

Students play undookai games at recess or after school.

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3. Middle School - 1

Ekiben

Target Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretive Communication

1.3. Presentational Communication

2.1. Practices of Culture

2.2. Products of Culture

3.1. Making Connections

4.2. Cultural Comparison

Students at a middle school in Indiana learn that different kinds of meals sold at different train stations in Japan are called ekiben, and many of them reflect the specialty of that region. The teacher brings in maps and starts with a discussion of geography and regional specialties of the United States and then those of their own state and city. The teacher also provides access to additional information on lunches in Japan and the United States through books and magazines in the library. Students collect pictures of various ekiben. They also invite a special guest to give them more information. They identify the ingredients and examine how these ingredients are prepared for ekiben. They also learn that one traditional ekiben that is popular throughout Japan is the maku-no-uchi bentoo. Students in groups pick one city in their own country and come up with an ekiben for that region. The teacher helps students select a city if necessary. Students design the layout of the ekiben in a box (a drawing would be fine) and compare it to Japanese ekiben. They then present their special lunch to the rest of the class in the form of a simple television commercial.

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Reflections:

1.1. Students converse about ekiben and ask and answer questions about the ekiben they prepared.

1.2. Students read and hear about ekiben through books, magazines, and the internet.

1.3. Students present their specially prepared ekiben to class in a simple, predetermined TV commercial format.

2.1. Students recognize the practice of eating ekiben.

2.2. Students research various kinds of ekiben and identify maku-no-uchi bentoo as one of the most popular ekiben.

3.1. Students learn about how specialties are influenced by geography and local industry through the ekiben that they make.

4.2. Students compare American regional specialties to Japanese ekiben.

4. Middle School - 2

Hinamatsuri

Target Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretive Communication

2.1. Practices of Culture

2.2. Products of Culture

3.1. Making Connections

4.2. Cultural Comparisons

5.1. School and Community

Students at a middle school in Indiana learn about how Japanese celebrate Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day). The teacher brings to class photos and pictures of ohinasama doll sets. Then, the teacher talks about the Heian period in Japanese history and explains that each doll represents a special position at the

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Heian court. Students share their impressions of the dolls, listing what makes each unique (in terms of color, size, etc.). Students are also shown advertisements for various sets of ohinasama and find out how expensive they are by making a simple yen/dollar conversion. They practice a Hinamatsuri song and make their own origami ohinasama to display at school or take home to show their families.

Reflections:

1.1. Students discuss colors, size, likes, and dislikes about the dolls.

1.2. Students comprehend certain information from ohinasama advertisements such as price, size, etc.

2.1. Students learn about the practices associated with Hinamatsuri.

2.2. Students make origami ohinasama and sing a Hinamatsuri song.

3.1. Students learn about the historical background of the dolls and use math skills to convert yen to dollars.

4.2. Students compare the color, shape, and price of these dolls to dolls in their own country.

5.1. Students share their origami ohinasama with family and students outside of class.

If someone in the community has a real ohinasama set, it may be a good idea to take students to see it.

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5. Middle School - 3

Kodomo no hi

Target Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretative Communication

1.3. Presentational Communication

2.1. Practices of Culture

2.2. Products of Culture

3.1. Making Connections

4.2. Cultural Comparison

5.1. School and Community

Students at a middle school in Indiana celebrate Kodomo no hi (Children's Day) in May. The teacher talks about Kodomo no hi and artifacts displayed for the events associated with it. The students broaden their understanding of Japanese and the significance of such artifacts as koinobori, kabuto, and kashiwamochi. The students collect more information using books, magazines, and the internet. After obtaining a basic understanding of Kodomo no hi, students make their own koinobori and kabuto and take them home to show their friends and families. Students present the koinobori to the class, describing the colors, size, and so forth. They may want to make a set of regular-sized koinobori to display outside of school with the help of parent volunteers. They also learn a song relating to Kodomo no hi.

Reflections:

1.1. Students discuss Kodomo no hi.

1.2. Students demonstrate understanding of Kodomo no hi through interaction with the teacher and then search for additional information in books, and magazines and on the internet.

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1.3. Students present koinobori to the class.

2.1. Students recognize practices associated with Kodomo no hi and perspectives associated with those practices (e.g., importance to children).

2.2. Students make koinobori and kabuto and sing songs.

3.1. Students use arts and crafts skills to create artifacts associated with this custom.

4.2. Students compare American and Japanese children's holidays.

5.1. Students celebrate the festival with other children at the school and with their families.

6. High School - 1

Uniform

Target Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretive Communication

1.3. Presentational Communication

2.1. Practices of Culture

2.2. Products of Culture

3.1. Making Connections

4.2. Cultural Comparisons

Students at a high school in Indiana discuss the benefits and drawbacks of uniforms. They search the internet, books, and magazines in the library for material about uniforms. They make a list of uniforms used in Japan and the United States. They group them by such categories as occupation and gender. They discuss the similarities and differences in terms of color, shape, etc. They also become aware of the fact that, in contrast to the United States, employees of many Japanese banks and department stores wear uniforms. Students collect pictures, photos, and

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actual uniforms (if they can) and bring them to class. They can also draw pictures of favorite uniforms they have seen in movies and videos. They each choose a uniform (or design one of their own) and present it to the class giving reasons for why they chose it and for what profession they would wear it.

Reflections:

1.1. Students discuss Japanese and American uniforms in terms of such things as similarities and differences, benefits and drawbacks, and types.

1.2. Students examine various uniforms through the internet, books, magazines, videos, etc.

1.3. Students present their ideal uniform to the class.

2.1. Students realize that the practice of wearing uniforms exists in a variety of institutions and professions in Japan.

2.2 Students collect pictures and photos of Japanese uniforms. If possible, they also bring in actual uniforms. Students discuss possible reasons why uniforms are popular in Japan .

3.1. Students practice artistic skills in drawing uniforms.

4.2. Students compare Japanese uniforms with those of their own country.

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7. High School - 2

Japanese Towns

Target Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretative Communication

1.3. Presentational Communication

2.2. Products of Culture

3.1. Making Connections

4.2. Cultural Comparison

5.1. School and Community

Students at a high school in Indiana learn about Japanese geography. They discuss their sister state and city. They are divided into groups of three or four. Each group picks a town in Japan to introduce to the rest of the class. They collect information on the town of their choice in the library, on video, and on the internet. They also interview Japanese people in the community for more information. They find out about the geography, history, and products of the town. They compare the towns to the town in which they live. They then present their findings to the class.

Reflections:

1.1. Students discuss their sister state and city. Students talk about which town in Japan they would like to study and why.

1.2. Students conduct research by reading, watching videos, and looking things up on the internet.

1.3. Students present the town of their choice to the class.

2.2. Students find out about the products of the town and why they are produced in that region.

3.1. Students learn the geography and history of the town.

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4.2. Students compare Japanese towns with their own.

5.1. Students share their findings with the chamber of commerce of their town and/or with interested people in the community.

8. High School - 3

Happy Host Mother's Day

Target Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretive Communication

1.3. Presentational Communication

2.1. Practices of Culture

2.2. Products of Culture

4.1. Language Comparisons

4.2. Cultural Comparisons

5.2. Lifelong Learning

Students at a high school in Indiana have decided to send a gift to their host mother (real or imaginary) in Japan. First, each tells the class about their host mother's likes and dislikes. Then, they check Japanese gift catalogs and video catalogs. By looking through gift catalogs, the students obtain a general idea about the amount of money Japanese people spend on gifts. They discuss what they are going to order and exchange their reasons for choosing one item over another. They each use the telephone to order items from a catalog. A Japanese person could be asked to answer the phone and take orders. After they place an order, the students report to the class what they have ordered. They write a card that will accompany the gift. When writing the card, the students learn that "Happy Mother's Day" cannot be literally translated. They realize that language differences between English and Japanese require

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that they say something such as "Thank you, Mother. " They compare Japanese Mother's Day with their own. They find out that carnations are considered to be the main Mother's Day flower, although red flowers such as mini roses are also used. They also learn that people wear red carnations (or some other red flower) if their mother is alive and wear white after they have lost their mother. As a supplement, students can give a card and a real or drawn gift to their own mother (or female member of the family).

Reflections:

1.1. Students discuss appropriate gifts to send to their (real or imaginary) host mother. Students exchange information obtained from gift catalogs.

1.2. Students check gift and video catalogs and select items to order. Students also listen to likes and dislikes of their classmates' host mother.

1.3. After ordering, students report to the rest of the class about what they have ordered. Students write a card to accompany the gift.

2.1. Students become aware of the practices surrounding Mother's Day in Japan.

2.2. Students learn that the red and white flowers have different meanings.

4.1. In writing cards, students learn that the literal translation of English to Japanese does not work.

4.2. Students compare Japanese Mother's Day and American Mother's Day.

5.2 Students give Japanese Mother's Day cards to their own mothers for Mother's Day.

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9. High School - 4

Trip to a Japanese Grocery Store

Target Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretative Communication

1.3. Presentational Communication

2.1. Practices of Culture

2.2. Products of Culture

3.1. Making Connections

4.1. Language Comparisons

4.2. Cultural Comparison

5.1. School and Community

Students at a high school in Indiana decide to go to a Japanese grocery store in the suburbs of Chicago. To prepare for the trip, they bring advertisements of Japanese supermarkets to class and discuss what they sell. They also study the metric system since that is what is used in Japan. They learn how to convert American measurements to Japanese ones, including weights and lengths. They find that a number of loan words are written in katakana in the advertisements and study these loan words and other items sold in a Japanese grocery store. They do further research on the Japanese groceries and products sold in the grocery store by looking them up on the internet. They then list the items they are most interested in and provide the reasons for their choices. At the store they research items such as mimikaki and surikogi that seem peculiar to American people and report on these to the class. They purchase some items at the store and report on what they purchased to the class, including price, characteristics, and taste.

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Reflections:

1.1. Students ask and answer questions about a Japanese grocery store.

1.2. Students conduct research on Japanese supermarkets in the library and on the internet. Students derive information about Japanese foods from advertisements.

1.3. Students report about the items they purchased to the class.

2.1. Students learn about a variety of items sold in a Japanese grocery store.

2.2. Students discuss products and items sold in the store.

3.1. Students make connections to mathematics by checking the measurement units and converting to the metric system.

4.1. Students identify and recognize loan words like suupaa, toire, basu, etc. that come from English.

4.2. Students compare grocery stores in Japan and the United States in terms of the layout of the store, the display of the products, their packaging, units of measurement (lb. and kg.), etc.

5.1. Students talk with the Japanese people working at the store if possible. Students share foods purchased at the store with their families.

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10. High School - 5

Orizuru

Targeted Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretive Communication

1.3. Presentational Communication

2.1. Practices of Culture

2.2. Products of Culture

3.1. Making Connections

3.2. Acquiring New Information

4.1. Language Comparisons

4.2. Cultural Comparisons

5.1. School and Community

Students at a high school in Indiana study the symbolic meaning of the crane in Japanese culture. They examine such things as a photo of a wedding kimono, a decorated envelope for a cash gift, and senbazuru and ask questions about the importance of the crane to Japanese culture. Students learn about the meaning of the senbazuru that are seen in places such as hospitals and at the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Memorial Park. Students read the story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. In groups, they make their own kamishibai version of the story with narration and illustrations. They present kamishibai to the class. Students also learn to make orizuru. They also study Japanese sayings such as "Tsuru wa sennen, kame wa mannen." Students compare the symbolism of the Japanese crane with that of animals in their own culture. The students visit children's hospitals and retirement homes in the community, demonstrate how to make orizuru, and show them kamishibai.

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Reflections:

1.1 Students ask questions about the importance of cranes in Japanese culture.

1.2. Students read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes in Japanese.

1.3. Students present kamishibai with narration.

2.1. Students learn about how orizuru is used in Japanese culture.

2.2. Students make paper orizuru and kamishibai and recognize how they are used in Japan.

3.1. Students show their artistic talent in creating kamishibai and make historical connections by discussing Hiroshima.

3.2. Students learn the Japanese saying: "Tsuru wa sennen, kame wa mannen."

4.1. Students realize that the English translation of "Tsuru wa sennen, kame wa mannen" differs from its meaning in Japanese.

4.2. Students compare the symbolism of Japanese cranes with the symbolism of some animals in America (such as mascots in sports games).

5.1. Students perform kamishibai of the story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and demonstrate/teach how to fold an origami crane to various groups of people at places such as children's hospitals and retirement homes.

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11. University - 1

Apartment Search

Targeted Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretive Communication

1.3. Presentational Communication

2.1. Practices of Culture

2.2. Products of Culture

3.1. Making Connections

4.1. Language Comparisons

4.2. Cultural Comparisons

5.1. School and Community

Students at a college in Indiana talk about renting apartments in Japan. They learn and discuss the differences between Japanese-style and Western-style housing. The discussion can be extended to the different architectural styles of Japanese homes. Students also watch video clips showing the inside and outside of Japanese housing and become familiar with the terms they have to know for an apartment search, such as -joo, -DK, toire, senmenjo, kakejiku, oshiire, shikikin, and reikin. They do an internet search on apartments, researching location, size, facilities, furnishings, fees, length of lease, contractual conditions, etc., and report their findings to the class using maps. Students are then divided into several groups and make plans to rent apartments. Looking at the advertisements, each group discusses what kind of apartment they would like to rent. After these activities, the students design their own Japanese dream apartment and present it to the class. Students write letters to friends in Japan, if possible, asking questions about their housing situations.

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Reflections:

1.1. Students discuss what kind of apartment they would like, deciding how many people are in their family, what the budget is, what area they would like to live in, and so forth.

1.2. Looking at real estate advertisements and information on the internet, students compare apartments based on size and number of rooms and bathrooms. They discuss differences between Japanese and American housing (e.g., sliding doors, genkan, and kotatsu).

1.3. Students present their findings on the internet to the class. Each group presents its ideal apartment to the class.

2.1. Students learn the practice of finding apartments. They also learn something about the manners and chores required of people who live in Japanese houses and apartments.

2.2. Students recognize the relationship between Japanese perspectives on the function and use of space and the size of living areas in Japan.

3.1 Students examine the floor plan of an actual apartment or house and try to draw their own dream apartment.

4.1. Students recognize katakana loan words and discuss how they are converted into Japanese.

4.2. Students compare apartments and apartment hunting in Japan and the United States.

5.1. Students write letters to friends in Japan asking questions about housing.

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12. University - 2

Daily Life

Target Standards:

1.1. Interpersonal Communication

1.2. Interpretive Communication

1.3. Presentational Communication

2.1. Practices of Culture

2.2. Products of Culture

4.2. Cultural Comparisons

5.1. School and Community

Students at a university in Indiana discuss their daily lives. If possible, students look at web pages of various Japanese schools, take notes on their curriculum, structure, school life, etc., and create a web page introducing their own life-styles. They then create a questionnaire asking about the life-styles of Japanese students in Japan. The questionnaire is based on information gathered from the internet, particularly from web pages made by Japanese students to describe their own life-styles. They send a questionnaire via e-mail, web, or surface mail to students in a Japanese school (e.g., sister schools with an exchange program or schools with which the instructor has made a prior arrangement). Students then summarize the results, compare them to their own life-styles, and identify the issues that intrigue them or require further explanation. For instance, in most of the K-12 public schools in Japan, students must clean their schools themselves. Why are activities such as undookai, bunkasai, and gakugeikai performed by the school as a whole? Students write out the issues and describe why those things are interesting. They also either write a letter or record their questions on tape and send the questions to the teachers in Japan. Based on the results, they further develop their comparison of the life-styles of students in their own coun

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try and Japan and post them on the web. They write suggestions to their own school about how to adopt some of the good customs of Japanese schools. Also, they write a letter of thanks to the Japanese students and/or teachers with a summary of their study and suggestions about practices they may want to adopt from American schools. As a follow up activity, students may be encouraged to create their own web page which describes their life-styles, family, interests, etc.

Reflections:

1.1. Students discuss in pairs or groups their own daily lives.

Students write questions about Japanese students' daily lives.

1.2. Students read web pages and responses to questionnaires.

1.3. Students construct web pages, write a questionnaire, record questions on tape, and make suggestion lists.

2.1. Students become aware of the various practices associated with Japanese students' daily life.

2.2. Students learn about Japanese students' curriculum, rules and regulations, uniforms, lunch, etc.

4.2. Students compare Japanese students' life-style with their own.

5.1. Students write a thank-you letter along with suggestions to a Japanese school.

Although making connections with other disciplines (3.1) is not included in this scenario, it can be done by dealing with specific issues such as youth crime, a connection to social science study. Language comparison (4.1) is only applicable when they make suggestions to the Japanese schools: they may have to use different politeness strategies from those used in their own country. This could be easily incorporated into classroom instruction if the students are at an intermediate or advanced level.

This topic is rather broad, so it can be narrowed to issues such as school regulations, issues of youth crime, drop-outs, course structure, or even

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a particular course. Therefore, this can be an activity taking several class hours or a whole term. The target audience is high school or college students, but the activity could be done in middle school as well. Linguistically, this can be a highly complex task or a fairly simple one, depending on how the instructor defines the scope of "daily life." Further, if Japanese students are not available, the teacher may consider using information from sources such as the Japan Almanac, Kokumin seikatsu hakusho and Ankeeto choosa nenkan. Depending on the type of materials, a high level of proficiency may be required.

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