The Japan Forum > Click Nippon > Class Ideas

By reading an article of a father who makes Kyara-Ben, students will learn about Kyara-Ben as a Japanese food culture and understand what he wants to express through making them. Students will also design their own Kyara-Ben and explain their thoughts for each item. The recipes of Kyara-Ben are available to expand the lesson to cross curricular learning.

Students read the text written by a female high school student, and learn about the Japanese way of celebrating Valentine’s Day and how it has changed over time. Students will then expand the topic to discuss gift-giving topics such as hand-made gifts and wrapping as aspect of Japanese culture. Students will also have an opportunity to explain, in Japanese, about how they celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Students explore Japanese values and culture emerging from the Japanese concept of uniform.
Students consider the roles of uniform and effects on different points of views; those who wear them, those who make their staff/students wear them and the public. Comparing Japanese uniform culture and that of Australia, students realize Japanese high school students consider their uniform as a form of fashion.

The learners will read an article that Japanese high school students are discussing about their attitudes towards fashion. After reading the text, the learners will write and share their questions, preferences and opinions about fashion within the group.

Reading the text, What we have lost", students explore the relationship young Japanese people have with their mobile phones. Activities include: research etiquette in Japan, compare how people use mobile phones, conduct class survey and so on. Make a connection with the topic by brainstorming before reading the interview. Students study the interviewees' opinions about usage, handy functions, and drawbacks of mobile phones. Then give their own opinions. Through studying this interview, students are encouraged to think and discuss about etiquette, and safety issues of using mobile phones as their prime concern.

Reading the text, students explore the relationship young Japanese people have with their mobile phones. Activities include: research etiquette in Japan, compare how people use mobile phones, conduct class survey and so on. Students study the interviewees' opinions about usage, handy functions, and drawbacks of mobile phones. Then give their own opinions. Through studying this interview, students are encouraged to think and discuss about etiquette, and safety issues of using mobile phones as their prime concern.

Students learn shodo through activities such as matching new expressions and close activities. Students experience shodo by writing their favourite kanji or word. As a final activity, students compare how Aika's shodo club and the students' club activities are organised (notice similarlities and differences), discuss how Aika grew up through practising shodo, and share their similar experience.

The activity highlights the pros and cons of cell phone use and introduces students to the use of emoticons with Japanese text messages.

Students understand Aika through activities such as multiple choice, matching new expressions and so on. Students experience shodo by writing their favourite kanji or word. As a final activity, students compare how Aika's shodo club and the students' club activities are organised (notice similarlities and differences), discuss how Aika grew up through practising shodo, and share their similar experience.