Activity: What kind of class is Grade 6 Class 1?

This activity idea was created for use in the training program for elementary school teachers of Japanese in China held in the summer of 2004.
Original idea by Saito Hiromi, Assistant Professor, Tokyo Gakugei University
Edited by TJF

Objectives:

To gain an understanding of Japanese children’s lives from the data on Grade 6 Class 1.
To interview each other in Japanese on the students’ own lives, and organize the information.
To learn related vocabulary and sentence patterns.

Procedure:

1.

From the data on Grade 6 Class 1, select topics that students are likely to be interested in. Concealing the results, show students the topic title. Introduce vocabulary as necessary.
http://www.tjf.or.jp/shogakusei/6-1/data/index_j.htm

2.

Students guess the results and present their ideas. Show the actual results and introduce vocabulary as necessary.
Examples:

表	table
多い	many
少ない	few
一番目	first
二番目	second
～人	counter for people
クラス	class
人気がある	to be popular

3.

Explain how to read the table (using students’ native language). Ask the students questions about the table and have them ask questions as well.
Examples:

教師：	6年1組の友だちが、一番好きな科目は何ですか。	Teacher:	What is Grade 6 Class 1’s favorite subject?
生徒：	体育です。	Students:	P.E.
教師：	全部で何人ですか。	Teacher:	How many people chose P.E. as their favorite class?
生徒：	13人です。	Students:	Thirteen.
教師：	男子は何人ですか。女子は何人ですか。	Teacher:	How many boys? How many girls?

4

Divide the class into groups, and provide each group with data on one of the topics. Distribute worksheets, which students fill out in their groups. Have students ask questions about vocabulary they do not know, and introduce them.

5

Each group presents what they found. The teacher writes the information on the board. The other students write the information on the back of their worksheets. Discuss the class’ findings as a class (using students’ native language).

6

Students write their thoughts and impressions on the worksheet based on their discussion.

7

In groups, students select a topic to research and interview each other. They write up the interviews in the interview worksheet.
Examples:

聞いたこと：朝ごはんに食べるもの		Question: What do you eat for breakfast?
A：	朝ごはんは、よく、何を食べる？	What do you usually eat for breakfast?
B：	＿＿＿と＿＿＿を食べる。	I eat _____ and _____.
A：	ありがとう。	Thank you.

8

Students write the results on poster paper, and present them to the class.