Since I am going to Japan to learn all about this wonderful country and people, my students and I have been learning all about some of the basic facts that I will need to know. With that in mind, we are trying to learn how we are alike and how we are different. While I will be talking with the children and teachers about their hopes, dreams, and concerns - my students have a real desire to know about the people as people - the kinds of things that make up their daily living.

The fifth grade students at Prairie Vale have come up with 40 questions ( and 1 request!) that they would REALLY like answered. They would like me to email information and pictures about the following:

1. What board games do Japanese children like to play?
2. What kind of candy to Japanese children like?
3. What kind of clothing do 5th graders wear?
4. What are the favorite stores of Japanese children?
5. What are their favorite video games?
6. What kinds of bikes and motorcycles do they ride?
7. What kinds of pets do they have?
8. What do Japanese children like to do for fun with their families?
9. What are Japanese children's favorite kinds of shoes?
10. Who are their favorite movie stars?
11. What are their favorite hobbies?
12. What is a normal school day for a 5th grader?
13. What do 5th graders eat for lunch?
14. What do students write with?
15. What is an average class size?
16. How much homework do 5th graders do each evening?
17. What subjects do 5th graders study?
18. What do 5th graders talk about with their friends?
19. How big is the average elementary school?
20. What is a typical Japanese breakfast?
21. What is a typical Japanese lunch?
22. What is a typical Japanese dinner?
23. What kinds of restaurants are in Japan?
24. What kinds of new foods will Mrs. S. try?
25. What kinds of instruments are uniquely Japanese?
26. What is Kabuki?
27. What is Noh?
28. What is Kyogen?
29. What is Bunraku?
30. What is Anime?
31. What type of music do Japanese teenagers listen to?
32. What type of clothing are Japanese teenagers into?
33. What different buildings are in Japan?
34. What do Japanese homes look like?
35. What do Japanese schools look like?
36. What do Japanese churches, temples, and shrines look like?
37. Compare Gifu ( the small town I will be in) and Tokyo.
38. What forms of transportation will Mrs. S. be traveling on?
39. How are Japanese children SIMILAR to 5th graders at Prairie Vale?
40. How are Japanese children DIFFERENT from 5th graders at Prairie Vale?
41. Try to take a picture of a SUMO WRESTLER!!

I am beginning to learn more about Japan from my students! Yesterday, Regan shared a PowerPoint about her experiences in 'Japan' while at Epcot 2 weeks ago. She had amazing pictures and facts and shared Japanese candy with all of her classmates. Today, Holly, shared an email that she had sent to a professor of Asian Studies at UCLA about typhoons!! She found his name and email address on a handout that I had given the students when we studied Japanese proverbs. He assured her that although October is 'typhoon season' in Japan, I should be safe, but that I need to take an umbrella and a raincoat. Lynsey has checked out a book from the library on origami, and she made me an origami butterfly today! I am so fortunate to be a teacher!! I think I am going to miss my students very much!

Konbanwa! That's Japanese for "Good Evening". The next 2 weeks will be very busy, so I thought that this would be a good time to tell you all about the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Program. The program is sponsored by the government of Japan and was launched in 1997 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. government Fulbright Program, which has enabled more than 6,000 Japanese citizens to study in the U.S. on Fulbright fellowships for graduate education and research. The program allows educators in the U.S. to travel to Japan for three weeks in an effort to promote greater intercultural understanding between the two nations.

We will begin our visit in Tokyo with a practical orientation on Japanese life and culture and meetings with Japanese government officials and educators. Then we will travel in groups of 20 to selected host cities outside of Tokyo ( I will be going to Gujo in the Gifu prefecture) where we will have direct contact with Japanese teachers and students during visits to primary and secondary schools as well as a teachers college. We will also visit cultural sites and local industries in addition to a brief homestay with a Japanese family.

My fifth grade students and I are in the final stages of our "Questions for Japan" list. We have been learning so much about the 'facts' of Japan, that we are really becoming more and more intrigued with the people, specifically the children, of this country. Stay tuned for our "Questions List"!

Konnichiwa! That is Japanese for "Good Afternoon". This week in our class we will be learning some basic facts about Japan. We will also be learning about two wonderful Japanese artists - Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai. They are most well known for their wood block prints. We will also be learning about Kabuki, Noh, Kyogen, Bunraku, Ikebana, and Anime. Ask any of the 5th graders at Prairie Vale about what they know about Japan, they are becoming experts!!

Friday, September 16, 2005

I am so excited about going to Japan!!!! My 107 fifth-grade Reading students and I have been learning so much about Japan. We have large sheets of paper plastered across the wall of my classroom listing what we think we already know about Japan and what we want to learn about Japan. Today in class, we discussed some Japanese proverbs and how the proverbs gave us insight into what the Japanese may value in their culture. The words "honor" and "duty" seemed to surface quite often. Two of my students, Kennedy and Austin, brought and modeled Japanese clothing that had been given to their families. Before I leave for Japan, my students will narrow down our questions to about 20 - 25, and I will be spending a good part of my free time in Japan searching for the answers to our questions.