Grade Level: Elementary sixth graders.

Objective:

1. At the end of this activity, students will be able to demonstrate an awareness of Japanese history, culture, and people.
2. At the end of this activity, students will be able to compare and contrast Japanese and American holidays.
3. At the end of this activity, student will be able to write proposal about what national holiday they want in the US.

Special conditions and limitations: None.

Instructional strategy:

• In this activity, teacher will provide many different kinds of strategies to help students become competent and confident learners.
• In this activity, teacher will ask students to work with a group of four (cooperative activities), therefore, teacher should be clear of each student's assignment.
• In this activity, teacher will use video and overhead projector to show the national holidays (see attachment).
• This project activity time allotment will be one month.
• Japanese residence will be use as resource people.

• Videotapes and books about America and Japan based on history, geography, and culture.
• Overheard.

Learning about other culture can help children have better awareness of themselves. Teacher will talk about his or her own experience to clarify the concept.

Procedure: Co-operative Lesson

1. Teacher will assign students to make four groups, ask each group to talk about what they know about America and Japan, make lists, and present the ideas.
2. Teacher will provide a chart of the holiday for each student, and also show it by using overhead.
3. Students will watch vides (Japanese and American society) to observe why each country has different holidays.
4. Students will write ideas about the holidays, and teacher will collect them.
5. Homework assignment: students write other things they would like to learn.
6. These will be shared the next day in their group.

• Each group will demonstrate their learning using plays, pictures, writing.
• Teacher will ask each group to write proposal about what national holiday they want to add or remove based on their understanding and to share with class.

1. Listening to presentation in each group.
2. Grading in class journals and homework assignment.
3. Observing their work in a group.
4. Interviewing selected students.

Name _____________________________ Date ______________________________

Comparison Chart of Japanese and American National Holidays

Similarities in Holidays and differences: You can write S or D and start writing.

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