KNI Japanese School Newsletter
February 2015
1:
Class 1 (Kindergarten Level) - Ms. Ozeki
2:
Class 2 (Kindergarten Level) - Ms. Umehata
3:
Class 3 (Elementary lower grades) - Ms. Yamada
4:
Class 4 (Elementary middle grades) - Ms. Sakamoto
5:
Class 5 (Elementary Senior Grades) - Ms. Ohta
6:
Class 6 (SAT/AP Prep) – Ms. Miyajima
Class 1 (Kindergarten Level) - Ms. Ozeki
Lesson Goals:
- Be able to sit through and listen to the story about "Setsubun" Festival
- Be able to actively participate in the "Mamemaki" (bean throwing ritual) event.
- Be able to read the Hiragana letters that the students learned.
Class Activities:
- Create the "Oni (demon)" mask for the Setsubun Festival, and enjoy the Mamemaki (bean throwing ritual) event.
- Strengthen reading skills through a word card game that includes Hiragana that students learned since September.
Grammer and vocabulary:
- Find words that start with "ha, hi, hu, he, ho"
- Write those words in a proper stroke and nice handwriting
Class 2 (Kindergarten Level) - Ms. Umehata
Lesson Goals:
- Enjoy Setsubun Festival through the activities and play associated with the festival
- Continue studying Katakana letters
Class Activities:
- Make "Oni (demon)" mask and "Sanpou (a wooden tray used for Shinto rituals)" out of origami
- Listen to the history of Setsubun Festival
- Find words that are written in Katakana letters
Grammer and Vocabulary:
- "Setsubun no mamemaki(Bean throwing)", "Oni (demon)", "Kiba (fang), "Tsuno (horn)", "Mayu (eyebrow)", "Me (eye)", "Kuchi(mouth)", "Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi (demon out! Fortune In!)"
- Origami related words; "Yamaori (mountain fold)", "Taniori (valley fold)"
- Look for Katakana words in playground, city and restaurant.
Class 3 (Elementary lower grades) - Ms. Yamada
Lesson Goals:
- Understand the origin of setsubun
- Make sentences using subject and verb
Class Activities:
- Listen to stories about Setsubun and experience mamemaki (soy beans throwing ritual)
- Make sanpou (box) using origami
- Using subject cards and verb cards to make sentences, and present your sentences
Grammar and Vocabulary:
- Watashiha ___ desu (I am _____)
- Boku ha ____ shimasu (I do _______)
- Watashiha _____ deshita (I was ________)
- Bokuha _____ shimashita ( I did _____)
Class 4 (Elementary middle grades) - Ms. Sakamoto
Lesson Goals:
- Know the stories about Sekku and Satsubun
- Understand the question expression and learn to interview others.
- Learn about agricultural techniques for farm product productions.
Class Activities:
- Using shyakai (social studies) text book (Cabbage lessons) to enhance reading, listening and writing skills.
- Read and understand the instruction with diagram to make Sanpou (a wooden tray used for Japanese Shinto rituals)
Grammar and Vocabulary:
- ____ kana? / _____kashira? ( is it ______? Used with some persons who is younger than you)
- ______ desuka? (Is it _____? Used with peers)
- _______ desyouka? (is it______? Used with someone who commands respect)
- Learn to distinguish the use of : may, must and might
Class 5 (Elementary Senior Grades) - Ms. Ohta
Lesson Goals:
- Learn the origin of bean throwing ritual (a custom for the seasonal celebration, Setsubun).
- Fold Sanpou by paying particular attention to connecting words. (sanpou is a wooden tray used for Shinto rituals)
- Learn Japanese geometric words.
- Compose Haiku poems.
Class Activities:
- Fold Sanpou, following word-only origami instructions.
- Compose 5-7-5 syllabic Haiku poems with seasonal nuances and other activities.
Grammar and Vocabulary:
- First, second, lastly
- Bisect, equilateral triangle, square, apex, diagonal lines, etc.
- Recognize toshi- otoko /onna (literally, man/woman of the Zodiac year – Year of the Lamb for 2015) in class as we have several students who are turning 12, the first round of the Zodiac year cycle.
Class 6 (SAT/AP Prep) – Ms. Miyajima
Lesson Goals:
- Understand the meaning of Setsubun.
- Understand the difference between American and Japanese Valentine’s Day.
- Develop research skills about a topic of your choice associated with Japan.
Class Activities:
- Origami craft pertaining to Setsubun.
- View clips and read materials about Setsubun and Valentine’s Day
- Select a topic of your choice associated with Japan, conduct research on the topic and make a presentation.
Grammar and Vocabulary:
- Kanji characters for AP Japanese
- Parts of Kanji
- Post prepositions, etc.