Introduction

Our class is going to journey to Japan and find out how Japanese children live.  You will become a Japanese child, choose a Japanese name, and tell us about your family, your school, and your favorite things to do.

The Task

The cover of the book will have a picture that you have created of your character and your Japanese name.  Each page in the book will tell about your daily life and about your favorite things.  You can illustrate your book with your own drawings or with pictures you print from Internet.

The Process

Write about your life as a Japanese student.

1.  What is your favorite food?
2.  What is your favorite class at school?
3.  What after-school club do you belong to?
4.  What is your favorite folktale?
5.  What is your favorite holiday?
6.  Who is your favorite cartoon or movie character?

Use this worksheet to record your information.

Using the worksheets, make pages for your book with a picture and text for each question.  On each page, write at least two sentences describing your answer to the question.  Tell what your favorite is and why.  Remember! you are a Japanese child in your book, so write in that "voice."  Draw a picture that shows what you are describing.

Resources

1.  What is your favorite food? Is it miso soup, sushi, soba, shabu shabu, udon, or okonomiyaki?  Or is it hanbaga (hamburger),  piza (pizza),  or kare (curry and rice)? A Japanese Cookbook for Kids Popular Japanese Main Dishes Virtual Japanese Restaurant How to Hold Chopsticks Popular Foods Among Japanese Children

Zarusoba: Cold noodles with  dipping sauce

Or look for this book in your library:

• Cooking the Japanese Way, by Reiko Weston

2.  What is your favorite class at school?  Japanese children study much the same subjects as American kids.  Math, reading, writing, computers, science, history, physical education, art, and music.  How would your favorite subject be taught in Japan? Japanese Schools A Day at School	At the computer lab.

Or read about schools in one of these books in the library:

• Japan in Pictures
• Japan: the People, by Bobbie Kalman

3.  What after-school club do you belong to? Do you like sports?  Is music your thing?  Or do you like arts and crafts? Club Activities 6 Fun After-School Club Activities

Playing Shogi (Japanese chess) after school

4.  What is your favorite folktale? Folk Legends of Japan Folktales from Japan

Momotaro---The Peach Boy

Or look for these books by Yoshiko Uchida in your library:

• The Dancing Teakettle
• The Magic Listening Cap
• The Sea of Gold

5.  What is your favorite holiday?  New Year's Day, Girls' Day, Boys' Day (now known as Children's Day), and many more make Japan a fun place for festivals. Japanese Celebrations Japanese Calendar Japanese Holidays

Or read about Japanese holidays in this book:

• Festivals of the World: Japan, by Susan McKay

6.  Who is your favorite cartoon or movie character? Did you know that many popular cartoon shows and movies come from Japan? Famous Japanese Characters

Evaluation

• In each section did I tell why I picked that food or class or holiday as my favorite?
• Did I stay in the "voice" of my Japanese boy or girl?
• Did I put my Japanese name and my real name on the cover?
• What would be the best part about being a child in Japan?

Conclusion