Language Resident Name: Ayaka Matsuo
Day and Date: 1/24/2018
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Intermediate Japanese
Class theme/topics discussed: Omikuji or A Fortune Slip
Goal of the class: To get to be familiar with Japanese culture of New Year Day and to actually make their original Omikuji.
How did you structure the class?
Activity1 (10 min): Japanese New Year Tradition
I tell students a Japanese new year tradition, which is hatsumode, showing pictures.
Activity2 (5 min): Omikuji or fortune slip
I explain what is Omikuji.
Activity3 (5 min): Brainstorming
In order to make their original Omikuji, we brainstorm together about some categories that tell fortunes this year.
Activity4 (10 min): Making Omikuji
I give a piece of Omikuji paper to students and they make their original one. They choose 4 categories from the brainstorming and write fortunes on each category.
Activity5 (10 min): Telling Fortune
I mix up every Omikuji they made and they pick one up, starting with the youngest person. Then, they open the Omikuji all together. They can freely share what it tells with their neighbors. After that, we share each student’s funniest, happiest or most interesting one with the whole class.
Activity6 (5 min): Wrap-up
I make a brief announcement of the coming cultural activity.
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
It seemed a little challenging for some students to follow at first, especially for those who were new to my class if I compared it with the advanced class. However, as the class went on, they got to understand what was going on. They loved the activity and it was nice that one student didn’t know how to write Japanese and other students helped her do that.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
I would keep most of it as it is. One thing I could add is to make a list what we’re going to do today and so everyone can follow, at least can follow which activity we’re on.