Grade Level: 6

Subjects:

• Social Studies
• Language Arts
• Technology
• Math

Background

The Japanese language consists of three different 'alphabets'. Each alphabet is made up of pictures and characters and is very complicated and difficult to learn. In order to read Japanese books and magazines you must learn to recognize characters from the different alphabets. 

Most of Japanese writing is from two of the alphabets, kanji and kana. Kanji (kahn-jee) is composed of ideographs or picture symbols with each symbol representing a word. Kana (kah-nah) uses characters to stand for syllables. The third alphabet, romaji (ro-mag-jee), uses each letter to represent a sound. Print is written from right to left, and top to bottom on the page. Books begin at what we think of as the back. The Japanese write with a brush, called a fude (foo-dah), dipped in ink.

Goal/Objectives:

• Students will gain a better understanding of Japanese writing and the differences between different Japanese writing styles and characters and English.
• Students will learn to write 1-10 in Japan

Materials

• any Japanese children's book that has English translation
• 10 sheets of Paper per student
• large class chart of number/character sheet
• individual copies of Japanese number sheet 
• crayons, pencils

Procedures

1. Discuss with students the different forms of Japanese writing. Explain that the Japanese take education very seriously, especially reading and writing. Hang a chart of numbers and their corresponding Japanese characters.
2. Show examples of Japanese writing and translations. Show a story that contains the Japanese characters on each page of the story along with the English equivalent. The students can then take notice of the two different forms of writing.
3. Demonstrate on the whiteboard the Japanese number characters.
4. Have students practice writing characters in the air using their fingers. Discuss what the characters look like as this is being done.
5. Explain to students they will be making a Power Point Presentation of numbers 1 to 20 to share with second grade students.
6. Students should draw the Japanese characters in a painting program like Microsoft Paint. Each number will be saved as a different file.
7. In Power Point each number will have its own page and the equivalent English number. The students will also illustrate each number with a corresponding number of objects.

Extensions

• Students may practice writing characters with paint and brushes. This would make a good center activity.
• Individual cards, like flash cards, may be made up of the characters and students may practice trying to memorize them.