With the shift in language teaching towards a more learner-centered approach, there is now an emphasis on considering learners' views on what goes on in the classroom. Involving learners in selecting and evaluating classroom activities as well as listening to their voices and preferences can be helpful for teachers in planning lesson and designing…

This research examines "lesson study" as a traditional model of creating professional knowledge in schools. "Lesson study," typically defined as teachers' classroom based collaborative research, has a long history in Japan as a shared professional culture with potential for enhancing learning, enriching classroom activities and…

Presents three activities suitable for junior/senior high school social studies. The first demonstrates the use of trivia as a springboard into a lesson, the second shows how a scavenger hunt can be used to teach social studies content, and the third describes a 1-3 day procedure for teaching a jigsaw lesson on modernization in Meiji Japan. (GEA)

In this lesson plan, students explore the traditions and conventions of haiku, comparing this classic form of Japanese poetry to a related genre of Japanese visual art. Students also compose haiku of their own. The lesson's learning objectives are: (1) to learn about the history and poetic conventions of Japanese haiku; (2) to read and interpret…

Presenting the diagnostic teaching units for grades 7, 8, and 9 social studies, this handbook is intended to be used along with the companion handbook 1, "Evaluating Students' Learning and Communication Processes: Integrating Diagnostic Evaluation and Instruction." The student activities of the diagnostic teaching units in the handbook…

This curriculum unit consists of a series of lesson plans focused on Japan for preschool students ages 3 to 5 years. The unit has five themes: (1) geography; (2) language; (3) people and clothing; (4) customs; and (5) food. Each theme has from four to eight activity lessons which address different developmental domains, including language, social…

This lesson will introduce intermediate students to the Japanese poetic form of "haiku," which is most effectively taught after students have an understanding of syllables. The lesson plan's introductory activity is designed to introduce students to the geography of Japan, as well as Japanese culture through Asian art and music--after…

Uses Japanese family crests to motivate students to construct a family history. Includes background information on Japanese history and culture. Provides an outline for the student research project. Supplies a list of Japanese emblems and their symbolism. (NL)

This paper describes the development of a case-based system for information technology (IT) education, to be used in high schools across Japan, so that teachers can share a common knowledge about IT education. The first section covers the study purpose and describes the case-based system, including registration of cases, searching cases, and…