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JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

I've been asked, at one of the elementary schools that I visit once every two months, to give a lecture to the grade 5 class (88 students) about the social and cultural differences between the U.S. (or Canada, in my particular case) and Japan.

Now, bearing in mind that this class should be somewhat FUN (I don't think 88 grade 5 kids will be able to sit through a 45-minute lecture), does anyone have any ideas of how I can tackle this request? I'm happy to show a few pictures or a map or something, and answer a few questions, but I would like some kind of game or activity that would be meaningful and relevant to the topic I've been given. Any ideas based on personal experiences of what you've done or what has worked for you (or someone you know) are all appreciated.

Cheers y'all! Smile

JD

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

Can't remember where I heard this first, but it's not mine:

Things you need:

1. A blender

2. a whack of bananas

3. a bunch of other fruit.

Japan:

bananas in a blender- lots of different bananas but all bananas

Canada:

a tonne of different fruit all together in the blender, but NOT TURNED ON

USA

Just turn on the blender with all the fruit together.

The point is that in Japan, people assume a lot of things about each other, and for thew most part they can. In both America and Canada, you cannot assume stuff about people, and so that marks how we approiach people.

Game for 88 kids? Don't know. Fruit basket (in circles of about ten or so) always goes over well, although it won't actually be teaching them all that much

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Friend of mine had to do a similar thing. Not much you can do in the way of audience participation. He asked them to fill out some cards with various questions on them.

In some way, he explained things like...

how long summer vacation is in the USA compared to Japan.
what kids do during that time, compared to Japan.
how soon people can get a driver's license, compared to Japan.
compared what happens on certain holidays, compared to Japan.

Get things at the kids' level, so you keep their interests.

Dr.J · Joined: 09 May 2003 Posts: 304 Location: usually Japan

GBBB I sympathise with what you are trying to say and do,

But somehow I think it might be over the heads of elementary school children. They will probably start crying about the strange man who wants to put Japanese people in a blender.

I suggest twisting the class a little, not to teach about cultural 'differences' as such, but about cultural practices; fun stuff like holidays. Obviously being kids, do something active like making Halloween masks as it's coming up soon.

That way hopefully the kids learn something without focussing so much on the 'differences' which aren't so big anyway.

homersimpson · Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 569 Location: Kagoshima

As Glenski pointed out, talk about the many differences between the elementary schools. I had to do a similar presentation to 3rd grade elementary school students some time back, and they freaked when I told them that we had central heat/AC in our schools in the States, students don't clean the school, the long summer vacation, the different lunch options, etc. Then, you could play some games. With 88 kids you'll need to break 'em up in groups, but playing Duck, Duck, Goose, (I change it to Dog, Dog, Cat just to make it as easy as possible), Hide and Seek, Pickle, Three Flies, Heads-Up Seven-Up, etc. goes over well. You won't have a lot of time anyway, so one or two games should do the trick.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

I had to do a presentation to about a 100 fourth graders (my daughters class at school ) with headmaster and teachers present. I prepared a couple of videos from home of Maori dance and action songs and music (and taught them the Maori Haka).

If you have any songs or music you can use, or videos of things they wouldnt see in Japan (I showed them a video of a wild eel in a river- they had never seen one except in a supermarket shelf) they may enjoy it. Perhaps things like native culture perhaps. Anything visual is usually good.

Celeste · Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2004 12:01 pm Post subject:

One thing that can be kind of fun to do with facts about your country is to play a true or false quiz. Give the kids MARU/BATSU cards and get them to hold up the appropriate card. If the kids get the answer right (or mostly right) Give their team a point.

Goes something like this:
ALT: Team number 1 this question is for you.

ALT holds up an American flag

ALT: This is the Canadian flag!

Team number one students hold up maru or Batsu cards

ALT: Is that your final answer?

Students have a quick and heated debate in Japanese and the strongest willed students force the others to change their answers

ALT: That's right! One point for team number one! (Oh, no! I'm sorry. THat's wrong!)

Students congratulate selves or curse the group leaders who led them astray

ALT: Team number 2 are you ready?

AgentMulderUK · Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2004 12:05 pm Post subject:

Culture differences...Japan & America....well...

Hold up a baseball bat and see if they know what it is.
Then repeat with a BigMac
Then repeat with a can of Coca-Cola
Then repeat with a picture of Mickey Mouse

Then go on to explain that Japan is really different. And ask them how.

And if they do manage to give you any answers, please pass them on to me.

Ta.

Nagoyaguy · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 425 Location: Aichi, Japan

I say to really screw "them" up, teach a class on cultural similarities, NOT differences. There is far too much of the "we Japanese vs. you the world" stuff going on here. It is time for a lesson in "all people share many values" instead.

A British friend of mine did this. He started by saying things like;

1/ I come from an island country
2/ it is very crowded
3/ we have 4 seasons
4/ many people use public transport
5/ housing is expensive

you get the picture. You can get the cheap laughs and oohs/aaahs with a simple and ultimately useless course showing the "crazy gaikoku", but in the long run it wont help.

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Those are some really good suggestions, guys! I will think them over and on Friday (the day after my class) I will revive the thread and let you know what I ended up doing and how it all went.

I like the suggestions that I got about focusing on similarities rather than differences. It's probably a refreshing change to the whole "us vs. them" syndrome. I'll see if I can't do something with that.

Cheers,

JD