Big Ideas
Big Ideas
Listening and viewing with intent supports our acquisition and understanding of a new language.
Acquiring a new language allows us to explore our identity and culture from a new perspective.
Conversing about things we care about can motivate our learning of a new language.
We can share our experiences and perspectives through stories
Stories are a narrative form of text that can be oral, written, or visual. Stories are derived from truth or fiction and may be used to seek and impart knowledge, entertain, share history, and strengthen a sense of identity.
.
Creative works
represent the experience of the people from whose culture they are drawn (e.g., painting, sculpture, theatre, dance, poetry and prose, filmmaking, musical composition, architecture)
allow us to experience culture and appreciate cultural diversity.
Content
Learning Standards
Content
Japanese writing conventions with hiragana, katakana
two components of the Japanese writing system which comprise of syllabic kana and indicate specific phonetic lettering
, and kanji
Common, high-frequency vocabulary, sentence structures, and expressions
e.g., だめです
, including:- types of questions
- descriptions of people, objects, and locations
- sequence of eventse.g., つぎ, また
- personal interests, needs and opinions
past, present, and future time frames
e.g., 食べます (tabemasu:present tense, future tense), 食べました (tabemashita:past tense)
elements of common texts
e.g., format (letter versus email message), language, context, audience (informal versus formal), purpose
common elements of stories
place, characters, setting, plot, problem and resolution
First Peoples perspectives connecting language and culture, including oral histories
e.g., conversations with an Elder about celebrations, traditions, and protocols
, identity Identity is influenced by, for example, traditions, protocols, celebrations, and festivals.
, and place A sense of place can be influenced by, for example, territory, food, clothing, and creative works.
Japanese works of art
e.g., creative works in dance, drama, music, visual arts
indigenous peoples
Ainu and Okinawan peoples
of Japan
cultural practices
e.g., activities, clothing, dance, festivals, food, history, land, music, protocols, rituals, traditions; relating to celebrations, holidays, and events such as 子どもの日, たなばた
in various Japanese communities
ethics of cultural appropriation
use of a cultural motif, theme, “voice,” image, knowledge, story, song, or drama, shared without permission or without appropriate context or in a way that may misrepresent the real experience of the people from whose culture it is drawn
and plagiarism
Curricular Competency
Learning Standards
Curricular Competency
Thinking and communicating
Recognize the relationships between Japanese characters, sounds, and meaning
Identify and pronounce groupings of letters such as あ(a),い(i),う (u),え(e),お(o).
Derive meaning
Understand key information, supporting details, time, and place.
from speech and a variety of other texts “Text” is a generic term referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communications. Oral, written, and visual elements can also be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Comprehend meaning in stories
Use various strategies
e.g., language-learning strategies such as interpretation of gestures, facial expressions, intonation, tone of voice, and contextual cues; use of prior knowledge, familiar words, and cognates
to increase understanding and produce oral and written language
Narrate stories, both orally and in writing
- Use expressions of time and transitional words to show logical progression.
- Use past, present, and future time frames.
Exchange ideas
with peers, teachers, and members of the wider community; can include virtual/online conversations
and information, both orally and in writing
Seek clarification and verify
e.g., request or provide repetition, word substitution, reformulation, or reiteration
meaning
Share information using the presentation format
e.g., digital, visual, verbal; aids such as charts, graphics, illustrations, music, photographs, videos, props, digital media
best suited to their own and others’ diverse abilities
Personal and social awareness
Recognize the importance of story in personal, family, and community identity
Describe similarities and differences
e.g., compare the purpose of activities, celebrations, customs, holidays, and traditions
between their own cultural practices and traditions and those of Japanese communities
Engage in experiences
e.g., blogs, school visits (including virtual/online visits), concerts, exchanges, festivals, films, letters, plays, social media, stores and restaurants with service in Japanese
with Japanese people and communities
Examine personal, shared, and others’ experiences, perspectives, and worldviews through a cultural lens
e.g., values, practices, traditions, perceptions
Recognize First Peoples perspectives and knowledge; other ways of knowing
e.g., First Nations, Métis, and Inuit; and/or gender-related, subject/discipline-specific, cultural, embodied, intuitive
, and local cultural knowledge