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Big
Picture
Forming understandings about the world beyond,
youngsters board the Internet to meet Japanese children. They study
Japanese folktales and customs through computer software and literature.
Like their Japanese peers, they honor the elderly and present them
with computer made invitations, posters, and cards. |
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Details
Art, Language Arts, Math,
Social Studies, Technology
Grades K-3 |
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Highlights
Children develop geography skills and prepare to study
another country as they: |
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Make a world map mural
of continents and oceans. |
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Identify the country
where they now live. |
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Bring
home a family origins questionnaire. |
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Discover their own roots.
A story of a grandfather’s journey from Japan to the United States
motivates youngsters to look back, imagine their family’s journey,
and create a class graph tracing immigrant patterns. Focus on Japan
continues as students generate a " Know - What You Want to Know
- What You Have Learned" (KWL) chart. E-pal exchanges help children
make friends and gain insights. They use Japanese artifacts to complete
patterns, sort, and create graphs. Recognizing the role of the elderly
in Japanese society, students "adopt" a local senior citizen residence
and perform acts of kindness for elders in their own community.
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Teacher Profile
Mary teaches kindergarten at Harvard/Kent
Elementary School. BPS Lead Teacher and Language Arts and Science
Standards Facilitator, she is also a MetroLINC Technology Pioneer.
Mary’s recent tour to Japan with the Boston Children's Museum study/travel
program inspired this project.
reddur@yahoo.com
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Books and Materials
Japan by Michael
Dahl; A to Zen by Ruth Wells; Grandfather's Journey
by Alan Say; How My Parents Learned To Eat by Ina Friedman;
The Wise Old Woman by Yoshiko Uchida; Where We Live-Japan
by Donna Bailey; Maps of World, U.S., Japan, mural and chart
paper, paints |
Technology Tools
Computers, digital camera, scanner,
KidPix Studio, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, PrintShop Publishing Suite,
computer-created overhead transparencies, Internet |
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