This sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

• demonstrate knowledge of basic concepts and terms that characterize Japanese culture and society
• compare Japanese culture with their own and other cultures
• demonstrate understanding of Japanese contributions to Canada
• discuss how cultural perceptions affect language and customs
• identify cultural content in Japanese-language resources

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• Challenge students to work in groups to find similarities and differences between Japanese and Canadian cultures by researching elements of Japanese life (e.g., homes, family structures, gender roles, school systems, methods of transportation, Japanese trade). Have students present their information to the class.
• Invite students in groups to role-play culturally significant situations such as:
  • various Japanese social roles (e.g., senpai-kouhai  relationships), to become familiar with terms of address, non-verbal cues, polite expressions, greetings, introductions, and leave-takings
  • teacher-student situations involving asking for and giving or denying permission
  Role plays could be presented as video productions.
• Organize a field trip to a Japanese restaurant and have students gather information related to Japanese dining or cuisine. Invite students to compare Japanese seating arrangements, food presentation, and table settings with those of their own cultures. Ask students to select topics highlighting particular aspects of Japanese cuisine or eating habits and to prepare class displays or demonstrations.
• Ask students to create an invitation for a person of Japanese heritage to speak to the class about the contributions of Japanese culture and society to the community or to Canada. Assist students in developing questions they might ask the guest. Have a group of students introduce the guest to the class. During the talk, invite students to collect information for a visual display depicting what they have learned.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

• When students research and compare aspects of Japanese and Canadian cultures (e.g., homes, family structures, gender roles, school system), assess the extent to which they:
  • include complete and accurate lists of relevant features from each culture
  • accurately identify both similarities and differences
  • explain the importance of specific features of Japanese culture
  • use appropriate Japanese words and vocabulary to communicate specifics of Japanese culture
• When students role-play social roles and situations, notice the extent to which they use appropriate:
  • terms of address
  • non-verbal cues
  • polite expressions
  • greetings, introductions, and leave-takings
  • conventions related to different social relationships (e.g., adult-child, teacher-student)
• After students have researched Japanese culture in their own and other Canadian communities (and, if possible, listened to a guest speaker), ask them to respond to prompts such as:
  • I think the most important thing I learned was _____________ .
  • I was surprised that _____________ .
  • I would like to learn more about _____________ .

RECOMMENDED LEARNING RESOURCES

• "Body" Language
• Eating in Japan
• Everyday Japanese
• Festivals of Japan
• Haiku
• In Japan
• Japanese - An Appetizer
• Japanese for Everyone
• Mangajin's Basic Japanese Through Comics
• NTC's Basic Japanese

• Annual Festivities and Ceremonies

• 101 Japanese Idioms
• Japanese Language and People
• Moshi Moshi

• Exotic Japan

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