I have developed this unit for [teacher name]'s Kindergarten/First grade class, the classroom in which I am currently working. We are 'spending the year' in Japan, so I thought that it would be fun to teach something related to Japanese culture and lifestyle. After discussing my ideas with my cooperating teacher, I decided to teach about Japanese food, and the etiquette that comes with eating in Japan.
Eating in Japan does not involve simply eating Japanese foods. As in all countries, there are reasons why certain foods are eaten, such as agricultural possibilities. Some important staples of the Japanese diet include: rice; seafood; noodles; and soybeans. These are staples due to limited land space for grazing (cattle, etc.), accessibility to the ocean, and land that is suitable for growing particular crops, such as rice and beans. There is also a certain etiquette for eating in different countries, including how foods are prepared and eaten. Japanese food is prepared and presented very artistically, and is usually eaten with chopsticks.
I have a number of broad goals for this unit. Most importantly, I hope to foster a greater understanding of Japanese foods and etiquette, so that students appreciate and value cultures and lifestyles other than their own. Since we are spending the year in Japan in our classroom, I also thought that it would be very valuable for students to learn more about Japanese foods, including what they are, and how to say them in Japanese. Eating is not simply a matter of choosing what people like, but depends upon their geographical location, fertility of land, and concepts of proper etiquette. Thus, how and what Japanese people eat plays a large role in defining Japanese culture, and for K/1 students studying in Japan for a year, eating is important!
The students in our classroom are all very interested in Japan, and Japanese culture. We have built a traditional Japanese house (Ryokan) in the classroom, and the students have a Japanese teacher who visits the class several days each week. I think that one of the easiest, and most interesting ways to learn more about a country, though, is to learn about, and eat, the foods that come from it. So, with this in mind, I thought that 'Eating in Japan' would be a great mini-unit topic, since this topic encompasses several different subject areas.
Instruction in our classroom is carried out in group meetings, and in centers. Group meetings are devoted to sharing stories aloud, sharing writing journals, and discussing classroom incidents and activities. Therefore, the stories that I read aloud, and the discussions about eating in Japan, will take place in group meetings. I am going to create four different activities for centers that will cover several different subjects, including L&L, Science, Social Studies, and Art.
For one activity, I will read several stories on eating in Japan, then make a class book with the students about some of the important and/or unique things about foods and etiquette. Another center will be devoted to the scientific exploration and investigation of Japanese seafood, such as squid, and mollusks. Students will be asked to identify the different parts of the creatures, and decide what parts would be edible. We will study the art of Japanese food preparation and presentation in another center using clay. In the fruit and vegetable shop, students will create Japanese meals with clay that can be put on display for the 'shop window.' We will then make a menu for the shop that includes these foods. In the Japanese house that we have in the classroom, Center C, we will study the foods and dining etiquette of Japan, and compare these to the foods and etiquette of the United States. Students will learn how to use chopsticks, and learn how to sit down to eat a meal 'Japanese style.'
I think that the structure of this unit will allow students to learn about eating in Japan in an interesting, meaningful context. Although we will discuss Japanese foods and dining etiquette as a class, the students will have the opportunity to explore these topics in small, heterogeneous groups during center time. I think that the students will benefit greatly from these activities, and complete them with a greater understanding of Japanese culture. Seeing as how I myself have a limited knowledge about this topic, I will be learning along with the students, which will be very exciting.