General Information Project Overview Project Goals Curriculum Connections Learning Outcomes Resource Connections Evaluation

  General Information

  Project Overview

The purpose of this project is to research school life in Japan by sharing information via Internet with a selected Japanese school. Through discussion the children will compose a list of questions about school life in Japan. These questions will be sent to participating school via E-Mail. Children in Japan will answer these questions. The children from the class in Japan can then collect data about our school life using the same procedures. This will enrich the unit on Japan taught at this level and it will give a better understanding of school life in a different culture.

  Project Goals

1. To facilitate learning through the use of telecommunications
2. To expose students to a different school life outside Newfoundland.
3. To share information with the other school participating in the project.
4. To research information about school life in Japan.
5. To inform Japanese children about school life in St. John’s, NF.
6. To compare the information gathered.
7. To complete a class project of the information gathered and to create a web page.   Curriculum Connections

   This project will include many areas of the curriculum.

   1. Language Arts:
      • Island Hopping
      • Tales From Far Awayland
   2. Social Studies:
      • A Journey of Discovery
      • St. John’s
      • Map and Globe skills
      • Location
      • Definition of Island
   3. Mathematics:
      • Problem solving
      • creating and solving problems related to the information gathered
   4. Music:
      • To connect musical understanding to social and cultural contexts

     Learning Outcomes

   • Students will gain specific knowledge of school life in Japan.
     1. length of school day
     2. length of school year
     3. subjects taught
     4. how many students in class/ teachers
     5. how students get to school etc.
   • Students will record information from the assigned Japanese school.
   • Students will compare and contrast the information gathered.
   • Students will locate Japan on a world map.
   • Students will compose questions to find information.
   • Students will learn computer skills and become familiar with the Internet.
   • Students will use language skills to communicate information to Japanese partners.
   • Students will appreciate Music from a Japanese culture.
   • Students will create and solve problems related to information gathered.
     Resource Connections

   In previous years to achieve the goals outlined in teaching the unit on Japan, we have used a variety of resources, such as videos, films, recommended text, special guests, library resource books, a Japanese day in class, Japanese meal and display of Japanese items brought along by students and other people in our community. These resources will continue to be used but this project proposal will add greatly to the knowledge and understanding of Japanese life.

   NAME="evaluation">  Evaluation

   Student evaluation will be ongoing throughout this project through teacher observation of students participating using this checklist.

   Student Evaluation Checklist
   
   Name: _____________________   Date:____________________
   
   _____ is acquiring knowledge of school life in Japan.
   a.  length of school day
   b.  length of school year
   c.  subjects taught
   d.  how many students in class/ teachers
   e.  how students get to school etc
   _____ is learning how to record information from the assigned
              Japanese school.
   _____ is learning how to compare the information gathered as it
              compares to their own school.
   _____ is able to locate Japan on a world map.
   _____ is learning to compose appropriate questions to glean
              information.
   _____ is learning computer skills and become familiar with Internet.
   _____ is using language skills to communicate information to
              Japanese partners.
   _____ is able to sing a Japanese song and play a Japanese game.
   _____ is able to make Japanese symbols from 0-9.
   _____ is able to solve simple Math problems using Japanese symbols.