JAPANESE MUSIC

On Wednesday we went to a theatre to see a Japanese play where a geisha was telling us a story accompanied by a flute and a harp. 





In this picture we are waiting for the rest of the 5 years old to arrive. 

WE HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY THIS WEEK LEARNING THINGS ABOUT JAPANESE MUSIC. 

We started by learning the name of five japanese intruments:

 
We also watched some videos of all the instruments to learn how they sound and how they are played. 

We completed some activities related to the instruments: 



 



We also played the instruments on the cd player and the kids had to tell me with instrument it was.


LET'S BE MUSICIANS

Using chopsticks we explored their musical possibilities, (we tapped the floor with them, we beat them, we rub them...)

Kids chose two Japanese words TAIKO and KONNICHIWA. When hearing the word taiko kids had to tap the floor and when hearing konnichiwa they beat the chopsticks together. On the second picture you can see me following the rhythm.

After, we made a series of  Taiko drumming: One kid chose a drill and the rest had to follow  him beating the boxes as many times and the leader says. 

These activities were a blast they loved it, and although we were quite noise I loooved the activities too. 

SOME CLASS DECORATION

This is how our classroom looks like right now, we are improving our japanese decorations day by day. 

This are the Japanese lanterns we created during the first days of the project.

Our bulletin boards where we write all the things we are learning.

World map and some japanese words we are practicing. 

KONNICHIWA FROM 5ac ROOM

This past weeks have been crazy in class: We started our Japan Project and last thursday I got sick so I had to stay of class till Monday and when I arrived on Monday my co-teacher was sick too and she still is....

Well lets focus in our project. 

We started by showing pictures of Japanese things and then we compare SPAIN and JAPAN. ( I need to get pictures of this and update this post). Using the globe we analyzed how far Japan was from Spain and how could we go there. We realized that the best way would be by plane. 




     After, kids colored both countries on the Map. 
 

We analyzed both flags and described them in English. We also learned that Japan is Shaped like a seahorse.
 

Following the idea in this webpage we analyzed different interpretations of the Japanese flag to end up doing some by ourselves. Look at these three great ideas:

He decided to draw using only red color. We can see a volcano, a yo-yo and a ball. I think this drawing is simply brilliant

Here Alvaro drew a volcano and fireballs. Everything red.

Here, Dante drew a growing flower, he followed the pattern in one of the pictures we saw in class.

JAPANESE GREETINGS
We learned that japanese people greet by bowing. THey bow when saying "hello" "good-bye" "thank you" " you are welcome" and "excuse me".  

Men boy with their hands at their sides while women do it with their hands together. Look at us:

   

 

In pairs the kids tried a simple dialogue, bowing were necessary. 
- HELLO                             -KONNICHIWA

- HELLO                             -KONICHIWA

-HOW ARE YOU?             - OGENKI DESU KA? 

- FINE THANK YOU!        - GENKI DESU ARIGATO.
- GOOD-BYE                     - SAYONARA
-GOOD-BYE                      -SAYONARA 

Then we did this simple activity where kids circled and color how japanese people bow. 

JAPAN PROJECT STARTING NEXT WEEK

Next week we start our JAPAN PROJECT and we are taking the kids to see a japanese play in two weeks.  I am really excited about this project. If you have any ideas of things we can do with them just let me know cause i will really appreciate it. 

THE END OF THE SNOWMEN WEEK

To finish our snowman week we played with a poster labelling its parts:
                        

After playing and learning to recognize key words kids completed a worksheet were they had to color a snowman and then label its parts. ( I will upload a picture next week) 

                     

                                  
The last activity of this mini unit was a snowball fight reading game. The class was really noisy, the kids were excited but it was worth it.

I made paper balls with words written on them. In small groups kids came to the front of the class and tried to catch the balls, here you can see them getting ready:

                        
When they caught a ball they had to read the word on it: Who would't want to read words this way? haha

                                        
                                               

MORE SNOWMAN ACTIVITIES

We kept working with snowmen by singing the funny little snowman chant: 

Sure you know it: 

"A funny little snowman, has a carrot nose
along comes a rabbit.
and What do you suppose?
That hungry little rabbit
looking for its lunch
eats the snowman's carrot nose
NIBBLE NIBBLE CRUNCH!"

In order to say the chant we use a big snowman and a rabbit. The kids made their own snowmen and rabbits to say the chant along with me. It went really good they all repeated after me and even some of them were able to say the whole thing on their own, I am so proud of them.... 
                             
                             

           A SNOWMAN LIFE CYCLE 

On the board we started saying the things we need to make a snowman. Snowballs that are circles, a carrot nose that's a triangle, five squares for the eyes and buttons and a rectagle as a hat. 

then we draw the sun and our snowman melted..... after this kids make a snowman life cycle sequencing. 

                   A SNOWMAN SOUP
We talked about all the things we need to make a snowman: snowballs, hat, carrot, twigs, mittens, scarf buttons......

                                         

Then the kids created their own snowmen and then drew the sun and a melted snowman.