Glastonbury Foreign Language Program
Curricular Unit: Momotaro (Peach Boy) (Japanese)
Grade: 2
Subject/Topic Area(s): Folktales
Key Words: momo, ojiisan, obaasan, ookii, akachan, pakupaku, mushamusha, oni, onigashima, onitaiji, kibidango, ikkodake, ikimashou, gemennasai

Standards:

Major standards—
Supporting standards—

Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals):

Students will listen to the folktale of Momotaro told by the teacher in Japanese with gestures and props as cues. Students practice the dialogue between Momotaro and the animals in one of the scenes. Students take turn to act out the scene. Students will retell the story. Students will sing a song of Momotaro. Students will compare the story with other folktale ‘Kaguyahime'. Students practice writing the kanji characters on the flag of Momotaro which means ‘Number One in Japan '. Students will watch the movie of Momotaro and compare it with the story they heard and acted out.

Number of days for activity: One month

Materials and resources (including technology and multimedia):

Japanese picture book of Momotaro
Props for acting out - Momotaro's flag, vest and headband, kibidango (sweet dumplings), a pouch, masks of a dog, a monkey, a bird, and oni (ogres)
Hand outs of Venn Diagram, and writing practice sheet for Number One in Japan .

Identifying Desired Results

•  What essential questions will guide this unit and focus teaching/learning?

What is the Japanese folktale like? Who is Peach Boy? Is it similar to American folktales we know?

•  What enduring understandings are desired?

Student will understand...

Momotaro's main characters and how the story develops.
How Japanese people long time ago used to live.
Momotaro's kindness and bravery helped him achieve the high goal.(moral of the story)

•  What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?

Students will know…

how to introduce each other.
how to ask where are you going.
that old man and grandfather are both called ojiisan and old woman and grandmother are both called obaasan.
that many Japanese stories have oni (ogres) , but they did not actually exist. There were bad people like oni, who caused suffering to the farmers or common people.

Students will be able to…

Vocabulary:

Grammar:

•  What do they already know that will help them learn new information? Where and when did they learn it?

inu, tori, saru, onaka, pekopeko, kudasai, dozo, arigato, itadakimasu      
Students know other Japanese folktale called Kaguyahime (Moon Princess)

Determining acceptable evidence

•  What evidence will show that students understand?

Performance Tasks:
skit, songs

Quizzes, Tests, Prompts, Work Samples:
Venn diagram

Unprompted Evidence (observations, dialogues):
observation, reciting, question/answer, singing

Student Self-Assessment:

Lessons:

Links to Relevant Web Sites:  

Assessment Blueprint (Performance Tasks)

Task Title:
Approximate Time Frame:
Standards:
Purpose: check those that apply Formative – Summative –
Description of Task:



Evidence of desired understanding:

Criteria of judgment:

Evaluative Tools: check those that apply
Analytic Rubric –
Holistic Rubric –
Criterion (performance) list –
Checklist –

Assessment Blueprint (Other Evidence)

•  What is being assessed?

•  Describe the assessment.  

•  What is the purpose of the assessment?      

•  Criteria of judgment/evaluative tools: