Japan

Japan Fulbright Memorial Scholarship

In October of 2006 I will be traveling to Japan to spend three weeks exploring the country and culture. This page will lead you into my adventure and help the students learn about this amazing culture.

Town of Chigasaki

Hotel in Tokyo

Japanese Guest House

Japan Site

I won a West Hartford Foundation grant for our 5th grade and we will be making Japanese lamps this year. It is an integrated study of Science, Social Studies, Math and Art. We will be working with Mrs. Smurthwaite, our art teacher, to create beautiful lamps. See attached grant for more details.

I have been busy packing and getting my sub plans together. The e-mails from the 200 fellow teachers started coming in and it has been exciting to find out about the people I will be traveling with.

I decided to look into GPS software so I could have maps of the country and feel free to explore off the beaten path. I also looked up Geo Cache sites and met a few cache hiders in Japan through e-mail.

I am an avid sailor and I hope to visit a Yacht Club and go sailing. Both Tokyo and Chigasaki are sea towns and I want to try to get out on the water to get a perspective from the ocean.

Upon my return I will be presenting to the staff, 5th grade and 2nd graders who study Japan. I will also present to my church in March. Throughout the trip and school year I will be updating this website.

Ms. Taylor's Japan Trip

Typical agenda for the JFMF study:

Day 1                Program overview and cross-cultural orientation

Day 2/3             Travel from U.S. to Japan

Day 4                Cultural exploration in Tokyo

Day 5                Japanese Theatre performance and lecture (Kyogen)

Overview of the Japanese government and economy

Day 6               Seminars on special education, mathematics, educational
history and peace education
Japanese theatre performance and lecture (Kabuki)

Day 7/8             Independent cultural explorations
(museums, temples, shrines, theatres, shops, etc.)

Day 9                Travel to host cities - Teacher’s college visit

Day 10              Visit with mayor and superintendent

Day 11              Elementary school visit

Day 12              Middle school visit

Day 13              High school visit

Day 14              Local industry visit

Day 15/16         Home stay

Day 17              Individual Research Day

Day 18              Travel to Tokyo

Day 19              Project resource seminars

Day 20              Debriefing – group discussions and assessments

Day 21              Return to U.S.

Teacher Websites and Blogs

Many talented teachers will be traveling with me and creating websites and updates on their trip to Japan. Below are some of the sites being created. Note: Some blogs do not work within school buildings.

Teacher Websites

Teacher Blogs

Japanese Web Links

http://translation.langenberg.com

http://tets9.freetranslation.com/

http://dictionary.reference.com/translate/text.html

www.thekanjisite.com

· Aikido

http://www.aikiweb.com/

· Associations for Martial Arts Practitioners

http://www.e-budokai.com/

· Architecture

http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/japan/architecture.htm

· Currency Calculator
http://www.xe.com/ucc/

· Current Events

http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/Jnindex.html (Japan Now: a monthly newsletter

of current topics in Japanese politics, economics, society as well as Japan-related

information from around the U.S. Published by the Embassy of Japan.)

· Guides to Japan

For Travel

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/north_east_asia/japan/

http://www.japan-guide.com/

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/

For Your Classroom

http://www.jinjapan.org/

http://web-jpn.org/kidsweb/index.html

http://www.csuohio.edu/history/japan/

· Haiku

http://www.toyomasu.com/haiku/

http://www.worldhaikureview.org/

http://www.us-japan.org/jsnc/virtualjapan/Sensei/haikubiblio.htm

· Ikebana (flower arrangement)

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/ikebana/ikebana.html

· Japanese Books Website

http://www.geocities.com/justjapan2000/books.htm

http://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/english/

http://www.japanshoten.com/home/default.aspx

· Japanese Education

http://www.mext.go.jp/english/

http://web-jpn.org/kidsweb/life.html

· Japanese Food

http://www.sushi.infogate.de/

http://www.bento.com/tokyofood.html

· Japanese Language

· http://www.japanese-online.com/

http://sp.cis.iwate-u.ac.jp/sp/lesson/j/#level

· Japanese Media

NHK (major TV station) http://www.nhk.or.jp/english/index.html

Asahi Shimbun (major newspaper publisher) http://www.asahi.com/

The Japan Times (largest English newspaper in Japan) http://www.japantimes.co.jp/

Mainichi Shimbun (major newspaper) http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/

Nikkei (major financial daily) http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/

Yomiuri (major newspaper) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/index-e.htm

· Kamishibai (traditional Japanese story cards)

http://www.kamishibai.com/

· Kimono

http://www.asahi-jc.com/vinkis.htm

http://www.nishijin.or.jp/eng/eng.htm

· Origami

http://www.origami.vancouver.bc.ca/

http://www.paperfolding.com/

· Purchasing Japanese Goods from Abroad

http://www.japan-shop.com/

· Shinto

http://ias.berkeley.edu/orias/visuals/japan_visuals/shinto.HTM

· Shopping

http://www.paperlantern.net/ (flea market info)

http://gojapan.about.com/cs/shoppinginjapan/

· Tea Ceremony

http://www.teahyakka.com/

http://www.welcome.to/chanoyu

· Time in Japan

http://swissinfo.net/cgi/worldtime/clock.pl?Tokyo,Japan

· Weather in Japan

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/weather_e/map.htm

http://www.tokyometro.jp/e/index.html - Tokyo Metro- great map to print out

http://www.tokyo-subway.net/english/ - guide like map quest for the metro- tells you how to go from one station to the next and you can print directions.

http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/youkoso/welcom_e.htm The fish market

http://www.meijijingu.or.jp/english/index.htm

http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/index.html this is the big Kabuki theatre in Tokyo

MS. TAYLOR'S
CLASS

Typical agenda for the JFMF study:

Teacher Websites and Blogs

Teacher Websites

Japanese Web Links

· Aikido

http://www.jinjapan.org/

· Haiku

· Japanese Language

· http://www.japanese-online.com/

· Japanese Noh Masks and Plays

· Judo

· Kabuki

· Kimono

· Shinto

WRITING

PROJECTS

SITES

ARTS

MATH

VIETNAM

JAPAN

GROUPS

WEBQUEST

NATURE'S
CLASSROOM