Japanese Level 5, Activity #5: “Natural Disaster Scenario” / “自然災害のシナリオ” (Face-to-Face)
Description:
Students will be exposed to various severe weather warnings from Japan and practice with Simon Says. They will then respond to a provided severe weather scenario with spontaneous discussion.
Semantic Topics:
Severe weather, weather warnings, earthquake, typhoon, tsunami, discussion, answering questions, 悪天候, 気象警報, 地震, 台風, 津波, 議論, 質問に答える
NCSSFL-ACTFL World-Readiness Standards:
- Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversation, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
- Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken Japanese on a variety of topics.
- Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of Japanese culture.
- Standard 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of Japanese culture and their own.
Idaho Content Standards for World Languages:
- COMM 1.1 – Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions.
- COMM 2.1 – Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.
- CLTR 1.3 – Function appropriately in diverse contexts within the target culture.
NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:
- I can understand and react accordingly to various commands regarding safety in severe weather.
- I can give a detailed verbal response to scenarios regarding severe weather.
Materials Needed:
Warm-Up
- Show the videos of the earthquake and typhoon warning. Show the slide with the various actions a person should take if they’re caught in a tsunami, typhoon, or earthquake, or volcanic eruption.地震：Get under a table!津波：Get to high ground (lift your feet on the chair)!台風：Get away from windows (get to a corner)!火山（噴火）：Cover your head with something!Students will play Simon Says with these actions隊長の命令をしましょう！英語で「Simon Says」と言います。
Model each action the students should take.
Simon Says 地震！ Crouch underneath a table.
Simon Says 津波！ Get your feet off of the ground.
Simon Says 台風！ Run and stand in a corner.
Simon Says 火山「噴火」！ Cover your head with your hands.
Have a student play the role of Simon.
誰か Simon になりたいですか？
After a few commands, have a new students read the commands
Main Activity
- Have the students pair up
- Give each student (or pair of students) a scenario card.
- Have the students read the prompt on the scenario card and discuss IN DETAIL with each other.
- シナリオカードに書いてあることを読んで、みなさんで（ペアで）具体的に話してください。
- Answer any clarification questions they have, especially regarding new vocabulary or grammar
- Once discussions wrap up for each group, have the students switch cards and respond to their new scenarios.
- 終わったら、違うカードを取ってまたディスカッションしてください。
- Continue until each student has discussed every card.
Wrap-Up
- What do you do in the U.S. and Japan during a typhoon (hurricane)?
台風（ハリケーン）の時、日本とアメリカではどうしていますか？ - What do you do in the U.S. and Japan during an earthquake?地震の時、日本とアメリカではどうしていますか？
- Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?自然災害を経験したことがありますか？
- What would you do if there is a big earthquake?大きな地震があったらどうしますか？
END OF activity:
- Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate
their confidence.
(Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.) - Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
- Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future activities!
NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:
- I can understand and react accordingly to various commands regarding safety in severe weather.
- I can give a detailed verbal response to scenarios regarding severe weather.
