Japanese Level 1, Activity #13 “Prepositions” / “前置詞” (Face-to-Face)
Image via: irasutoya
In this activity, students will practice prepositions. First, students will play a mini-game where they are told the location of the Tanuki card by the instructor and then they must place the card in the correct location. Then, in the main activity, students will work together to put the place cards in the locations stated by the instructor.
Semantic Topics
Above, below, next to, near to, behind, in front of, inside, outside, right, left, asking questions, answering questions, maps, campus, 上, 下, 隣, 近く, 後ろ, 前, 内側, 外側, 右, 左, 質問, 質問, 地図, キャンパス, Adjectives (Present Tense), 形容詞（現在形）, Adjectives (Past Tense), 形容詞（過去形）, Adjectives (Noun Modification), 形容詞（名詞修飾）, 好き（な）／きらい（な）, 〜ましょう／〜ましょうか, Counting, 数
Products: Prepositions
Practices: Reading a map
Perspectives: How to give directions
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.
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.
NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:
- I can talk about my school.
- I can describe the locations of places on Boise State Campus.
- I can name places on a map.
Materials Needed
- Google Presentation
- Place Cards
- Tanuki Cards
- Preposition List Cheat Sheet
- Any mugs or cups
- A large whiteboard or piece of paper (as a blank map)
Would you like to make changes to the materials? Access the template(s) below:
(Canva Template, free account required)
Warm-Up:
We are going to play a mini-game to practice prepositions.
- 「次は、ミニゲームをします！」
This game will help students identify prepositions and important commands in Japanese. To play this game each student will need a tanuki card and a cup.
このゲームは、生徒が日本語の前置詞と重要なコマンドを識別するのに役立ちます。このゲームをプレイするには、各生徒にタヌキカードとカップが必要です。
Give students each a cup (or mug) and a tanuki card.
- 「私は皆さんにカップとたぬきのカードをあげるようにゲームをします。」
Using the preposition list cheat sheet, read one of the commands to the students. Students will copy what was said by placing the cup in the correct place relative to the specific tanuki. They can be read off in any order you wish. Make sure to show students how it is done by acting out one or two commands.
前置詞リストのチートシートを使用して、生徒にコマンドを読み上げます。それらはあなたが望むどんな順序でも読み上げることができます。 1つまたは2つのコマンドを実行して、それがどのように行われるかを生徒に示すようにしてください。
- 「私はコマンドを読んで、皆さんがコピーしてください。カップを正しい所に置きます。例えば、「たぬきの名前」はカップの前にいます。」
Start with the preposition slide with English translations on the slideshow. This will help the students who may not yet be comfortable with the vocabulary.
スライドショーの英語訳を含む前置詞スライドから始めます。これは、まだ語彙に慣れていないかもしれない学生を助けます。
After reading through each command once, move to the slide that only lists the Japanese words for the prepositions.
各コマンドを1回読んだ後、前置詞の日本語の単語のみがリストされているスライドに移動します。
Remember to mix up the commands you give! The better the students are doing with the activity, the quicker you can read commands and the more you can try to trick them up. Keep it challenging!
あなたが与えるコマンドを混同することを忘れないでください！生徒がアクティビティを上手に行うほど、コマンドをすばやく読むことができ、コマンドをだまそうとすることができます。挑戦してください！
Main Activity:
For this activity, students will be in charge of building a new university! They will take turns putting place cards (pictures of BSU facilities and buildings) down on the map. They can choose wherever they want to put the place down, but afterwards the student must describe where their place is by using things or other places in relation to it.
- 「新しい大学を建てます！一人は一つの写真を地図に置いてください。例えば、スタヂアムは町の左にあります。」
*** In preparation, lab assistants can draw on the material acting as a map such as roads, trees, or other buildings. This will allow the students to have more things to use to describe where their place is on the map. The lab instructor will take a card (either choose or draw a card) and do an example for students.
Have everyone stand up and head over to the white map posted on the floor.
- 「皆さん、立ってください。」
*** If this activity runs short, have the students describe locations on the map by using different buildings and prepositions than what they said previously.
- 例えば：「スタヂアムはカフェの右にあります。」
Wrap-Up:
Have students use prepositions to talk about where their school is in relation to another place.
- 「学校には。。。」
Where do you often go?
- 「どこによくいきますか。」
Where do you never go
- 「どこにぜんぜんいきませんか。」
Where do you often go to eat?
- 「どこでよくたべますか？」
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!
Cultural Notes
日本の祭り Japanese Festivals
There are many festivals in Japan. Some are famous, while others are known only to the locals. Some are very traditional, while others are rather new. Here are some examples of well-known festivals.
札幌雪まつり – The Sapporo Snow Festival is held for a week in early February. It features large snow sculptures constructed in a park on the main avenue.
京都祇園祭 – The Kyoto Gion Festival is held in July. On the 17th and the 24th, beautifully decorated floats parade on the main streets in Kyoto.
青森ねぶた祭り – The Aomori Nebuta Festival is held August 2-7. Huge colorful lanterns are pulled through the streets, accompanied by people dancing and playing flutes and drums.
徳島阿波踊り – The Tokushima Away Dance Festival is held August 12-15. Groups of people form lines and dance around the center of town.
仙台七夕祭り – The Sendai Tanabata Festival is held August 6-8, and is famous for its large, elaborate decorations made with colorful Japanese paper.
NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:
- I can talk about my school.
- I can describe the locations of places on Boise State Campus.
- I can name places on a map.
