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Podcast for Eikaiwa Teachers about Unit 7

Unit 7 Summary

Unit Title: New Year Holidays in Japan

Overall Theme: This unit focuses on the cultural context of Japanese New Year’s celebrations and traditions, providing students with opportunities to develop their English language skills while exploring this rich cultural event. The unit progresses from introducing basic vocabulary and cultural concepts to practicing past tense grammar and expressing personal experiences and feelings. The unit concludes with an introduction to reading a website for information and a creative writing practice activity.

Learning Objectives

Throughout Unit 7, students are expected to:

• Vocabulary Acquisition: Learn and recall new vocabulary related to New Year’s activities, traditions, feelings, health, and general activities. Vocabulary includes words such as “temple,” “sunrise,” “omamori,” “toshikoshi soba,” “charm,” “lucky,” “relax”, “card,” “write,” “wish,” “lantern,” “fever,” “by the way,” “amazing,” “delicious,” “exciting,” “cookie,” “tough,” and a variety of verbs in the present and past tense, as well as many other words related to party planning and letter writing.
• Listening Comprehension: Understand spoken dialogues, interviews, and narratives related to New Year’s activities, and extract specific information from them.
• Reading Comprehension: Understand simple written texts such as dialogues, postcards, and website excerpts, extracting key information, main ideas, and cultural nuances.
• Speaking Skills: Participate in simple conversations about personal experiences, opinions, and cultural traditions related to New Year’s. This includes asking and answering questions about past activities.
• Writing Skills: Write simple sentences about personal experiences, feelings, and cultural information, and create a postcard using learned vocabulary and grammatical structures.
• Grammar Application: Accurately use past tense verb forms (both regular and irregular), “was” and “were,” and the use of “did” and “didn’t” in question formation and negative sentences.
• Cultural Awareness: Gain insight into Japanese New Year’s traditions, including temple visits, omamori, toshikoshi soba, and hatsumode.
• Strategic Reading: Use headings to find necessary information in a text.

Anticipated Outcomes

Upon completing Unit 7, students will be able to:

• Communicate about their personal experiences during the New Year or winter break using past tense verbs and relevant vocabulary.
• Understand and discuss aspects of Japanese culture related to New Year’s celebrations.
• Use a variety of past tense forms correctly and appropriately.
• Extract key information from simple dialogues, narratives, and written texts.
• Express feelings and opinions about personal experiences and cultural activities.
• Write a simple postcard conveying personal experiences and feelings.
• Use headings to find necessary information in a text.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping

The learning objectives of Unit 7 span multiple levels of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy, as follows:

• Remembering
  • Vocabulary acquisition (memorizing new words and phrases)
  • Recalling grammatical rules (past tense forms, “was” and “were”, etc.)
• Understanding
  • Comprehending dialogues, narratives, and written texts
  • Understanding the cultural significance of various Japanese traditions.
  • Understanding grammar rules and sentence structure.
  • Connecting audio to written transcripts.
  • Understanding how headings are used in a text.
• Applying
  • Using past tense verbs in spoken and written contexts.
  • Using appropriate vocabulary and expressions in conversations and writing.
  • Applying grammar rules to form correct sentences.
  • Using information from a text to complete a task.
  • Applying reading strategies to extract specific information.
• Analyzing
  • Analyzing text for implied meanings, specific activities, and feelings.
  • Analyzing dialogues and identifying key details.
  • Analyzing the structure of sentences and texts.
• Creating
  • Writing original sentences about personal experiences and feelings.
  • Writing a postcard following a provided template and guidelines.

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements

Upon completion of Unit 7, students will be able to:

• Listening
  • “I can understand short conversations about New Year’s activities and identify specific details.” (A2)
  • “I can use a written transcript to support my understanding of an audio passage.”(A2)
• Speaking
  • “I can talk about my own experiences during winter vacation using simple past tense sentences.” (A2)
  • “I can participate in simple conversations about New Year’s traditions and express my opinions and feelings.” (A2)
  • “I can ask simple questions about New Year’s activities in the past tense and give short answers.” (A2)
• Reading
  • “I can read simple postcards, dialogues, and web page excerpts and understand the main ideas.” (A2)
  • “I can read a short story and understand the sequence of events.” (A2)
  • “I can read a variety of simple texts and find specific pieces of information.” (A2)
• Writing
  • “I can write simple sentences about past events using past tense correctly.” (A2)
  • “I can write a short postcard to share my experiences and feelings about winter vacation.” (A2)
• Grammar
  • “I can use past tense forms of regular and irregular verbs accurately in both questions and statements.” (A2)
  • “I can correctly use ‘was’ and ‘were’ in sentences.” (A2)
  • “I can use ‘did’ and ‘didn’t’ to create questions and negative statements in the past tense.” (A2)
• Vocabulary
  • “I can understand and use vocabulary related to new year’s activities, customs, and feelings.” (A2)
  • “I can understand and use new vocabulary related to describing parties and reading material.” (A2)
• Culture
  • “I can understand and talk about basic Japanese customs related to New Years celebrations such as temple visits and omikuji.” (A2)
  • “I can recognize common western party ideas.” (A2)
• Strategies
  • “I can use headings to find information in a text.” (A2)

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Study Guide Page-by-page Analysis

p. 133

Page Summary

This page serves as an introduction to Unit 7, titled “New Year Holidays in Japan.” It focuses on the Japanese New Year and associated activities. The page is structured to preview the unit’s content and objectives, covering listening, reading and writing activities. Here’s a breakdown of key elements:

• Unit Title & Theme: “New Year Holidays in Japan” sets the cultural context.
• Unit Goal: Divided into two main parts:
  • Reading Goal: “はがきから、出来事や感想などを読み取ることができる” – Students will be able to read and understand postcards, extracting events and feelings.
  • Writing Goal: “冬休みの出来事や感想などを伝える、はがきを書くことができる” – Students will be able to write postcards conveying their winter vacation experiences and feelings.
• Preview Activity: Students are prompted to look at photos on textbook pages 104-105 and predict the story’s topic.
  • “About You” Section: Students are asked “What did you do during the winter vacation?” to encourage personal connections to the theme. Example sentences are given.
  • “How about Tina?” Section: Sets the stage for a listening activity focused on what a character named Tina did, with an example sentence.
• Listening Task: A numbered task with an audio icon asks students to listen and choose 3 items that Tina discussed and write the corresponding letter in the parentheses. There is also a follow-up task to watch a video and confirm.
• New Vocabulary: There is a new vocabulary box with the heading “New Words.” It includes key vocabulary for the unit. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “New Year”, “New Year holiday(s)”, “holiday(s)”, “do”, “did”, “eat”, “ate”, “fly”, “kite”, “make”, “made”, “see”, “saw”, “sunrise”, “calligraphy”, “go”, “went”, and “temple”.
• Word Board: Lists example sentences using some of the unit’s vocabulary including: “ate soba”, “enjoyed flying a kite”, “made osechi”, “put on a kimono”, “saw the sunrise”, “tried calligraphy”, and “went to a temple.”
• Skills Focus: Reading, Listening, and Writing.
• Visuals: Uses icons for listen, watch, check and includes a picture of a new years decoration.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping

Let’s map the learning objectives to Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels:

1. Predicting Story Topic (Preview Activity)
   • Level: Understanding (Students are interpreting visual cues to anticipate story content.)
2. Listening Task (Identifying 3 Items from Audio)
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the audio and select matching images.)
3. Reading Goal: “はがきから、出来事や感想などを読み取ることができる”
   • Level: Understanding (Students are interpreting written text)
4. Writing Goal: “冬休みの出来事や感想などを伝える、はがきを書くことができる”
   • Level: Creating (Students are generating original content)
5. New Vocabulary Acquisition
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new words)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements

Based on the page content and learning objectives, here are some CEFR-style “Can-Do” statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to a short story about someone’s New Year holiday and identify three activities they participated in.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and understand the meaning of new words related to New Year’s activities and celebrations such as ‘sunrise’, ‘temple’, and ‘calligraphy’.”
• Reading: “I can read a simple postcard and understand what events or feelings are described.”
• Writing: “I can write a simple postcard to describe my own experiences and feelings during the winter vacation.”
• Culture: “I can understand common activities and customs done during Japanese New Years”
• Speaking: “I can talk about what I did during the winter vacation”

Cultural & Contextual Notes

• Japanese New Year: The focus on New Year Holidays is culturally relevant. New Years is the most important holiday in Japan and students will be familiar with the events and vocabulary.
• Junior High School: The content and tasks appear suitable for junior high EFL learners.
• Integrated Skills: The page aims to integrate listening, reading, writing, and vocabulary within a relevant theme.

Final Summary of Unit Introduction (Page 133)

This page introduces Unit 7, focusing on New Year’s Holidays in Japan. The unit goals are to enable students to understand postcards and to write simple postcards describing their own experiences. The page introduces new vocabulary related to new years activities and provides listening and reading activities to practice. The learning objectives are designed to progressively build towards the writing task. Students begin by predicting content and listening before moving to reading and writing. The objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) and understanding (listening, reading comprehension, predicting content) to creating (writing). The unit is grounded in a culturally significant context. The can-do statements highlight specific, achievable outcomes for the students.

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p. 134

Page Summary:

This page continues the exploration of New Year’s activities, primarily through a dialogue between three characters: Tina, Eri, and Hajin. The page focuses on listening comprehension and introducing more vocabulary related to New Year’s Eve and traditions. The page is structured as Part 1 of the unit. Here’s a breakdown:

• Dialogue Focus: The core of the page is a dialogue between Tina, Eri, and Hajin, about what they did during the New Year. The numbers are in circles next to the lines in the dialog for easy reference.
• Listening and Reading Task: The page indicates that the listening and reading for this section is on pages 141-142 of the main textbook.
• New Vocabulary: A “New Words” box at the top of the page adds to the unit’s vocabulary. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “happy”, “luck”, “charm”, “ring”, “rang”, “bell”, “buy”, “bought”, “TV”, “eve”, “New Year’s Eve.”
• Dialogue Content: The dialogue covers a range of activities, including:
  • Exchanging New Year greetings.
  • Tina mentioning going to a temple, buying an omamori (good luck charm), and ringing a bell.
  • Eri staying home and watching TV with her family.
  • Hajin stating he didn’t do much.
• Example Sentence: At the bottom of the page, under the “A” marker, there is the example: “(例) お寺に行った” which translates to “(Example) went to a temple.”
• Question for Comprehension: The page begins with the question “Q. Tina が冬休みそれぞれ過ごしたことはどのようなことでしょうか？” which translates to “Q. What did Tina do during the winter vacation?”.
• Visuals: There is a listening and reading icon in a black speech bubble.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding the Dialogue:
   • Level: Understanding (Students listen to and read the dialogue, comprehending the characters’ actions and interactions.)
2. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are memorizing new vocabulary words.)
3. Answering the question “What did Tina do during her winter vacation?”
   • Level: Understanding (Students are comprehending a dialogue to find specific information.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to a short dialogue and understand what different people did during the New Year holiday.”
• Reading: “I can read a short dialogue about New Year’s Eve and understand the main activities mentioned.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to New Year’s Eve and traditions, such as ‘charm’, ‘ring’, and ‘New Year’s Eve’.”
• Speaking: “I can participate in a simple conversation about what I did during the New Year’s holiday, using phrases like ‘I stayed home’ or ‘I went to a temple.’”
• Culture: “I can understand the cultural significance of activities such as visiting a temple and buying a good luck charm during New Year’s in Japan.”
• Comprehension: “I can answer questions about what specific characters did during the New Year holiday by listening to or reading a dialogue.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Omamori: The mention of omamori (good luck charm) is a culturally relevant detail, showing students traditional practices.
• Temple Visits: Emphasizes the common practice of visiting temples during the New Year holiday.
• Variety of Activities: The dialogue presents different ways people spend the holiday, showing that there are multiple ways to celebrate.

Final Summary of Page 134:

This page continues the focus of Unit 7, centered around the New Year holiday. It presents a dialogue between three characters discussing what they did during the holiday, incorporating new vocabulary words related to the holiday. Students are expected to listen, read, and comprehend the dialog and new vocabulary. The cultural practices of buying omamori and visiting temples are presented within the dialog. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) and understanding (listening and reading). The can-do statements reflect the expected listening, reading, and cultural comprehension.

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p. 135

Page Summary:

This page transitions from dialogue to focusing on past tense verb usage and conversational practice. It introduces more vocabulary related to various activities and integrates listening, speaking, and writing activities. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

• “New Words” Box: The top of the page presents new vocabulary related to different activities and items, along with their phonetic pronunciations in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past tense form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “bake”, “baked”, “Mt.”, “sweater”, “write”, “wrote”, “card(s)”, “New Year’s card(s)”, “relax”, “relaxed”, “present”, “get”, “got”, “party”, and “have” and “had”.
• Listening Task (Top Left): Students are instructed to listen to what two teachers, Ms. Brown and Mr. Hoshino, did during the winter vacation. Students are to match the sentence to the correct person with a line. The corresponding audio for this activity is on page 145 of the textbook.
• “Speak” Activity (Middle Left): Students practice speaking about activities using provided example sentences. The section is introduced with “ペアになり、あなたが冬休みにしたことを伝えましょう”, which translates to “Pair up and tell each other what you did during the winter vacation.” It includes a list of example phrases using the past tense, like “I wrote New Year’s cards,” “I relaxed at home,” and “I had a party at Christmas” and prompts students to respond with “That’s nice.”
• “Write” Activity (Top Right): Students are instructed to write about their winter vacation experiences. The “About You” section prompts students to describe what they did during winter break. The section is introduced with “あなたが冬休みでしたことを書きましょう”, which translates to “Let’s write what you did during the winter vacation”.
• Grammar Focus: The page subtly reinforces past tense verb usage. The “Active Grammar” icon and reference to pages 151-152 indicate where specific grammar rules are explained in the textbook.
• Example Sentences: There are example sentences showing present tense and past tense usage of verbs with the heading “文法枠” which means “Grammar Box.” Example sentences are “I go to school every day.” “I went to a temple on New Year’s Eve.” “I watch TV with my family.” “I watched TV with my family.”

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Listening and Matching:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the audio and match activities to the correct speaker.)
2. Speaking Activity:
   • Level: Applying (Students use learned phrases to construct original spoken sentences)
3. Writing Activity:
   • Level: Creating (Students produce their own written sentences about their personal experiences using past tense verbs.)
4. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are memorizing new vocabulary related to activities.)
5. Grammar Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students use past tense verbs in both spoken and written contexts.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to people describe their winter vacation and identify the activities they mention.”
• Speaking: “I can talk about what I did during my winter vacation using simple past tense sentences and responses like ‘That’s nice’.”
• Writing: “I can write simple sentences about my own winter vacation experiences using past tense verbs accurately.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to common activities, such as ‘bake’, ‘write’, and ‘relax’.”
• Grammar: “I can use the past tense of regular and irregular verbs to describe past events.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Variety of Activities: The vocabulary and activities reflect common holiday activities like baking, sending cards, and relaxing.
• Teacher-Student Context: The listening activity focusing on teachers allows students to connect the activities to the school setting.
• Personal Connection: The speaking and writing activities are designed to allow for personal expression.

Final Summary of Page 135:

This page focuses on transitioning the learning from passive listening to active production, emphasizing past tense verb usage. It introduces new vocabulary and provides guided practice with speaking and writing activities. The activities range from matching spoken statements to individual speakers (understanding) to producing personal written (creating) and spoken sentences (applying). This page builds upon previous learning and prepares students for more complex language use.

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p. 136

Page Summary:

This page shifts focus to traditional New Year’s foods, specifically toshikoshi soba (year-crossing buckwheat noodles), and introduces related vocabulary. It continues using a dialogue format to present new content while reinforcing listening, reading, and comprehension skills. The page is marked as Part 2 of the unit. Here’s a breakdown:

• Dialogue Focus: The dialogue between Tina, Eri, and Hajin centers around the question of eating traditional food for the New Year.
• “New Words” Box: At the top of the page, a “New Words” box contains key vocabulary for the lesson. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “any”, “traditional”, “custom”, “long”, “sign”, “life”, “tell”, “told”, “know”, “how”, “way”, “bad”, “poor”, “by the way”.
• Dialogue Content: The conversation includes:
  • Eri asking if the others ate any traditional food.
  • Tina confirming she ate toshikoshi soba and asking about the meaning.
  • Eri explaining that eating toshikoshi soba is a Japanese custom and is a sign of long life.
  • Hajin mentioning he didn’t know that.
  • A small aside about another character, Kota, having a cold.
• Listening and Reading Task: The page indicates that the listening and reading for this section is on pages 142-143 of the main textbook.
• Question for Comprehension: The page begins with the question “Q. Tina が年末年始に食べたものは何でしょうか？” which translates to “Q. What did Tina eat for the New Year holidays?”
• Example Sentence: At the bottom of the page, under the “A” marker, there is the example: “(例) 年越しそば” which translates to “(Example) Year-crossing Soba”
• Cultural Insight: The page explains the cultural significance of toshikoshi soba as a symbol of long life.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding the Dialogue:
   • Level: Understanding (Students listen to and read the dialogue, grasping the characters’ statements and questions.)
2. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary words.)
3. Answering the question “What did Tina eat for the New Year holidays?”
   • Level: Understanding (Students are comprehending a dialogue to find specific information.)
4. Cultural Awareness
   • Level: Understanding (Students are learning about the cultural significance of toshikoshi soba)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to a short dialogue and understand what the characters say about traditional New Year’s food.”
• Reading: “I can read a short dialogue about toshikoshi soba and understand its cultural significance.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to traditions and food, such as ‘traditional’, ‘custom’, and ‘long life’.”
• Speaking: “I can participate in a simple conversation about traditional New Year’s food.”
• Culture: “I can understand that eating toshikoshi soba is a Japanese custom, and I know it is a sign of long life.”
• Comprehension: “I can answer questions about what specific characters ate during the New Year holiday by listening to or reading a dialogue.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Toshikoshi Soba: The focus on this particular food provides a specific cultural detail, teaching students about a unique Japanese tradition.
• Simple Explanations: The explanations are simple and student-friendly, catering to the intended EFL learner.

Final Summary of Page 136:

This page shifts the focus of Unit 7 to the topic of traditional New Year’s food, specifically toshikoshi soba. It provides a dialogue which both introduces new vocabulary and explains the cultural significance of eating the food. Students are expected to listen, read, and comprehend the dialog and new vocabulary. The objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) to understanding (listening, reading, and cultural awareness). The Can-do statements clearly outline the specific skills expected of the students.

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p. 137

Page Summary:

This page focuses on practicing asking and answering questions about New Year’s activities using the past tense and introduces additional vocabulary related to the topic. The page emphasizes both listening and speaking practice. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

• “New Words” Box: At the top of the page, a “New Words” box contains key vocabulary for the lesson. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “stay”, “stay up”, “late”, “comedy”, “show(s)”, “rice”, “rice cake(s)”, and “New Year’s Day”.
• Listening Task (Bottom Left): Students listen to Nick and Eri describe their New Year’s activities and are asked to choose which activity they did. The listening task instructions include “それぞれがしたことについて、適した〇に線を結びましょう。”, meaning “Draw a line to the appropriate circle for each activity they did.” The audio for this activity is on page 146 of the textbook.
• Speaking Task (Middle Right): Students engage in a guided speaking activity focused on asking and answering about New Year’s activities in the past tense.
  • The instructions say “5人にインタビューをしましょう。多く答えたことは何でしょうか。”, which means “Let’s interview five people. What did most people answer?”.
  • The example dialogue uses “Did you ~?” questions such as “Did you eat any traditional food?”, “Did you play any traditional games?”, and “Did you watch any comedy shows on TV?” and “Did you make osechi on New Year’s Eve?”. Students are meant to answer “Yes, I did” or “No, I didn’t.”
• “Write” Activity (Top Right): Students write a question about winter vacation. The “About You” section prompts students to write what question they asked.
• Grammar Reinforcement: The page continues to reinforce past tense question formation and short answers (“Yes, I did” / “No, I didn’t”). The “Active Grammar” icon and reference to pages 151-152 indicate where grammar rules are explained in the textbook.
• Example Sentences: Under the “文法枠” which means “Grammar Box,” example questions and answers about New Years activities in the past tense are shown, including “Did you eat any traditional food?” and the short answers to the question “Yes, I did./No, I didn’t.”

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Listening and Matching:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the audio and match activities to the correct speaker.)
2. Speaking Activity:
   • Level: Applying (Students formulate and ask past tense questions, listen to responses, and give appropriate answers.)
3. Writing Activity
   • Level: Applying (Students write a grammatically correct question in the past tense.)
4. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary.)
5. Grammar Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students are actively applying grammar rules of past tense question formation in both speaking and writing.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to short conversations and understand what people did during the New Year’s holiday.”
• Speaking: “I can ask simple questions about New Year’s activities in the past tense and give short answers.”
• Writing: “I can write a simple question using past tense about New Years.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to New Year’s activities, such as ‘stay up’, ‘comedy’, and ‘rice cake’.”
• Grammar: “I can form simple past tense questions and give short answers.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Variety of Activities: The activities focus on a range of common New Year’s activities including staying up late and eating rice cakes.
• Interactive Practice: The speaking activity is designed to encourage interaction among students.

Final Summary of Page 137:

This page shifts towards active practice of asking and answering questions about New Year’s activities in the past tense. It introduces new vocabulary, provides a guided listening exercise, and sets up a question/answer activity for practice. Students are expected to apply their knowledge of past tense to both listening and speaking. The learning objectives address understanding (matching activities to people), applying (past tense questions and writing, and vocabulary acquisition (remembering). The “can-do” statements accurately reflect the intended outcomes of this page.

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p. 138

Page Summary:

This page introduces a new context, visiting a temple for hatsumode (the first temple visit of the year), and focuses on expressing wishes and feelings, particularly related to health and well-being. The page incorporates a conversational dialogue, introduces new vocabulary, and provides a cultural perspective on this practice. The page is marked as Part 3 of the unit. Here’s a breakdown:

• Dialogue Setting: The dialogue takes place at Sensouji Temple in Asakusa, a famous location for hatsumode. The conversation involves Tina, Hajin, and Kota.
• “New Words” Box: A “New Words” box at the top of the page introduces new vocabulary related to health, feelings, and temple visits. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “what”, “lantern”, “wish”, “secret”, “chat”, “still”, “fever”, “sorry”, “hear”, “lucky”, “miss(ed)”, “well”, “soon”, “have a fever”, and “get well”.
• Dialogue Content: The dialogue covers various aspects:
  • Tina remarks on a big lantern and mentions wishing for something.
  • Hajin expresses curiosity about Tina’s wish.
  • Tina claims it is a secret.
  • The conversation shifts to Kota’s health, where he reports having a fever and says he did not enjoy hatsumode.
  • Tina and Kota discuss trying omikuji (fortune slips).
  • The dialogue ends with Kota feeling sick.
• Listening and Reading Task: The page indicates that the listening and reading for this section is on page 143 of the main textbook.
• Example Sentence: At the bottom of the page under the “A” marker there is the example “(例) いなくて寂しくってこと” which means “(Example) I missed you”.
• Question for Comprehension: The page begins with the question “Q. Kota が Tina にいちばん伝えたかったことは何でしょうか？” which translates to “Q. What did Kota want to tell Tina the most?”.
• Cultural Context: The page introduces hatsumode, and omikuji giving a cultural context to the content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding the Dialogue:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the characters’ statements and the context of the dialogue.)
2. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are memorizing new vocabulary related to feelings and temple visits.)
3. Answering the question “What did Kota want to tell Tina the most?”:
   • Level: Understanding (Students are comprehending the dialogue to find specific information.)
4. Cultural Understanding:
   • Level: Understanding (Students are learning about the customs of hatsumode and omikuji.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to a dialogue and understand conversations about wishes, feelings, and health at a temple.”
• Reading: “I can read a dialogue about hatsumode and the act of drawing a fortune slip (omikuji), and understand its context.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to feelings and well-being, such as ‘wish’, ‘secret’, ‘lucky’, and ‘get well’.”
• Speaking: “I can participate in a simple conversation about wishes, health and feelings at a temple.”
• Culture: “I can understand that people visit temples for hatsumode and draw a omikuji and this is a tradition in Japan.”
• Comprehension: “I can answer questions about what specific characters are feeling or doing by listening to or reading a dialogue.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Hatsumode: The introduction of hatsumode is a culturally significant element.
• Omikuji: The discussion of omikuji highlights a specific practice during temple visits.
• Expression of Feelings: The page emphasizes the expression of feelings like hope, concern, and well-being.

Final Summary of Page 138:

This page introduces a new setting, the temple for hatsumode, and shifts focus towards discussing wishes and feelings about well-being, and health. The dialogue presents new vocabulary and provides cultural information regarding hatsumode and omikuji. Students are expected to understand the new vocabulary, dialogue, and cultural context. The objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) to understanding (listening, reading, and cultural awareness). The “can-do” statements clearly describe the expected outcomes of this page.

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p. 139

Page Summary:

This page shifts to a reading activity with a focus on a postcard, providing students an opportunity to analyze a written text and extract specific information. It serves as Part 4 of the unit and includes both cultural observations and personal feelings from Tina, all within the context of her New Year’s experiences.

• Text Type: The main content is a postcard from Tina to her grandparents. The page includes the full text of the postcard in English with numbered lines.
• “New Words” Box: The page introduces new vocabulary specific to the postcard text. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “dear”, “hope”, “was”, “building(s)”, “were”, “in”, “atmosphere”, and “love”.
• Postcard Content: The postcard includes:
  • A greeting to her grandparents.
  • A general inquiry about their health.
  • A question about how Christmas and New Years was for them.
  • A description of her visit to a famous temple in Asakusa.
  • A comment on how enjoyable it was.
  • Observations about the traditional buildings and atmosphere.
  • A note about people wearing kimonos.
  • A wish for them to visit Japan.
  • A closing.
• Listening and Reading Task: The page indicates that the listening and reading for this section is on page 144 of the main textbook.
• Question for Comprehension: The page begins with the question “Q. Tina はお正月の出来事についてどのような感想を述べていますか。” which translates to “Q. What kind of feelings did Tina express about her New Year’s events?”
• Example Answer: Under the question, the example answer is “(例) 楽しかった。雰囲気が気に入った。” which means “(Example) It was fun. I liked the atmosphere.”
• “Think” Activity: Under the postcard, a “Think” section prompts students to think about what Tina might have wished for during her hatsumode visit, and provides the example “(例) 祖父母が元気で過ごせますように。” which translates to “(Example) I wish my grandparents can be healthy.”

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the postcard and comprehend its content.)
2. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary words.)
3. Identifying feelings:
   • Level: Understanding (Students are comprehending the text to find information about what Tina is feeling)
4. Analyzing Tina’s wish:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the text to identify Tina’s implicit wishes)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to a reading of a postcard and follow along with the text.”
• Reading: “I can read a simple postcard and understand what the writer did and how they felt during the New Year holiday.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to descriptions, such as ‘atmosphere’, ‘building’, and ‘dear’.”
• Culture: “I can understand some basic customs of New Years such as visiting temples.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a short text to identify implicit information and personal feelings.”
• Comprehension: “I can answer questions about a postcard by identifying key information.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Postcard Format: Using a postcard as a text introduces a real-life communication form.
• Asakusa Temple: The mention of Asakusa Temple further contextualizes Japanese New Year’s traditions.
• Family Focus: The focus on family relations is a cultural element.

Final Summary of Page 139:

This page presents a postcard from Tina to her grandparents, combining reading comprehension with cultural insights into Japanese New Year’s traditions. The page introduces new vocabulary, gives the full text of the postcard, and provides prompts for students to analyze the text. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) to understanding (reading comprehension and extraction of details) and analyzing (identifying implied meaning). The “can-do” statements are specific and measurable, reflecting the intended outcomes for the students.

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p. 140

Page Summary:

This page focuses on describing experiences and feelings using past tense and descriptive adjectives. It integrates listening, speaking, and writing activities, providing a comprehensive practice session for students. The context is set at an airport, where returning visitors are sharing their experiences in Japan.

• Listening Task (Top Left): Students are instructed to listen to interviews at an airport and match the activities to corresponding feelings. The listening task instructions include “空港で、帰国前の訪日客がインタビューを受けています。 教科書p.113の写真を見ながら、それぞれに当てはまるものを線で結びましょう”, meaning “At the airport, visitors to Japan before returning home are being interviewed. While looking at the photos on textbook page 113, let’s connect the activities with the appropriate feelings.” The audio content is on pages 147-148 of the textbook.
• “New Words” Box: New vocabulary is introduced in the “New Words” box at the bottom of the page including the phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations.
  • Words included are: “amazing”, “delicious”, “exciting”, “yesterday”, “cookie(s)”, and “tough”.
• Speaking Task (Middle Left): Students are prompted to talk with a partner, using example phrases to express their feelings about past experiences, as in “ペアになり、昨日したこととその感想を伝え合いましょう。”, which translates to “Pair up and tell each other what you did yesterday and how you felt about it.” This section includes example sentences, such as “I watched a soccer game on TV yesterday. It was exciting” and “I made cookies with my mother. It was tough, but they were delicious.”
• Writing Task (Bottom Left): Students are asked to write about what they did the previous day and how it made them feel. The instructions are “昨日したことを、感想とともに書きましょう”, which translates to “Let’s write about what you did yesterday, along with your feelings.” The prompt mentions to refer to the “Speak” section for an example answer.
• Grammar Reinforcement: The page reinforces the use of past tense with descriptive adjectives in expressing experiences and feelings, as evidenced by the “Active Grammar” icon and reference to pages 151-152.
• “Basic Sentence” Box: On the left side of the page, there is a “Basic Sentence” section with examples of past tense usage such as “It is fun”, “It was fun”, “The traditional buildings are beautiful”, and “The traditional buildings were beautiful.”

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Listening and Matching:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the audio and connect activities to the correct emotions.)
2. Speaking Activity:
   • Level: Applying (Students use learned phrases to describe past experiences and express their feelings.)
3. Writing Activity:
   • Level: Creating (Students generate their own sentences about past activities and feelings.)
4. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary.)
5. Grammar Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students use past tense verbs and descriptive adjectives in spoken and written contexts.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to short interviews and match activities to the feelings expressed.”
• Speaking: “I can talk about what I did yesterday, using descriptive adjectives to express my feelings.”
• Writing: “I can write about my activities from yesterday and describe how they made me feel using past tense and descriptive language.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary to describe feelings and activities, such as ‘amazing,’ ‘delicious,’ and ‘tough’.”
• Grammar: “I can use past tense and descriptive adjectives to share experiences and feelings.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Airport Setting: The use of an airport as the setting provides a real-life context for sharing travel experiences.
• Descriptive Language: The focus on descriptive language encourages students to provide richer details when sharing their experiences.
• Personal Connection: The activities allow for personal expression.

Final Summary of Page 140:

This page integrates listening, speaking, and writing practice with a focus on describing past experiences with descriptive adjectives. It introduces new vocabulary for expressing feelings and provides guided practice in speaking and writing. The listening activity focuses on comprehension and matching, while the speaking and writing prompts are open-ended allowing personal creation. The learning objectives align with Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy spanning from understanding (listening) and remembering (vocabulary) to applying (grammar use) and creating (written and spoken output). The can-do statements are concise and clearly align with the expected student outcomes.

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p. 141

Page Summary:

This page is the first of a multi-page section providing detailed explanations of key parts of the unit content. This page focuses on explaining the use of past tense verbs, referencing the Part 1 dialogue, and providing grammar notes and explanations.

• Part Designation: The page is clearly marked as “Part 1”, referring back to the corresponding section of the textbook.
• Grammar Focus: The primary focus is on explaining the use of past tense verbs with both regular and irregular forms. The page includes a heading “動詞の過去形” which translates to “Past tense of verbs.”
• “Basic Sentence” Section: At the top left corner, a “Basic Sentence” box includes examples from the Unit 7 Part 1 dialogue of present tense and past tense verb usage.
  • “I go to school every day” (present tense)
  • “I went to a temple on New Year’s Eve” (past tense)
  • “I watch TV with my family” (present tense)
  • “I watched TV with my family” (past tense).
• Grammar Explanation: The page explains the use of “-ed” and “-d” to create the past tense of regular verbs such as watch, and also introduces irregular verbs that change their form such as go becoming went. It also points out that there are no rules for the changes in irregular verbs so they must be memorized one by one. The section has a heading “学習のポイント” which means “Learning Points.”
• “Text Explanation” Section: The bottom half of the page provides explanations of specific lines from the textbook dialogue on page 106. This section has the heading “本文の解説” which means “Text Explanation.”
  • It explains “Happy New Year” as a New Years greeting.
  • It explains the meaning of omamori.
  • It explains the usage of the word “on” in the sentence “I also went to a temple on New Year’s Eve.”
• Textbook Page References: Each of the explanations in the “Text Explanation” section include a textbook page reference so that students can refer to the original content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Past Tense Forms:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the explanations of regular and irregular past tense verb forms.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students recall specific grammar rules about past tense verbs.)
3. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the explanations and identify the uses and meaning of certain words and sentences.)
4. Connecting to original text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students connect the grammar explanations to the example sentences and dialogue)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can understand how to form the past tense of both regular and irregular verbs.”
• Explanation: “I can identify and understand the specific explanations of words and sentences in the Part 1 dialogue of the textbook.”
• Reading: “I can read and understand text explaining grammar concepts.”
• Text Analysis: “I can read and understand explanations of vocabulary and phrases from the textbook.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Grammar Focus: The page reinforces grammatical concepts by directly linking them to the dialogue text.
• Structured Approach: The page uses a structured approach, combining grammar explanations with example sentences and connections to the text dialogue.

Final Summary of Page 141:

This page provides a grammar and text explanation of the Part 1 content of the textbook. It emphasizes understanding past tense forms of both regular and irregular verbs and provides detailed explanations of the content of the text dialogue from textbook page 106. The learning objectives include remembering (grammar rules) and understanding (grammar explanations and text analysis) and a connection between the text dialogue and the grammar explanations. The Can-Do statements align with the stated objectives.

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p. 142

Page Summary:

This page continues the detailed explanation of the unit’s content, specifically focusing on the use of “did” and “didn’t” in past tense questions and negative statements. The page references dialogue from Part 2 of Unit 7 and provides explicit grammar and sentence structure guidelines.

• Part Designation: The page is marked as “Part 2”, referring to the corresponding dialogue in the textbook.
• “Basic Sentence” Section: At the top left, a “Basic Sentence” box includes examples of sentences from Part 2. These sentences focus on past tense, including a short answer and a negative statement.
  • “I ate toshikoshi soba.”
  • “Did you eat any traditional food?”
  • “Yes, I did./ No, I didn’t.”
  • “I didn’t eat any traditional food.”
• Grammar Focus: The page focuses on explaining the use of “did” and “didn’t” in asking and answering questions about past events.
  • The section has a heading “did と didn’t” which means “did and didn’t.”
  • It explains that “did” is used to ask about past events and that “did” is placed before the subject. It explains that in this type of question the main verb is in its base form.
  • It also explains how to answer with “Yes, I did” or “No, I didn’t.”
  • It describes how to use “didn’t” to create a negative statement about past events. The section explains to place “didn’t” before the main verb. It also states that the main verb remains in its base form when used with “didn’t.”
  • The page gives example sentences of both affirmative sentences (“She ate osechi”), questions (“Did she eat osechi?”), affirmative answers (“Yes, I ate osechi.”) and negative answers (“I didn’t eat osechi”) and provides explanations of their structure.
• “Text Explanation” Section: At the bottom, explanations are given for key phrases from page 108 of the textbook. This section has the heading “本文の解説” which means “Text Explanation.”
  • It explains that the sentence “Did you eat any traditional food?” is a question form asking about past events and that when asking questions in the past tense the main verb is in its base form.
  • It explains that in the answer “Yes, I did.” “did” is used as the answer.
  • It explains that the word “ate” in the sentence “I ate toshikoshi soba.” is the past tense of “eat”, and is an irregular verb.
  • It explains that the word “told” in the sentence “My father told me.” is the past tense of “tell” and is an irregular verb.
• Textbook Page References: Each of the explanations in the “Text Explanation” section include a textbook page reference so that students can refer to the original content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Grammar Rules:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the explanations of how to use “did” and “didn’t”.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are recalling the specific structure of questions and negative statements in past tense.)
3. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students are reading the explanations and identifying the uses of “did” and “didn’t” in the examples.)
4. Connecting to original text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students connect the grammar explanations to the example sentences and dialogue.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can understand how to form questions and negative statements using ‘did’ and ‘didn’t’ in the past tense.”
• Explanation: “I can identify and understand specific explanations of words and sentences in the Part 2 dialogue of the textbook.”
• Reading: “I can read and understand text explaining grammar concepts.”
• Text Analysis: “I can read and understand the explanations of vocabulary and phrases from the textbook.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Grammar Focus: The page reinforces understanding of past tense questions by connecting it directly to the example text.
• Clear Structure: The page provides a clear step-by-step explanation of grammar concepts.

Final Summary of Page 142:

This page continues the explanation of the unit, focusing on the use of “did” and “didn’t” for asking questions and making negative statements in the past tense. The page references the Part 2 dialogue and provides clear grammar explanations and examples, with a focus on understanding how “did” is used in questions and “didn’t” is used in negative sentences. It provides sentence examples as well as specific explanations of parts of the text dialog. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy from remembering (grammar rules) to understanding (grammar explanations and text analysis) and a connection between the text dialogue and the grammar explanations. The “Can-Do” statements align well with the learning outcomes.

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p. 143

Page Summary:

This page continues the detailed explanations, now focusing on the expressions and phrases used in Part 3 of Unit 7. It provides explanations of the nuances, grammar, and cultural context behind the chosen phrases from the dialogue.

• Part Designation: The page is marked “Part 3,” linking it to the corresponding section in the textbook.
• “Text Explanation” Section: This page is entirely dedicated to explaining the selected expressions and phrases from the Part 3 dialogue. The page has the heading “本文の解説” which means “Text Explanation.”
  • “I didn’t know that.” – explains the meaning as “I didn’t know that.”
  • “How interesting!” – explains how the structure “How + adjective [!]” expresses feelings of impressiveness.
  • “By the way, where’s Kota?” – explains that “by the way” is used to change topics and that “where’s” is a short form of “where is” and is used to ask about locations.
  • “Oh, that’s too bad.” – explains that “too bad” means “that’s unfortunate” and is used to sympathize with others.
  • “Poor Kota.” – explains that the word “poor” is used to express sympathy.
  • “What a big lantern!” – explains that “What a [adjective] [noun]!” is used to express feelings similarly to “How ~ !”.
  • “How are you?” – explains that the word “how” is used to ask about conditions and can be used to ask about health.
  • “I still have a fever.” – explains the meaning of “have a fever” as “to have a fever” and “still” as “yet.”
  • “Sorry to hear that.” – explains the meaning as “I am sorry to hear that.”
  • “We tried omikuji.” – explains that “tried” is the past tense of the verb “try”.
  • “Lucky you! ;-)” – explains the meaning as “Lucky you!” and that the “;-)” is an emoticon used in English.
  • “But I missed you.” – explains that “missed” is the past tense of the verb “miss,” and that “miss” is used when a person is not present.
  • “Get well soon!” – explains the meaning as “Get well soon!” and that it is used when parting with someone who is not feeling well.
• Textbook Page References: Each of the explanations in the “Text Explanation” section include a textbook page reference so that students can refer to the original content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Expressions and Nuances:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the explanations of specific phrases and their intended meanings.)
2. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students are analyzing the meanings and context of the phrases in the Part 3 dialogue.)
3. Cultural Understanding:
   • Level: Understanding (Students are learning about cultural nuances of certain phrases)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Explanation: “I can understand the specific meanings and nuances of phrases used in the Part 3 dialogue.”
• Reading: “I can read and understand text explaining complex expressions and cultural notes.”
• Text Analysis: “I can understand the context of various expressions within a conversation.”
• Cultural Awareness: “I can understand the cultural context of common phrases in conversations.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Emphasis on Nuance: The page emphasizes the nuances and cultural context behind phrases used in conversation.
• Real-life Application: The explanations of these phrases support students in using them effectively.

Final Summary of Page 143:

This page focuses entirely on explaining the phrases from Part 3 of the textbook. It delves into the specific meanings, usage, and cultural contexts of each of the expressions used in the dialogue. The learning objectives are focused on analysis and comprehension. The Can-Do statements are concise and clearly address the intended learning outcomes.

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p. 144

Okay, let’s analyze page 144 of the Unit 7 study guide.

Page Summary:

This page focuses on explaining the use of the past tense forms of the verb “to be” (was and were), while also explaining various expressions used in Part 4 of the unit.

• Part Designation: The page is marked as “Part 4,” referencing the corresponding section in the textbook.
• “Basic Sentence” Section: At the top left of the page, a “Basic Sentence” section includes examples of past and present tense sentences using “to be”.
  • “It is fun.” (present tense)
  • “It was fun.” (past tense)
  • “The traditional buildings are beautiful.” (present tense)
  • “The traditional buildings were beautiful.” (past tense)
• Grammar Focus: The page focuses on explaining the use of “was” and “were” as past tense forms of the verb “to be.”
  • The section has the heading “was と were” which means “was and were.”
  • The page explains that the past tense of “am” and “is” is “was”, and that is used when the subject is “I” or the third person singular.
  • It also explains that the past tense of “are” is “were” and that it is used when the subject is “you” or plural.
  • The page provides both present tense and past tense example sentences using the verb “to be.”
• “Text Explanation” Section: The rest of the page provides explanations of selected phrases from the Part 4 dialogue. This section has the heading “本文の解説” which means “Text Explanation.”
  • “I hope you are fine.” – explains that “I hope ~” means “I hope ~”
  • “How was Christmas and the New Year?” – explains that “How” is used to ask about a condition or state and that the word “was” here is the past tense of “is” and that this is used to ask what the Christmas and New Years was like.
  • “I went to a famous temple in Asakusa with my friends.” – explains that the word “went” is an irregular past tense of “go”.
• “The traditional buildings were beautiful.” – explains that “were” is used as the past form of “are” and that it is used here because the subject “traditional buildings” is plural.
• “I liked the atmosphere.” – explains that the word “liked” is the past tense of the verb “like.”
  • “I hope you can.” – explains that this sentence is a short form of “I hope you can come to Japan this year.”
• Textbook Page References: Each of the explanations in the “Text Explanation” section include a textbook page reference so that students can refer to the original content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Past Tense Forms of “to be”:
   • Level: Understanding (Students understand how “was” and “were” are used based on the subject.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students recall the specific rules about “was” and “were” usage.)
3. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the explanations and identify how the verb “to be” is used.)
4. Connecting to original text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students connect the grammar explanations to the example sentences and dialogue.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can understand how to use ‘was’ and ‘were’ as the past tense forms of the verb ‘to be’.”
• Explanation: “I can identify and understand the specific explanations of words and sentences in the Part 4 dialogue of the textbook.”
• Reading: “I can read and understand text explaining grammar concepts and phrases.”
• Text Analysis: “I can understand how to use various expressions from the textbook in real-life conversations.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Grammar Focus: The page reinforces the application of grammar rules by directly referencing the original text and grammar rules from the unit.
• Structured Approach: The page combines grammar explanations with example sentences.

Final Summary of Page 144:

This page explains the use of “was” and “were”, the past tense forms of the verb “to be”, and also explains the expressions used in the Part 4 dialogue. The page includes both present and past tense sentence examples, and provides specific explanations of selected phrases from the text dialogue, connecting the grammar rules to the original text. The learning objectives are focused on remembering grammar rules, and understanding the application of these rules in the context of the original text. The Can-Do statements accurately describe the expected learning outcomes.

This completes the analysis of page 144. I’m ready for the next page whenever you are!

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p. 144

Page Summary:

This page focuses on explaining the use of the past tense forms of the verb “to be” (was and were), while also explaining various expressions used in Part 4 of the unit.

• Part Designation: The page is marked as “Part 4,” referencing the corresponding section in the textbook.
• “Basic Sentence” Section: At the top left of the page, a “Basic Sentence” section includes examples of past and present tense sentences using “to be”.
  • “It is fun.” (present tense)
  • “It was fun.” (past tense)
  • “The traditional buildings are beautiful.” (present tense)
  • “The traditional buildings were beautiful.” (past tense)
• Grammar Focus: The page focuses on explaining the use of “was” and “were” as past tense forms of the verb “to be.”
  • The section has the heading “was と were” which means “was and were.”
  • The page explains that the past tense of “am” and “is” is “was”, and that is used when the subject is “I” or the third person singular.
  • It also explains that the past tense of “are” is “were” and that it is used when the subject is “you” or plural.
  • The page provides both present tense and past tense example sentences using the verb “to be.”
• “Text Explanation” Section: The rest of the page provides explanations of selected phrases from the Part 4 dialogue. This section has the heading “本文の解説” which means “Text Explanation.”
  • “I hope you are fine.” – explains that “I hope ~” means “I hope ~”
  • “How was Christmas and the New Year?” – explains that “How” is used to ask about a condition or state and that the word “was” here is the past tense of “is” and that this is used to ask what the Christmas and New Years was like.
  • “I went to a famous temple in Asakusa with my friends.” – explains that the word “went” is an irregular past tense of “go”.
• “The traditional buildings were beautiful.” – explains that “were” is used as the past form of “are” and that it is used here because the subject “traditional buildings” is plural.
• “I liked the atmosphere.” – explains that the word “liked” is the past tense of the verb “like.”
  • “I hope you can.” – explains that this sentence is a short form of “I hope you can come to Japan this year.”
• Textbook Page References: Each of the explanations in the “Text Explanation” section include a textbook page reference so that students can refer to the original content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Past Tense Forms of “to be”:
   • Level: Understanding (Students understand how “was” and “were” are used based on the subject.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students recall the specific rules about “was” and “were” usage.)
3. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the explanations and identify how the verb “to be” is used.)
4. Connecting to original text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students connect the grammar explanations to the example sentences and dialogue.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can understand how to use ‘was’ and ‘were’ as the past tense forms of the verb ‘to be’.”
• Explanation: “I can identify and understand the specific explanations of words and sentences in the Part 4 dialogue of the textbook.”
• Reading: “I can read and understand text explaining grammar concepts and phrases.”
• Text Analysis: “I can understand how to use various expressions from the textbook in real-life conversations.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Grammar Focus: The page reinforces the application of grammar rules by directly referencing the original text and grammar rules from the unit.
• Structured Approach: The page combines grammar explanations with example sentences.

Final Summary of Page 144:

This page explains the use of “was” and “were”, the past tense forms of the verb “to be”, and also explains the expressions used in the Part 4 dialogue. The page includes both present and past tense sentence examples, and provides specific explanations of selected phrases from the text dialogue, connecting the grammar rules to the original text. The learning objectives are focused on remembering grammar rules, and understanding the application of these rules in the context of the original text. The Can-Do statements accurately describe the expected learning outcomes.

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p. 145

Page Summary:

This page provides the transcripts for the listening activities in Unit 7, specifically for the audio in Part 1. The page is designed for students to follow along with the audio or read the transcript before, during, or after the listening activity.

• Unit and Part Designation: The page is labeled as “Unit 7” and “Part 1,” corresponding to the listening exercise in that section.
• “Content of Audio” Heading: The page has the heading “音声の内容” which means “Content of Audio.”
• Listening Transcript: The page includes the transcripts of two individuals sharing their winter vacation experiences:
  • (1) Ms. Brown: She describes having enjoyed her winter vacation, celebrating Christmas, baking a cake, receiving new year cards, staying home and watching tv, visiting a shrine, and trying omikuji.
  • (2) Mr. Hoshino: He recounts enjoying the New Year, staying at his sister’s house on New Year’s Eve, going to the beach to see the first sunrise, taking pictures, eating ozoni and osechi, and buying a new sweater.
• Instructions for the Activity: At the top of the page, there is the instruction “音声の内容は次の通りです。下線部に注意して、それぞれがしたことに✓を付けましょう。” which translates to “The content of the audio is as follows. Pay attention to the underlined parts and mark with a checkmark what each person did.”
• Underlined Text: The transcript has key phrases and activities underlined, which highlights important information from the audio. These underlined phrases directly correspond to the tasks required in the listening exercises of the textbook.
• Textbook Page Reference: At the top of the page, the textbook page reference of “p.107” is shown, linking this content to the original listening task.
• Answer Sheet Reference: The page also shows a reference to the answer sheet at page 135.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the transcript to comprehend the content.)
2. Connecting Transcript to Audio
   • Level: Understanding (Students use the transcript to confirm their understanding of the audio, or use it to help understand the audio)
3. Identifying Key Information:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students identify and analyze the specific activities described by each speaker.)
4. Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students apply their listening skills and use the transcript to complete the listening activity on page 135.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can use a written transcript to support my understanding of an audio passage.”
• Reading: “I can read a transcript of a conversation and understand the main points and activities described.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a transcript to identify specific activities mentioned by the speakers.”
• Application: “I can use the information from the transcript to confirm the correct answers for the listening activity.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Authentic Language: The transcripts provide examples of authentic spoken language.
• Cultural Context: The content reflects the theme of the unit, focusing on winter vacation activities and New Year traditions.
• Emphasis on Activities: The page focuses on identifying specific activities related to the holiday and personal experiences.

Final Summary of Page 145:

This page serves as a resource by providing the written transcripts for the audio activity in Part 1 of Unit 7. It includes the underlined key phrases to help students focus on the necessary information to complete the assigned tasks. This transcript supports both listening comprehension and text analysis. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from understanding (reading comprehension and connecting transcript to audio), and analyzing (identifying key information) and applying (using the information to complete the task). The “Can-Do” statements are specific to the use of a transcript in this context.

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p. 146

Page Summary:

This page presents the transcript of the audio for the listening activity in Part 2 of Unit 7, providing students with a written record of the dialogue between Eri and Nick.

• Unit and Part Designation: The page is labeled as “Unit 7” and “Part 2”, corresponding to the listening activity in that section.
• “Content of Audio” Heading: The page has the heading “音声の内容” which means “Content of Audio.”
• Listening Transcript: This page contains the complete dialogue between Eri and Nick, discussing their experiences during the New Year’s holiday. The dialogue includes:
  • Greetings and a mention of a long time since they last saw each other.
  • Nick sharing he stayed up late and visited a temple and a comment on how crowded it was.
  • Eri stating that it’s always crowded at temples.
  • Nick asking if Eri also stayed up late.
  • Eri stating she played karuta with her family.
  • Nick asking what karuta is.
  • Eri describing it as a traditional card game.
  • Nick stating he’d like to play it sometime.
  • Eri asking about what Nick ate at the temple.
  • Nick stating he just drank amazake and Tina ate soba.
  • Eri asking how the amazake was.
  • Nick stating he didn’t like it.
  • Eri stating she never drinks it.
  • Eri asking what else Nick did.
  • Nick stating he tried calligraphy.
  • Eri asking if she also did that.
  • Eri stating she did not do calligraphy and asking what characters he wrote.
  • Nick stating he wrote “Hatsuhinode” and Eri commenting that that’s nice.
• Instructions for Activity: The page includes the instructions “音声の内容は次の通りです。下線部に注意して、それぞれがしたことについて、表に○を書きましょう。” which translates to “The content of the audio is as follows. Please pay attention to the underlined parts and mark a circle in the table about what each person did.”
• Underlined Text: Key phrases and activities are underlined within the dialogue, directing students’ attention to specific details that are important for the listening task. These underlined portions are related to the listening activity of page 137.
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows the textbook page reference of “p.109”, linking it to the original listening task.
• Answer Sheet Reference: The page also shows a reference to the answer sheet on page 137.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the transcript to comprehend the dialogue.)
2. Connecting Transcript to Audio
   • Level: Understanding (Students use the transcript to confirm their understanding of the audio, or use it to help understand the audio)
3. Identifying Key Information:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the specific activities and details mentioned by Eri and Nick.)
4. Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students use the transcript to complete the listening activity on page 137.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can use a written transcript to help understand an audio passage.”
• Reading: “I can read a transcript of a dialogue and understand the main points and activities discussed.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a transcript to identify the specific activities done by each person.”
• Application: “I can use the information from the transcript to confirm the correct answers for the listening activity.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Authentic Dialogue: The transcript provides an example of a natural conversation.
• Cultural Content: The dialogue incorporates culturally relevant activities like karuta and hatsuhinode (the first sunrise).
• Past Tense Focus: The conversation uses past tense to discuss prior activities.

Final Summary of Page 146:

This page presents the transcript of the audio used in the Part 2 listening activity of Unit 7, providing students with the full text of the conversation between Eri and Nick. The underlined phrases support comprehension and analysis. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy from understanding (reading and connecting transcript to audio) to analyzing (identifying key information), and applying (using the transcript to complete the task). The “Can-Do” statements clearly address the specific skills the students will gain from this page.

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p. 147

Page Summary:

This page provides the first half of the transcript for the listening activity in Part 4 of Unit 7. It includes the audio text for two brief interviews conducted at an airport, and is intended to support students’ comprehension of the audio and help them complete the matching exercise.

• Unit and Part Designation: The page is marked as “Unit 7” and “Part 4”, indicating its association with the listening activity in that section.
• “Content of Audio” Heading: The page has the heading “音声の内容” which means “Content of Audio.”
• Listening Transcript: The page includes the transcript of two interviews conducted by a reporter from ABC Radio:
  • (1) Interview with a woman: This interview includes the reporter introducing themself and asking the woman where she is from and what she did in Japan. The woman stated she is from China, and went to Izu, and went to an onsen and saw Mt. Fuji. She also stated that Mt. Fuji was beautiful.
  • (2) Interview with a man and woman: In this interview, the reporter introduces themself and asks the couple where they are from and what they did in Japan. The couple stated they are from the U.K.
• Instructions for the Activity: At the top of the page, the instructions say “音声の内容は次の通りです。下線部に注意して、それぞれの訪日客がしたことや感想を聞き取り、教科書p.113の写真を見ながら、当てはまるものを線で結びましょう。” which translates to “The content of the audio is as follows. Pay attention to the underlined parts and listen to the activities and impressions of each visitor to Japan, and while looking at the photos on page 113 of the textbook, match the items with a line.”
• Underlined Text: Key phrases and activities are underlined, focusing students on the critical details needed for the listening exercise on textbook page 140.
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows the textbook page reference “p.113”, linking it to the listening activity on page 140.
• Answer Sheet Reference: The page also shows a reference to the answer sheet on page 140.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the transcript to understand the conversations.)
2. Connecting Transcript to Audio
   • Level: Understanding (Students use the transcript to confirm their understanding of the audio, or use it to help understand the audio)
3. Identifying Key Information:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the activities and impressions of the speakers.)
4. Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students use the transcript to complete the listening activity on page 140.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can use a transcript to help understand a conversation.”
• Reading: “I can read a transcript of short interviews and understand the main points and activities described.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a transcript to identify specific details about the activities and feelings shared by interviewees.”
• Application: “I can use the information from the transcript to confirm the correct answers for the listening activity.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Airport Setting: The airport setting provides a real-life scenario for the dialogue.
• Travel and Culture: The interviews introduce students to travel and cultural experiences in Japan.
• Authentic Questions: The interviews utilize simple, but realistic questions about travel experiences.

Final Summary of Page 147:

This page offers the first part of the written transcripts for the listening exercise in Part 4 of Unit 7. It includes the text of two short interviews conducted by a reporter, focusing on the activities and feelings of visitors to Japan. The page is set up to support students in both reading comprehension, analysis, and application to the listening activity of the textbook. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from understanding (reading and connecting transcript to audio), and analyzing (identifying key information), and applying (using the transcript to complete the task). The “Can-Do” statements reflect the learning outcomes.

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p. 148

Page Summary:

This page concludes the transcript of the audio for the listening activity in Part 4 of Unit 7, providing students with the text of two more brief interviews at an airport.

• Unit and Part Designation: The page is implicitly labeled as “Unit 7” and “Part 4”, continuing the transcript from the previous page.
• Listening Transcript: This page provides the latter half of the transcript for the listening task in Part 4, specifically the third interview with a visitor to Japan. The page includes:
  • The conclusion of the second interview, including the couple mentioning going to some great restaurants and trying sushi, tempura, and yakitori. The couple stated that the food was delicious.
  • (3) Interview with a woman: This interview includes the reporter asking the woman where she is from and what she did in Japan. The woman said that she is from Peru and that she went to museums and that she likes art. When the reporter asked what she saw, she stated that she saw a lot of photographs and she loves Japanese photographs. When asked how they were, she said that they were amazing.
• Underlined Text: Key phrases and activities are underlined within the dialogue, directing students to key points in the transcript that they will need for the matching exercise. The underlined sections of the transcript correspond to the listening task on textbook page 140.
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows the textbook page reference “p.113”, linking it to the activities and images on textbook page 113.
• Answer Sheet Reference: The page also shows a reference to the answer sheet on page 140.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the transcript to comprehend the interviews.)
2. Connecting Transcript to Audio
   • Level: Understanding (Students use the transcript to confirm their understanding of the audio, or use it to help understand the audio)
3. Identifying Key Information:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the activities, feelings, and details from the interviews.)
4. Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students use the transcript to complete the listening activity on page 140.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can use a full written transcript to support my understanding of audio conversations.”
• Reading: “I can read a transcript of short interviews and understand the main ideas, activities, and opinions discussed.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a transcript and find specific activities, cultural experiences and opinions of the speakers.”
• Application: “I can use the information in the transcript to confirm correct answers for the listening activity.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Travel Experiences: The interviews provide insight into different travel experiences and activities visitors enjoy in Japan.
• Authentic Language: The conversations use simple but authentic language for interviews.
• Descriptive Language: The interviews focus on using descriptive language to describe impressions and opinions.

Final Summary of Page 148:

This page provides the second half of the written transcript for the audio used in the listening activity in Part 4 of Unit 7. Students are able to read the text of the interviews, including the third interview and the ending of the second interview. The underlined sections of the transcript support students in completing the listening task. The learning objectives for this page span from understanding (reading and understanding the transcript and connecting it to the audio), analyzing (identifying key information in the interviews), and applying (using the transcript to complete the task). The “Can-Do” statements are specific and measurable.

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p.149

Page Summary:

This page transitions from explanations to practical application, presenting a postcard written by Kotaro to Ms. Brown, and focusing on reading comprehension and identifying key information. The page also introduces additional vocabulary related to descriptions of nature and experiences.

• Unit Goal Integration: The page has a “Goal” section which states “冬休みの楽しい出来事を伝えよう” which translates to “Let’s convey fun experiences from winter vacation.” This connects the page to the main goals of the unit.
• Text Type: The main content is a postcard from Kotaro to Ms. Brown, written in English, with a Japanese translation of each line underneath.
• “New Words” Box: A “New Words” box at the bottom of the page presents new vocabulary related to the postcard text. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “postcard”, “snow”, “see”, “deer”, “wood(s)”, “take”, “took”, “show(s)”, “one”, “lesson(s)”, “forward”, “next”, “best” and “look forward to”.
• Postcard Content: The postcard includes:
  • A greeting to Ms. Brown.
  • A question about her well-being.
  • A statement about his enjoyment of the winter vacation.
  • A description of his visit to his grandparents in Nagano, where there was a lot of snow.
  • A description of seeing a deer in the woods.
  • A comment about taking a nice picture that he’d like to show to her.
  • A question about Ms. Brown’s winter vacation and enjoyment of English lessons.
  • A comment that he is looking forward to the next lesson.
  • A closing and his name.
• Reading Task: Two comprehension questions are provided related to the postcard’s content:
  • “(1) Where did Koto go?”
  • “(2) What did he do there?”
• Task 2: The page includes the instruction “Kota の体験したことや気持ちが具体的に書かれている部分に線をひきましょう。” which translates to “Let’s draw a line to the specific parts where Kota’s experiences and feelings are written.”
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows a reference to pages 114 and 115 of the textbook.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the postcard and understand its content.)
2. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary words.)
3. Answering Comprehension Questions
   • Level: Understanding (Students use information from the postcard to answer questions)
4. Identifying Specific Information:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the postcard and identify parts that describe experiences and feelings.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Reading: “I can read a simple postcard and understand the main activities and feelings the writer expressed.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to describing nature and experiences, such as ‘snow’, ‘deer’, and ‘woods’.”
• Comprehension: “I can answer questions about what someone did during a vacation by reading their postcard.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a postcard to identify where specific experiences and feelings are written.”
• Culture: “I can understand the general structure of a postcard”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Postcard Format: The use of a postcard provides a real-life communication example.
• Personal Anecdotes: The postcard format encourages personal connections by describing specific experiences.

Final Summary of Page 149:

This page is a practice page that focuses on reading comprehension through the use of a postcard from Kotaro to his teacher Ms. Brown. It includes two comprehension questions as well as an analysis task. The page also introduces new vocabulary. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) to understanding (reading comprehension) and analyzing (identifying specific experiences and feelings). The “Can-Do” statements clearly reflect the expected student outcomes.

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p. 150

Page Summary:

This page is a writing practice page, focusing on the application of skills learned throughout the unit. It provides students with an example postcard as a reference and guides them through the process of creating their own. The page also introduces new vocabulary related to letter writing and provides a list of useful phrases.

• Writing Task: At the top of the page, the instructions say “あなたのALTに宛てて、冬休みの出来事を伝えるはがきを書きましょう。” which translates to “Write a postcard to your ALT telling them about your winter vacation.”
• Example Postcard: The page provides a sample postcard written to “Mr. White,” which includes the following content:
  • A greeting and general inquiry about how he is.
  • A statement about enjoying the winter vacation.
  • A description of visiting his uncle in Nara.
  • A description of going to Todaiji Temple on New Years Eve.
  • A description of waiting in line for a long time before the gate opened.
  • A comment about how beautiful the lanterns were.
  • A question asking how his vacation was.
  • A comment about looking forward to the next class.
  • A closing and his name.
• “Tips for Writing” Section: At the bottom left, “TIPS for Writing” are provided with the heading “はがきを書くときには、次のような構成を意識して書いてみよう” which translates to “When writing a postcard, let’s be aware of the following structure” These tips include:
  • The name of the recipient
  • An initial greeting
  • The main thing you want to share (fun experiences)
  • A question for the recipient
  • A closing greeting
  • Your name
• “Words and Phrases” Section: This box is titled “はがきに使える表現例” which means “Examples of phrases that can be used in postcards” which includes example phrases and closings such as “Best wishes”, “Best regards”, “Take care”, “Sincerely”, “Yours”, “Your friend”, “Cheers”, and “Love.”
• “New Words” Box: At the bottom of the page a new vocabulary box is provided which includes new words and phrases related to postcard writing. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “regard(s)”, “care”, and “sincerely”.
• “Can-Do” Statement Review: At the very bottom of the page, it references the CAN-DO list of this unit and reiterates the goal of being able to read and write postcards and communicate experiences and feelings.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Analyzing Example Text:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the postcard and its structure.)
2. Applying Writing Skills:
   • Level: Applying (Students use the writing tips and word list to create their own postcard)
3. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are memorizing new vocabulary words.)
4. Creative Writing:
   • Level: Creating (Students write original sentences in the context of a postcard.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Reading: “I can understand and analyze the structure of a simple postcard.”
• Writing: “I can write a simple postcard using appropriate greetings, closings, and a description of my own experiences.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to letter writing, such as ‘regards’ and ‘sincerely’.”
• Structure: “I can identify the components of an effective postcard.”
• Application: “I can apply the skills I have learned to write a postcard in English.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Application Focus: The page directly applies the skills the students have been learning.
• Letter Writing: The page introduces the structure of letter/postcard writing, which has real-life applicability.
• Personal Expression: The open-ended nature of the writing activity allows for personal expression.

Final Summary of Page 150:

This page provides a final practical application of the skills the students have been learning in Unit 7 through a writing activity focusing on writing a postcard. The page provides a sample postcard for guidance, writing tips, and examples of common phrases and closings. The learning objectives range from remembering (vocabulary) to analyzing (text structure) to applying (writing skills), and creating (written output) This page encourages personal expression and creativity, and allows students to practically apply their learning in a real-life context. The “Can-Do” statements are specific and measurable, clearly outlining the intended outcomes of this page.

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p. 151

Page Summary:

This page is part of the “Active Grammar” section and focuses on explaining the formation and usage of the past tense of verbs. It provides both structural and pronunciation guidance and summarizes rules about regular and irregular past tense verbs.

• Active Grammar Section: The page is labeled “Active Grammar 5” indicating it is part of a recurring grammar section.
• Grammar Focus: The page’s main topic is “動詞の過去形”, which translates to “Past Tense of Verbs.” The text explains that this form of the verb is used to express past events or conditions.
• “Scene and Meaning” Section: The page begins with a “Scene and Meaning” box at the top, showing example sentences from the unit in the past tense:
  • “How was Christmas and the New Year?”
  • “I went to a famous temple in Asakusa with my friends.”
  • “It was fun.”
• “Structure of Sentences” Section: The text provides sentence examples using a variety of past tense forms of verbs:
  • Affirmative Sentence: An example of an affirmative sentence is shown as “I watched TV yesterday.”
  • Interrogative Sentence: An example question using “did” is shown: “Did you watch TV this morning?” with the short answers: “Yes, I did.” and “No, I didn’t.”
• Negative Sentence: An example of a negative sentence using “did not” is given: “I did not watch TV this morning.”
• Explanation: The text explains that a verb can be made past tense by adding a “-(e)d” to the end of the word. It also states that some verbs, such as have becoming had, change forms and these need to be memorized.
• Irregular Past Tense Verbs: A table of common irregular past tense verbs is shown including the base form of the word and the past tense form of the word.
  • The verbs included are “buy”, “do”, “eat”, “go”, “have”, and “see”.
• Contractions: The contraction of did not to didn’t is introduced.
• Regular Past Tense Verbs and Pronunciation: A section explains the pronunciation of the -(e)d ending on regular past tense verbs.
  • A list of regular past tense verbs is given and the pronunciation of the -(e)d ending is shown in brackets with IPA.
  • The verbs listed are: “clean”, “live”, “study”, “talk”, “like”, and “want”.
  • The text explains that there are three ways that this can be pronounced depending on if the base verb form ends in a voiced sound, an unvoiced sound, or a /t/ or /d/ sound.
• “Think” Activity: Below the example sentences is a “Think” section which prompts students to consider how Tina communicated about her winter vacation to her grandparents by writing a letter.
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows a reference to page 116 of the textbook.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Past Tense Forms:
   • Level: Understanding (Students understand the formation of past tense verbs and their usage in sentences.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students remember the rules about both regular and irregular past tense verbs.)
3. Analyzing Pronunciation:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students are analyzing the different ways that -(e)d can be pronounced based on the base verb form.)
4. Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students are learning grammar rules with examples they will use in their own sentences.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can understand how to form the past tense of regular and irregular verbs.”
• Pronunciation: “I can understand the different ways the -(e)d ending can be pronounced in past tense verbs.”
• Application: “I can apply my knowledge of past tense verb forms to create original sentences.”
• Structure: “I can understand the structure of affirmative, interrogative, and negative sentences in the past tense.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Grammar Focus: The page provides explicit grammar instruction with clear examples.
• Pronunciation Guidance: The page includes information on the pronunciation of the -(e)d ending, a common challenge for English learners.
• Connection to Unit Content: The page uses content from the unit to provide context for the grammar lesson.

Final Summary of Page 151:

This page provides a detailed explanation of the formation of the past tense form of verbs, which is a central grammatical focus of Unit 7. It provides both structure and pronunciation guides, and reviews and summarizes the rules about regular and irregular verbs. This page is intended to assist students in understanding and applying these grammar concepts in both spoken and written contexts. The learning objectives range from remembering (grammar rules), to understanding (pronunciation and structure), to applying (grammar knowledge). The “Can-Do” statements are specific and measurable.

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p. 152

Page Summary:

This page continues the “Active Grammar” section, focusing on the past tense forms of the verb “to be” (was and were). It also provides a practical exercise to reinforce understanding.

• Active Grammar Section: The page continues the “Active Grammar” section with the heading “2 be動詞の過去形” which translates to “2 Past Tense of the Verb ‘to be’”
• Grammar Focus: The primary focus is on the usage of “was” and “were” in past tense sentences.
• Example Sentences: The page provides clear examples of “was” and “were” in affirmative, interrogative, and negative sentences.
  • Affirmative Sentence: “I was tired yesterday.”
  • Interrogative Sentence: “Were you tired this morning?” with the short answers: “Yes, I was.” and “No, I was not.”
  • Negative Sentence: “I was not tired this morning.”
• “Past Tense Forms of ‘to be’” Table: A table summarizes the past tense forms of am, is, and are.
• “Contractions” Table: Another table shows the contractions of “was not” and “were not” to “wasn’t” and “weren’t.”
• Grammar Hunt Exercise: At the bottom of the page is a “Grammar Hunt” section with the instructions “Unit 7 のストーリーを読み、動詞の過去形を○で囲みましょう。また、それぞれの動詞の原形も確かめましょう。” which translates to “Let’s read the Unit 7 story and circle the past tense verbs. Also, let’s check the base form of each verb.”
  • An example using the Part 1 story is provided: “I bought it at a temple. I see. I also went to a temple on New Year’s Eve. I rang a big bell.” and shows that the words “bought”, “went”, and “rang” have been circled. Below the sentences it provides the base form of these words: buy, go, and ring.
• “+1” Exercise: Another exercise, “+1” is presented, with the instructions “Unit 3 のストーリーの絵を見て、出来事や状態などを説明してみましょう” which translates to “Look at the pictures in the Unit 3 story and try to explain the events and conditions.”
• An example is given: “Nick wanted to get the blue balloon. He did not get it. He was sorry.”
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows a reference to page 116 of the textbook.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Past Tense Forms of “to be”:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend how “was” and “were” are used in different sentence types.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students recall the correct forms of “was” and “were” for different subjects.)
3. Applying Grammar Rules:
   • Level: Applying (Students use “was” and “were” in sentences.)
4. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the text to find past tense verbs.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can form affirmative, interrogative, and negative sentences using ‘was’ and ‘were’ correctly.”
• Application: “I can apply my knowledge of grammar by identifying past tense verbs in a text.”
• Grammar: “I can use past tense to describe past events and conditions.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a story and identify all verbs in the past tense.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Clear Grammatical Focus: The page is structured to provide clear instruction on “was” and “were.”
• Application Exercises: The practice exercises help students see their knowledge in use.
• Integration with Other Units: The +1 exercise links back to Unit 3, promoting cross unit connections.

Final Summary of Page 152:

This page is the conclusion of the “Active Grammar” section for Unit 7. It presents grammar information about the past tense forms of “to be”, and includes exercises to apply grammar knowledge to both Unit 7 and a previous unit. The learning objectives for this page range from remembering (grammar rules), understanding (usage of was and were), and applying (identifying and using past tense in a given context) and analyzing (identifying past tense verbs in a text). The “Can-Do” statements accurately reflect the intended learning outcomes.

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p. 153

Page Summary:

This page marks a shift in context from New Year’s to a more general “Daily Life” situation, specifically presenting a web page about birthday party ideas. The page focuses on reading comprehension skills, and how to read through an article to extract useful information.

• Context: The page is labeled “Daily Life, Scene 4″ and presents a web page excerpt about birthday party ideas. The title of the excerpt is “Birthday Party Ideas for your friends.”
• Goal: The page’s goal is “ウェブサイトから、必要な情報を読み取ることができる” which translates to “Be able to read necessary information from a website.”
• Textbook Page Reference: The page includes the textbook page reference to “p.117”.
• Web Page Excerpt: The text is presented as an article from a website, with various ideas for birthday parties including:
  • Surprise Ideas with the heading “びっくりさせるアイデア” (Surprise Ideas)
    • “Balloons with Photos” including that you need a lot of balloons and your friends photos, that you should tie the photos to the balloons, and that you can write a message on each photo.
    • “Number-Shaped Envelopes” which includes that you need a lot of envelopes, make the number of your friends age with the envelopes, and you can put a letter and some chocolates in each envelope.
  • Party Item Ideas with the heading “パーティー用アイテムのアイデア” (Party Item Ideas)
    • “colorful decorations”
    • “a birthday cake”
    • “party hats”
  • For a Successful Party with the heading “パーティーを成功させるために” (For a Successful Party)
    • “Don’t do everything by yourself. Get help!”
• Underlined Text: There are numbers next to the headings and also in the text with the corresponding text underlined.
• Reading Focus: The page focuses on reading and extracting key information from the text, with a question at the top: “誕生日パーティーに関するウェブサイトの記事を読みます。さまざまな情報の中から必要な情報を探すにはどのように読むとよいでしょうか。” which translates to “We’re going to read a web page about birthday party ideas. How should we read to search for necessary information in the midst of a variety of information?”

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the web page and understand the different categories of ideas presented.)
2. Information Extraction:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the structure of the article to identify the different party ideas and advice.)
3. Application of Strategies
   • Level: Applying (Students use strategies to search for and identify necessary information)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Reading: “I can read a website excerpt and understand different ideas for a party.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a website and extract specific types of information that I am looking for.”
• Application: “I can use strategies to search for information in a text.”
• Cultural Awareness: “I can recognize common party elements in this article.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Real-life Application: The use of a website excerpt connects the lesson to practical, real-world reading scenarios.
• Cultural Context: The party ideas reflect some common party elements in western culture, and some unique aspects such as using number shaped envelopes.

Final Summary of Page 153:

This page is a departure from the previous New Years focus, shifting to a more general “Daily Life” topic with the context of a web page describing birthday party ideas. It focuses on developing reading comprehension skills, and identifying effective ways to read for information extraction. The learning objectives span from understanding (comprehension), to analyzing (text structure), and applying (information extraction). The “Can-Do” statements are directly connected to the specific learning outcomes.

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p. 154

Page Summary:

This page concludes the Unit 7 study guide. It focuses on reinforcing the reading comprehension skills of the previous page and introduces new vocabulary related to party planning. It also provides practical reading strategies.

• Reading Task: At the top of the page is a reading task asking students to “記事から、次の情報が書かれている箇所に線を引きましょう。” which translates to “From the article, let’s draw a line to the parts where the following information is written:
  • “(1) Balloons with Photos (写真付きバルーン)に必要な素材” which means “The necessary materials for ‘Balloons with Photos’” with the answer on page 153.
  • “(2) パーティーを成功させるためのコツ” which means “Tips for making a successful party” with the answer on page 153.
• “Tips for Reading” Section: This section has the heading “見出し” which means “Headings” and explains “見出しには、その後につづく文章の内容が簡潔に示される。まず見出しを読んで、どのような情報がどこに書かれているかをつかもう。” which translates to “Headings provide a simple summary of the content of the text that follows. First read the heading and understand what type of information is written where.”
• “New Words” Box: A “New Words” box at the bottom of the page introduces new vocabulary related to party planning. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, and English translations.
  • Words included are: “surprise”, “with”, “photo(s)”, “tie”, “message”, “each”, “number”, “-shaped”, “envelope(s)”, “age”, “letter(s)”, “chocolate(s)”, “item”, “colorful”, “decoration(s)”, “successful”, “everything”, “yourself”, “by”, “help”, and “by oneself”.
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows a reference to page 117 of the textbook.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the instructions and locate specific information in the previous page’s article.)
2. Strategic Reading:
   • Level: Understanding (Students understand how to use headings to locate specific information)
3. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary words related to party planning.)
4. Information Extraction:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students are analyzing the text to locate specific pieces of information.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Reading: “I can read a website excerpt and find specific information by using headings as clues.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a text to find key pieces of information.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to party planning and organization.”
• Strategies: “I can use headings to understand how a text is structured and where to find specific information”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Real-Life Skills: The page emphasizes the practical application of reading skills.
• Vocabulary Building: The new vocabulary is useful for everyday interactions.
• Reading Strategies: This page emphasizes that headings can be useful tools for finding information.

Final Summary of Page 154:

This page serves as the conclusion to the Unit 7 study guide. It focuses on reinforcing information extraction by prompting students to search for key pieces of information from the previous page’s article. This page introduces useful vocabulary related to party planning and highlights the importance of headings as a reading comprehension strategy. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) to understanding (reading comprehension, and understanding how to use a reading strategy), and analyzing (information extraction). The “Can-Do” statements clearly outline the specific skills students are expected to achieve after completing this final page.

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Unit 7 Vocabulary List

Here is the comprehensive list of vocabulary words from Unit 7, categorized by their appearance in the study guide pages:

Page 133

• New Year
• New Year holiday(s)
• holiday(s)
• do
• did
• eat
• ate
• fly
• kite
• make
• made
• see
• saw
• sunrise
• calligraphy
• go
• went
• temple

Page 134

• happy
• luck
• charm
• ring
• rang
• bell
• buy
• bought
• TV
• eve
• New Year’s Eve

Page 135

• bake
• baked
• Mt.
• sweater
• write
• wrote
• card(s)
• New Year’s card(s)
• relax
• relaxed
• present
• get
• got
• party
• have
• had

Page 136

• any
• traditional
• custom
• long
• sign
• life
• tell
• told
• know
• how
• way
• bad
• poor
• by the way

Page 137

• stay
• stay up
• late
• comedy
• show(s)
• rice
• rice cake(s)
• New Year’s Day

Page 138

• what
• lantern
• wish
• secret
• chat
• still
• fever
• sorry
• hear
• lucky
• miss(ed)
• well
• soon
• have a fever
• get well

Page 139

• dear
• hope
• was
• building(s)
• were
• in
• atmosphere
• love

Page 140

• amazing
• delicious
• exciting
• yesterday
• cookie(s)
• tough

Page 149

• postcard
• snow
• see
• deer
• wood(s)
• take
• took
• show(s)
• one
• lesson(s)
• forward
• next
• best
• look forward to

Page 150

• regard(s)
• care
• sincerely
• take care

Page 153

• surprise
• with
• photo(s)
• tie
• message
• each
• number
• -shaped
• envelope(s)
• age
• letter(s)
• chocolate(s)
• item
• colorful
• decoration(s)
• successful
• everything
• yourself
• by
• help
• by oneself

This list provides all the vocabulary words that were explicitly included in the “New Words” boxes across the different pages of the Unit 7 study guide. It represents a comprehensive list of the words students are expected to learn, remember, and use in this unit.

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Unit 7 Grammar

Here’s the detailed list of grammar points covered in Unit 7:

1. Regular Past Tense Verb Formation:

• Adding -(e)d: Students learn that to form the past tense of regular verbs, they generally add “-ed” or “-d” to the base form of the verb (e.g., watch becomes watched, bake becomes baked, relax becomes relaxed, like becomes liked).
• Pronunciation of -(e)d: Students learn about the three different pronunciations of the -(e)d ending:
  • /d/ when the base verb form ends in a voiced sound (e.g., cleaned, lived)
  • /t/ when the base verb form ends in an unvoiced sound (e.g., talked, liked)
  • /ɪd/ when the base verb form ends in a /t/ or /d/ sound (e.g., studied, wanted)

2. Irregular Past Tense Verb Formation:

• Changing Verb Forms: Students learn that many common verbs do not follow the regular -ed pattern and have irregular past tense forms (e.g., go becomes went, eat becomes ate, buy becomes bought, see becomes saw, make becomes made, have becomes had, do becomes did, tell becomes told, ring becomes rang).
• Memorization: Students learn that the irregular verb past tense forms must be memorized because they don’t follow a set pattern.

3. Past Tense Forms of the Verb “to be”:

• “was”: Students learn that the past tense of “am” and “is” is “was”, and it’s used with singular subjects such as “I”, “he,” “she,” and “it.” (e.g., I was happy, She was tired).
• “were”: Students learn that the past tense of “are” is “were,” and it’s used with plural subjects and the pronoun “you” (e.g., You were late, They were at the temple).

4. Using “did” and “didn’t” for Past Tense Questions and Negative Statements:

• “did” in questions: Students learn to use “did” to form questions about the past, placing “did” before the subject (e.g., Did you go to the temple?). They also learn that when using “did” in the question, the main verb should be in its base form.
• Short Answers with “did”: Students learn how to use “Yes, I did” and “No, I didn’t” as short answers to questions using “did.”
• “didn’t” in negative statements: Students learn to use “didn’t” to make negative statements about the past, placing “didn’t” before the base form of the verb (e.g., I didn’t eat soba).
• Contraction: Students learn that “did not” can be shortened to “didn’t.”

5. Basic Sentence Structures:

• Affirmative sentences: Subject + verb (past tense) + object/complement (e.g., I watched TV yesterday).
• Interrogative sentences (questions): Did + subject + verb (base form) + object/complement? (e.g., Did you watch TV this morning?)
• Negative sentences: Subject + did not/didn’t + verb (base form) + object/complement. (e.g., I did not watch TV this morning.)

6. Other Grammar Points:

• Use of “on” with days/dates: Students learn the use of the word “on” to describe when an event happens when giving a date or day of the week as in the example “I went to the temple on New Years Eve.”
• Use of “still”: Students learn that the word “still” can be used to describe a condition that continues as in the example “I still have a fever.”
• Use of short forms: Students learn that “where’s” is short for “where is”.

This list is a comprehensive summary of the key grammar points that students are expected to learn, remember, and use by the end of Unit 7. It covers all the explicit grammar instructions given in the study guide and demonstrates the grammatical competencies expected for the unit.

Audio Overview of the System Prompt

This isn’t simply a text-to-speech rendering, it’s an AI-generated podcast of two very human-sounding hosts discussing what the system prompt does. It’s actually interesting to listen to, believe it or not.

Audio Overview of the 2017 MEXT Revised Guidelines for JHS English Education

Here are the same two AI podcast hosts discussing the 2017 Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) revised curriculum guidelines for junior high school English.

The interactive student/instructor/AI storytelling/storywriting-based curriculum I’m developing aligns perfectly with MEXT’s goals.

Frequently Asked Questions about EFL-Feynman Moodle Course Creation Assistant

1. What is the main purpose of these guidelines?

These guidelines aim to assist EFL instructors in creating effective and engaging Moodle courses specifically tailored for Japanese junior high school students with CEFR A1-A2 English proficiency. They provide a comprehensive framework for designing grammar-focused courses that integrate explicit pronunciation instruction and support both classroom learning and independent self-study.

2. What are the essential principles to keep in mind when designing these courses?

The core principles emphasize:

• Clarity and simplicity: Applying Feynman’s teaching methodology to ensure concepts are easily understood.
• Natural language acquisition: Integrating Krashen’s acquisition theory to create a low-pressure learning environment that encourages communication.
• Japanese linguistic context: Considering the influence of students’ native language and addressing potential areas of difficulty.
• Iterative improvement: Adapting the course based on student performance data and feedback to continuously enhance effectiveness.

3. How can I ensure the Moodle courses meet high-quality standards?

Courses should have:

• Clear learning objectives: Measurable goals for each grammar point taught.
• Engaging practice: Activities that simulate real-world communication and make learning relevant.
• Integrated pronunciation: Explicit instruction and practice opportunities for accurate pronunciation.
• Progress tracking: Mechanisms for students and instructors to monitor learning progress.
• Parent communication: Effective strategies and resources to keep parents informed.

4. What is the role of gamification in these Moodle courses?

Gamification is used to enhance student motivation and engagement. Core elements like points, badges, challenges, games, and progress visualization are implemented within a culturally appropriate framework that emphasizes personal growth and reduces pressure.

5. How should I approach the initial assessment and planning phase?

Begin by:

• Evaluating the target grammar point: Determining its complexity and potential challenges for Japanese learners.
• Analyzing the student context: Considering their current grammar proficiency, common Japanese equivalents, and potential L1 interference errors.
• Understanding the learning environment: Assessing Moodle platform capabilities, available resources, and the blend of synchronous/asynchronous activities.
• Anticipating potential challenges: Addressing language-specific issues, learning culture factors, and study habit considerations.

6. How can pronunciation be effectively integrated into the courses?

Pronunciation instruction should be explicit and integrated throughout the course. Consider:

• Identifying challenging sounds: Focus on specific phonemes or sound combinations that Japanese speakers struggle with.
• Providing clear models: Use high-quality audio examples of target pronunciation.
• Incorporating minimal pairs: Design activities to help students distinguish similar sounds.
• Offering recording and playback opportunities: Allow students to practice and self-assess their pronunciation.

7. How can I utilize student feedback to improve the courses?

Continuously monitor and analyze:

• Student performance data: Quiz scores, H5P activity results, and engagement patterns.
• Error patterns: Identify common errors in written assignments and forum posts.
• Direct feedback: Solicit input from students regarding the clarity and effectiveness of content.

Based on feedback, adjust content, explanations, activities, and pronunciation instruction to address areas needing improvement.

8. What support resources are available for instructors?

The guidelines offer:

• Japanese translations: Guidance on effective and culturally appropriate use of translations.
• Cultural considerations: Insights into relevant cultural factors that may influence learning.
• Parent communication templates: Resources for creating course overviews and progress reports in Japanese.
• Progress reporting guidelines: Information to include in reports for both students and parents.

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