Culture
Probably the easiest place to start when studying another country is to look at the culture. What kind of foods do they eat? What holidays do they celebrate? What’s a typical day like for a kid in that country? These are fun questions to ask and can really get your kids excited about their new project – plus you can easily develop activities around these questions. If you’re checking out the weird foods that they eat in Japan, why not go out to a Japanese restaurant or, better yet, try making a traditional Japanese meal at home? If you’re studying Japanese holidays, try celebrating one or two in your own home, as well! Here are some ideas:

• Search the Web. Find a good website that covers the culture, food, traditions, music, etc. for your country. Web Japan is a wonderful website about Japan that’s designed for kids. It’s fun, colorful, and full of great information.



• Let’s Celebrate! Find some fun holidays to celebrate. Japan celebrates both Girl’s Day and Boy’s Day, and kids just love these holidays!
  
  
  • Girl’s Day is celebrated on March 3rd. During this holiday, everyone in the family shows their appreciation for their daughters, they display traditional Hina Dolls, and cook a yummy treat called Girl’s Day Mochi. This mochi is colorful and tasty – and also pretty easy to make, so take a look at our Girl’s Day Mochi Recipe. Hooray for girls!
  
  
  
  
  • Boy’s Day is celebrated on May 5th and is a day to show our appreciation for our sons. On this day, the Japanese display warrior dolls and eat rice cakes in their home, but outside they fly beautiful koi (carp) windsocks, one koi for every boy in the family. Have your little boys Make Their Own Koi so they can celebrate Boy’s Day, too!

Language
From reading to writing to speaking, kids need to use language skills every day. Learning a new language can really improve these skills as can reading lots of fun foreign folk tales.

• Watashi Wa... Kids pick up languages fast! When we’re young, our brains are ripe for language development, so now’s the time to introduce a foreign language to your little ones. If you’re studying another country, this is a great opportunity to begin studying the language of that country as well. Of course, if the main language for your country is English (like in Australia), you may have to be a little creative (since Australia sits in the Pacific, why not study a Polynesian language like Hawaiian?). The most important thing is that your child is interested in the language because this will keep them motivated. No matter what language they’re learning, the benefits to their brain development, comprehension skills, and concentration will be noticeable. The Muzzy Language Series is a great way to start if you’re kids are interested in French, German, or Italian. Check out Web Japan to begin learning some basic Japanese.



• Read, Read, Read! Your country will surely have all sorts of fun (and different) folk stories and fairy tales for your kids to read. Look for picture books or folk tale books at your public library. My favorite Japanese picture book is the story of the Peach Boy, Momotaro. Watch this fun animation of Momotaro Online!



• Watch Cartoons! What? Cartoons as education? Yes! Find some movies, cartoons, or TV shows in your chosen language that are subtitled (not dubbed). You can find foreign DVDs and videos at your local public library or video rental store. Older kids can both listen to the language and work on their reading skills at the same time as they read the subtitles! Some great Japanese cartoons for kids are Sherlock Hound, Panda! Go Panda!, and My Neighbor Totoro.

Math
Looking for a fun way to teach math? Try these ideas:

• How much Yen do you have? Most large banks offer an exchange service where you can change American dollars into foreign currency. Kids (and adults) love playing with foreign money – it’s like play money, but real! Create math exercises that involve foreign money and your kids will actually pay attention to the numbers!



• Ich, Ni, San… While learning a new language, you can also learn how to count in that language. These numbers can become a sort of “secret language” for kids. Instead of asking your son, “What’s one plus one?” ask, “What’s ich plus ich?” – The answer? Ni! The math concept is the same, but the words are different.



• Play Pokemon! You’ve got to be kidding, right? Nope! Games like Pokemon often require players to keep track of “damage.” Pokemon uses small glass pebbles to mark every ten damage points a character has taken. This can turn into a math lesson – without your kids even knowing it! Imagine this: Your Seadra has taken 30 damage (add 3 pebbles) but you also just used a potion that removes 20 damage (remove 2 pebbles), how much damage does your Seadra have now? If he began with a life of 60 HP, how much life does he have left? Learn how to play the game at the Official Pokemon Site – click on the “tutorial” link for an animated walk-through.

Politics, History, & More
The learning opportunities are almost endless when it comes to a project like this. Your kids could study the politics of their country and how they differ from us (what’s the difference between a Prime Minister and a President?); they could study the history of their country and how the United States has been involved in that history; or how about the country’s Art or Music? Who wants to play with Japanese Drums or fold paper to make Japanese Origami? As you can see, you’re only limited by your imagination and the more excited your kids are about their country, the more you’ll be able to cover! For more lesson plans involving Japan, check out Teach-Nology.

Happy Homeschooling,