Family Connections

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Unit: Everyday Japan – Language Explorations

Lesson 2 of 16
Year Level: Year 8
Subject: Languages – Japanese
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 25 students

Australian Curriculum Links:
Learning Area: Languages – Japanese
Strand: Understanding / Communicating
Sub-strand:

• Communicating: Informing – Access and organise information from spoken, written, print or digital texts to identify and explain ideas
• Understanding: Systems of Language – Recognise and use features of the Japanese sound system, including pitch accent, intonation and rhythm
• Content Descriptor Code: AC9LJ8U01, AC9LJ8C03, AC9LJ8U04

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Learning Intentions

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Recognise and accurately pronounce core Japanese family vocabulary.
• Use new vocabulary in simple sentence structures to describe their family.
• Understand the cultural nuances around family terms in Japanese, especially the distinction between one's own and someone else's family.

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Success Criteria

Students will:
✅ Pronounce at least 5 key family member terms correctly.
✅ Use at least 3 family-related words in a spoken or written sentence.
✅ Demonstrate basic knowledge of Japanese family cultural norms through class discussion.

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Key Vocabulary

English	Japanese (Hiragana)	Romaji
Mother	おかあさん	okaasan
Father	おとうさん	otousan
Older Brother	おにいさん	oniisan
Older Sister	おねえさん	oneesan
Younger Brother	おとうと	otouto
Younger Sister	いもうと	imouto
Grandmother	おばあさん	obaasan
Grandfather	おじいさん	ojiisan
Family	かぞく	kazoku

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Preparation & Materials

• Printed vocabulary flashcards (Japanese & English)
• Printable “My Kazoku” family tree templates
• Mini whiteboards and markers (1 per student)
• Teacher laptop with projector or IWB
• Japanese audio clips for pronunciation modelling
• Classroom displays of Hiragana chart

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Lesson Sequence

⏱️ 0–5 mins — Warm-up & Review

Activity: Language Snap Review (from Lesson 1)
In pairs, students play a quick fire round of Language Snap using basic Japanese greetings from Lesson 1.
💡 Purpose: Refresh prior learning and switch students into ‘Japanese mode’.

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⏱️ 5–15 mins — Vocabulary Discovery

Activity: Family Match-Up (Group Game)

1. Teacher introduces today’s vocabulary with pronunciation modeling using audio clips.
2. Students repeat chorally, then individually.
3. Matching Game: In small groups, students use cut-out cards to match the Japanese words with English meanings and corresponding Romaji/pronunciation.
4. Quick spotlight: students volunteer to pronounce a chosen term for the class.

Differentiation:

• Partner EAL learners with strong readers during group task.
• Visual learners benefit from image-supported flashcards.

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⏱️ 15–25 mins — My Kazoku Family Tree

Activity: Create Your Japanese Family

1. Students are given a blank template of a family tree titled “わたしの かぞく (My Family)”.
2. Using the new vocabulary, they label family members based on their real or fictional family.
3. Encourage creativity: They can draw, use stickers or include hobbies (e.g., はは は りょうり が すきです – Mum likes cooking).

Assessment Opportunity #1:
Walk around and question students individually: “これは だれ ですか？” (Who is this?). Look for use of vocabulary with speaking confidence.

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⏱️ 25–35 mins — Whiteboard Race

Activity: Say It & Show It!

1. Teacher says a family member word in Japanese.
2. Students race to write down the English meaning on individual whiteboards.
3. Turn the tables: Students volunteer to say the Japanese word, classmates write down the English word and Romaji.

Extension Challenge: Have high performers write a full sentence using a family term. E.g.,

• わたし の おとうと は １２さい です。 (My younger brother is 12 years old.)

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⏱️ 35–42 mins — Cultural Context: Family in Japan

Mini Talk & Think-Pair-Share
Brief explanation of how Japanese people refer to family members depending on whether they are talking about their own family or someone else’s (e.g., おとうさん vs ちち).

Prompt Questions:

• Why do you think there’s a difference in words used?
• How is this different from the way we talk about family in Australia?

⏳ Allow 2 mins per pair to share their thoughts, then 3 minutes for a whole-class debrief.

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⏱️ 42–45 mins — Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket

Activity: Family Dice Roll (Quick Speaking Task)
Each student rolls a 6-sided die (virtual or real). Each number corresponds to a vocabulary word. Students say a sentence or phrase using that word.
E.g., Roll a 2 → “おとうさん は やさしい です。” (Dad is kind.)

🎯Collect “exit tickets” with one Japanese word they remember and a smiley face scale showing how confident they feel using it.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Informal assessment through teacher questioning during “My Kazoku” task.
• Observation during speaking activities and sentence production.
• Exit ticket provides student reflection and confidence self-assessment.

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Teacher Reflection Prompts

• Which students demonstrated strong pronunciation skills?
• Were students able to differentiate between similar sounding vocabulary (e.g., otouto vs ojiisan)?
• Did any cultural misconceptions arise that we can revisit in the next lesson?

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Extension Ideas for Fast Finishers

• Create a short skit introducing their family members in Japanese.
• Use online Japanese-to-English dictionaries to extend vocabulary (e.g., cousins, aunt/uncle).
• Write a sentence about each family member using an emotion adjective (e.g., busy, kind, funny).

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Next Lesson Preview

Lesson 3 Title: All About Me: Introducing Yourself
Students will build on today’s vocabulary by learning how to construct self-introductions, including family details and ages.

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By making this lesson interactive, rooted in authentic usage, and underpinned by cultural understanding, we engage Year 8 students in meaningful language learning while meeting the Australian Curriculum's language learning aims.