Japanese Dish Research

Overview

Students research a traditional Japanese dish and prepare a short presentation that explains key information and a personal connection. This builds toward creating and communicating understanding of ideas in target-language texts and responding with information.

Learning intentions

• Students will research information, opinions, and ideas about a traditional Japanese dish.
• Students will use culturally appropriate language to present information clearly.
• Students will plan and organise a short presentation using notes and evidence from their sources.
• Students will rehearse and improve their presentation for an audience.

Success criteria

• I can identify what my dish is, where it comes from (or is commonly eaten), and what it is like (ingredients/how it looks or tastes).
• I can include at least one cultural detail (tradition, festival link, regional importance, or common etiquette).
• I can present my information in an organised way (intro, key points, conclusion).
• I can use language structures we have practised (e.g. “This is…”, “It has…”, “I think…”, “People eat…”) with understandable pronunciation and rhythm.

Curriculum links

• ML4-UND-01 — Students interpret and respond to information, opinions and ideas in texts to demonstrate understanding.
• MLLS-UND-01 — Students respond to information, opinions and/or ideas in texts to demonstrate understanding.
• ML4-CRT-01 — Students create a range of texts for familiar communicative purposes by using culturally appropriate language.
• ML4-INT-01 — Students exchange information and opinions in familiar contexts using culturally appropriate language (during peer feedback and Q&A).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Starter: Choose & confirm. Teacher shows today’s task on the board: “Prepare your dish presentation (plan + draft).” Students confirm their dish choice and write 3 keywords for it in English and/or Japanese they already know.

2. 5–15 min · Research time (guided). Teacher models how to extract information from a text (look for ingredients, how it’s eaten, cultural link). Students use templates to collect notes under headings: Dish name, ingredients, description, cultural detail, sources.

3. 15–25 min · Target-language support mini-teach. Teacher displays sentence frames students will use in their presentation and discusses how to paraphrase rather than copy. Students add 4–6 sentence-frame lines to their draft (using their notes).

4. 25–35 min · Presentation planning (methods + structure). Teacher demonstrates a clear presentation structure (Introduction → Key facts → Cultural link → Conclusion). Students decide their presentation method (poster + oral, slides + oral, or short spoken script) and arrange their content in order on the template.

5. 35–45 min · Speaking rehearsal in pairs. Teacher assigns pairs and gives a checklist for rehearsal quality (clear opening, covers all headings, understandable delivery). Students practise their first draft twice, then swap feedback using one “Glow” (strength) and one “Grow” (next step).

6. 45–55 min · Improve + prepare for teacher check. Teacher circulates for quick checks: completeness of cultural detail, use of sentence frames, and clarity of order. Students revise one section (add missing cultural detail or improve a sentence) and ensure they have a clear conclusion.

7. 55–60 min · Exit ticket: readiness rating. Teacher asks: “What is your dish? What is one cultural detail you will say?” Students answer in 2–3 sentences and rate confidence (1–5) for speaking.

Resources

• Presentation template (one per student) with headings and sentence frames
• Research note sheet (dish facts + cultural detail + source title)
• Sentence frame strip (displayed and available at tables)
• Access to age-appropriate printed or teacher-provided texts about Japanese food
• Headphones optional for audio support
• Timer and peer feedback checklist
• Dyslexia-friendly reading options (short extracts, bigger font handouts, colour overlays)

Assessment

• Teacher formative check during circulation: notes completeness and quality of cultural detail.
• Pair rehearsal feedback: students demonstrate understanding by accurately repeating key points from notes.
• Exit ticket: verifies students can clearly name the dish and state a cultural detail they will include.

Differentiation

• Provide presentation templates with sentence starters and a structured order to reduce cognitive load for students needing support.
• Offer dyslexia-friendly research reading packs: shorter excerpts, larger font, clear headings, and optional audio reading (teacher reads aloud or audio file where available).
• Allow modality choice: poster, slideshow, or spoken script; students can decide the method that best supports clarity.
• Extension for advanced learners: require one additional element—either compare their dish to a similar Australian food (taste/role/tradition) or include a brief “opinion” line using a higher-level connector (e.g. “I believe… because…” or “For me, …”).
• Support EAL learners by allowing first-draft notes in English, then translating key facts into simple target-language phrases using the frames.