Japanese Food Findings

Overview

Students present their Japanese food-culture research findings from the unit “Exploring Japanese Food Culture”. They communicate using culturally appropriate language and receive peer feedback to improve clarity, accuracy, and audience awareness.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• present key findings about a Japanese food culture topic using Japanese, for a familiar audience
• use culturally appropriate expressions when describing food and practices
• respond to peer feedback by making specific improvements to their presentation
• demonstrate understanding of peers’ ideas by giving supportive, respectful feedback

Success criteria

Students can:

• clearly state their topic and the main findings in Japanese
• use relevant vocabulary and simple sentence structures accurately (e.g. description, reasons, opinions)
• deliver a short, rehearsed presentation with appropriate pace, volume, and gestures/visual support
• give at least two pieces of constructive peer feedback and one “glow” (what was strong)

Curriculum links

• ML4-CRT-01: create spoken texts for familiar communicative purposes using culturally appropriate language
• ML4-UND-01: interpret and respond to information and ideas in spoken and multimodal texts
• ML4-INT-01: exchange information and opinions in familiar contexts using culturally appropriate language
• MLLS-INT-01: communicate with others using culturally appropriate language and presentation actions

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Entry & purpose. Teacher greets class in Japanese, posts today’s WALT and success criteria, and reviews the presentation focus (clear main findings). Students settle with a quick “topic check” on their notes: title + 1 sentence summary in Japanese.

2. 5–12 min · Warm-up language rehearsal. Teacher models 3–4 useful presentation phrases on the board (e.g.「私の調べたことは…です」「〜についての結論は…です」「これは〜です」「私は〜と思います」). Students practise chorally, then in pairs, inserting their own topic keywords.

3. 12–20 min · Presentation set-up. Teacher explains expectations and timing: each speaker gets 2–3 minutes plus 1 minute for peer questions/feedback. Students set up visual aids (printout or slide) and arrange notes using a dyslexia-friendly format: larger font, one idea per line, minimal text.

4. 20–46 min · Student presentations (round 1). Teacher runs the presentation rotation. Students present to a small group, focusing on:

• topic + key findings
• at least 1 cultural connection (why it matters / how people behave)
• one personal response (simple opinion with a reason) After each presentation, peer listeners complete a feedback sheet: one “glow” and one “grow”, plus one question starting with a target question word they’ve practised.

5. 46–55 min · Feedback action time. Teacher gives 2 minutes quiet time for presenters to read peer feedback, then facilitates a brief whole-class check on common improvements (e.g. clearer opening, better verb choice, more linking words). Presenters write 2 “next steps” in Japanese (or mixed language with key Japanese words), focusing on changes they can make immediately.

6. 55–60 min · Exit ticket & wrap. Teacher collects an exit ticket with two prompts: (1) Write your improved opening sentence in Japanese. (2) Give one sentence in English or Japanese: what feedback helped you most? Students submit before leaving.

Resources

• Student presentation notes (teacher-approved template or cards)
• Visual aids: posters, mini-flip cards, or slide deck (offline if needed)
• Peer feedback sheets (glow/grow + question prompt)
• Timer visible to class
• Model phrase cards on the board
• Sentence starter strip for feedback (teacher provided)
• Whiteboard/markers or projector

Assessment

• Formative during presentations: teacher checklist (clarity of topic, use of Japanese structures, audience-appropriate delivery)
• Peer assessment: glow/grow quality (specific, actionable, respectful) and at least one question demonstrating understanding
• Exit ticket: accuracy of an opening sentence and evidence of using feedback to improve

Differentiation

• Support for learners needing scaffolding:
• provide a presentation frame with sentence starters and a word bank tailored to their topic (food, actions, reasons, opinions)
• allow “key-word guiding cards” instead of full sentences in notes
• enable pair rehearsal before presenting, with teacher walk-through of one success step
• Visual aids for presentations:
• require one image + one key point on each visual aid panel (reduces cognitive load)
• Dyslexia-friendly reading options:
• offer printed handouts in large font, high-contrast colour, and fewer lines per page
• provide audio recording of the peer feedback question starters (teacher reads aloud before students begin)
• allow students to practise with short, chunked scripts (one section at a time)
• Extension for advanced learners:
• challenge students to add a contrasting detail using a connector they have studied (e.g. “but/however” equivalent in simple Japanese) and include a second reason for their opinion
• require an extra audience question response: students answer one peer question using a complete sentence plus one follow-up detail
• EAL considerations:
• permit brief English support in the notes only, but assess the Japanese spoken output
• pre-teach 6–10 high-utility words/phrases for each group’s topic and display them consistently

Extension (optional)

• N/A (not requested).