Introduction

This is a webquest for Japanese New Year. You will find out and learn a lot about Japanese culture, its origin for the celebration and also custom. In Japan, you will find that New Year's celebration is one of most important and biggest event!!

The Quest

What do you know about Japanese New Year?

The Process and Resources

In this WebQuest you will be working together with a group of students in class. Each member of the group will take a different role to complete the whole task. you will use what you have learned to help with the other member of the group. By the end of this webquest, you will be able to present what you know about aspects of Japanese New Year.

Phase 1 - Background: Something for Everyone

Use the Internet information linked below to gain an overview of the general infomationabout Japanese culture.
http://www.gojapan.about.com

Phase 2 - Looking Deeper from Different Perspectives

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Individuals or pairs from your larger WebQuest team will explore one of the roles below.

2. Read through the files linked to your group. If you print out the files, underline the passages that you feel are the most important. If you look at the files on the computer, copy sections you feel are important by dragging the mouse across the passage and copying / pasting it into a word processor or other writing software.

3. Note: Remember to write down or copy/paste the URL of the file you take the passage from so you can quickly go back to it if you need to to prove your point.

4. Be prepared to use what you learn to contribute to an interesting group presentation.

Historian

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Historian:

1. What is called New Year in Japanese?
2. Why are Japanese people celebrating on 1st of January?
3. What is the history of Japanese New Year's decoration?

• Origin about New Year - This site gives you a broad information about New Year in Japan.
• Glossary - All Japanese New Year's Vocaburary are here!

Dietician

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Dietician:

1. What is 'Osechi'?
2. Pick up five ingrediences in Osechi and find out the reasons why they are used for this cusine?

• Foods consumed from 31 Dec to 1 Jan - You can find out diffrent kinds of food related to Oshougatu.

Custom expert

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Custom expert:

1. What is 'Otoshidama'?
2. Find out the format that Japanese people use to write 'Nengajyou'
3. What is the reason why Japanese New Year's decorations are displayed?

• Kadomatsu - You can find out about New Year's decorations.
• Japanese custom - Here is to see what Japanese people do in New year.

Phase 3 - Debating, Discussing, and Reaching Consensus

You have all learned about a different part of Japanese New Year. Now group members come back to the larger WebQuest team with expertise gained by searching from one perspective. You must all now answer the Task / Quest(ion) as a group. Each of you will bring a certain viewpoint to the answer: some of you will agree and others disagree. Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc. from the Webpages you explored to convince your teammates that your viewpoint is important and should be part of your team's answer to the Task / Quest(ion). Your WebQuest team should write out an answer that everyone on the team can live with.

Phase 4 - Real World Feedback

You and your teammates have learned a lot by dividing up into different roles. Now's the time to put your learning into a letter you'll send out for real world feedback. Together you will write a letter that contains opinions, information, and perspectives that you've gained. Here's the process:

1. Begin your letter with a statement of who you are and why you are writing your message to this particular person or organization.

2. Give background information that shows you understand the topic.

STATE THE TASK / QUEST(ION) AND YOUR GROUP'S ANSWER.

3. Each person in your group should write a paragraph that gives two good reasons supporting the group's opinion. Make sure to be specific in both the information (like where you got it from on the Web) and the reasoning (why the information proves your group's point).

4. Have each person on the team proofread the message. Use correct letter format and make sure you have correctly addressed the email message. Use the link below to make contact. Send your message and make sure your teacher gets a copy.

Your Contact is: Iku

Conclusion

So is an elephant smooth, rough, soft, or hard? Well, when you're blindfolded and only *looking* at one part, it's easy to come up with an answer that may not be completely right. It's the same for understanding a topic as broad or complex as Japanese New Year: when you only know part of the picture, you only know part of the picture. Now you all know a lot more. Nice work. You should be proud of yourselves! How can you use what you've learned to see beyond the black and white of a topic and into the grayer areas? What other parts of Japanese New Year could still be explored? Remember, learning never stops.