Classroom Ideas
Tokyo: City of Contrasts
Mapping
Have students print out a map of Tokyo and identify where the sites in the video are located.
Cloze Practice
A cloze piece has full sentences used in the virtual field trip with blanks where students can write in the information that is missing. This task requires close listening to the trip in order to complete it.
Country Report
Have students write a report about Japan including: landmarks, population, how it is similar to the United States, history (how it came to be), type of government, economy, famous sites, architecture, interesting facts, religions, food, etc.
Transportation Around the World
Compare/contrast various modes of transportation in different countries (Japanese subways vs. classic cars in Cuba)
Music
Listen to music from Japan.
Food of Japan
Have students research traditional Japanese food.
Tokyo Descriptive Words
Ask students to write a description of Tokyo. You could consider having them include a list of adjectives that describe the city.
Tokyo and Home: A Comparison
Students will write lists of the things they like and dislike about Tokyo. Make sure they explain each opinion. Ask students to write about and discuss whether they would like their own home city or town to be more like Tokyo in any way, and why.
Landforms and Bodies of Water
Identify landforms and bodies of water around Tokyo and Japan.
Create Quizzes
Students create a quiz based on the information presented for their peers. This can be used as a review for a test, or jigsaw class activity where students are responsible for teaching other students assigned topics.
Greetings Around the World
Explore different ways to greet people across various cultures (bowing in Japan, saying hola in Cuba, etc.).
Art
Draw a scene from the video you just watched.
Diorama
Create a diorama of Tokyo’s landmarks.
Local Festivals
Have students research Japanese festivals at the local, state, and national levels.
Creative Writing
Write a story with Tokyo as the setting. The main character could be from another country (compare and contrast characters).
Tokyo Station Adventure
Find out places you can get to from Tokyo Station, and plan an itinerary for a trip.
Tokyo Tower
Students can complete a worksheet in which they compare Tokyo Tower to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. They should talk about the history of the towers, visiting rules, views, etc.