L06: Japanese Forest Animals, Sakana-tsuri (fishing), Kuma Tousan Story, Game

Students can't stop talking about the fishing game in this lesson. We build Japanese vocabulary for forest animals and fish, and then read the adorable くまとうさんのさかなつり (Kuma Tousan no Sakana Tsuri) story, which is about a bear who tries to go fishing but is bothered by every animal in the forest! In the end, will he get some fish? The story introduces vocabulary such as "mada mada" (not yet), forest animals, numbers, and the "hiki" counter for animals. Students get to try out sakana tsuri game, a traditional festival game where you fish using magnets. Students love taking home the fish they made! Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students love this lesson, but it can be adapted to higher grades. A great beginner lesson with lots of exposure to rich, natural vocabulary in context.