富沢小学校 Tomilishブログ

This week, due to the flu, Tomilish Time was changed to a TV broadcast instead communication activities. As a number of classes have been closed due to the flu, the homeroom teachers of those classes helped with the broadcast.

Someone is covering their face!
Do you know who it is?

"Everyone, let's ask `Who are you?` together!"
"Who are you?"

Many different teachers came to visit.
Ms. Emily asked them "What's your favorite~?" questions.

"Mr. Shuhei, what's your favorite country?"
"Guess what?"
"Hmm...hint please!"
"Hint 1. Sagrada Familia!"
"hmmm....I wonder where it is?"

Mr. Shuhei's favorite country is Spain!

Mr. Takeyuki's favourite sport is snowboarding.

Mr. Ota's favorite sushi is chutoro.

Mr. Nakamura's favourite pop group is Keyakizaka 46.

Everyone enjoyed listening to the different hints and guessing what the teachers like.
"Mr. Nakamura is funny!"

"See you! Have a nice day!"

Hopefully everyone recovers from the flu soon so that we can do communication activities again!

This week during Upper Grades Tomilish Time both 5th and 6th grade students practiced the English they have been studying in class.

5th grade students have recently started studying the topic `Where is the treasure?`. We displayed a picture of a desk and asked the students many questions about the objects on the desk.
"Where is the yoyo?"
"It's by the dinosaur!"
"That's right!"

Then we practiced the chant for the topic.
"You can see it on your right!"

On Tuesday, when we have Upper Grades Tomilish Time, classes 6-1 and 6-3 were closed due to the flu so only class 6-2 studied English. They used the digital version of the picture book `Good Morning` that 4th grade students have been studying.
In the book a student talks about his day and there are many clocks in the pictures. 6th grade students have been studying the phrase "What time do you ~?" so it was a great story for them.

The students all listened to the story carefully.
They answered questions about the story.

After that, they did the chant for the story. It was super fast!
As you can see, all the 6th grade homeroom teachers helped with the class. There were so many teachers!
We hope everyone recovers from the flu quickly so that we can have English class together again soon! Take care!

This year 5th and 6th grade students have been studying some topics that are not in the Hi,friends! textbooks. Recently 5th grade students had their second class on a new topic. They have been studying the topic `Where is the treasure?`. In this topic they will learn how to give directions and also describe where something is using the words `on`, `in`, `under` and `by`.

As always we started class with a greeting game. The students could use any of the English that they have studied so far in order to make conversations with their friends.
"Can you ski?"

"What's your favorite food?"

"What's this?"

Next, the teachers gave a demonstration. Ms. Keiko hid Ms. Emily's pen under one of the student's chairs and gave her directions to find it.
"Go straight, turn left, go straight. It's under the chair!"
After the two teachers gave the demonstration we asked for one student volunteer to hide their homeroom teacher's textbook and give directions to them.
Ms. Keiko helped to give directions.

The homeroom teachers listened carefully!

Sometimes the students gave very roundabout directions and sometimes there were obstacles in their path!
Everyone laughed a lot.

After the teachers-student demonstration it was time for two students to try together.
As one student closed their eyes the other student hid their `treasure`.

"Where is my pencase?"
"Go straight!"

"It's under the file."

After watching the three different demonstrations (teacher-teacher, teacher-student, student-student) everyone understand how to do the activity. The students got into pairs and took turns to hide their friends' `treasure` and give directions to find it.
"Close your eyes! Don't look while we are hiding the `treasure`!!"

"Go straight!"

The students found it easiest to give directions when they were standing behind the other person.

After that activity we did an activity in pairs using a worksheet with a picture of a room with many things in it. First the teachers gave a demonstration.
"Where is the cat?"
"It's under the chair."
"That's right!"

The students tried to think of lots of different questions. They had some very interesting ideas.
"Where is the window?"
"It's by the desk."
"That's right!"

"Where is the picture?"
"It's on the wall."
"Yes!"

Next, we played the `Please game`. Everyone had to do what the teachers said but only if they used the word `please`.
"Stand up, please!"

The teachers all took turns to give directions.
"Turn left, please!"

Everyone tried hard to listen so they didn't make a mistake!
"Touch your mouth!"
"He didn't say please! Don't move!!"

We finished the class with a chant.
Good job 5th grade students! Well done!

On Friday some school principals from Fukushima came to watch English class. After watching the 4th grade class on the topic `This is my day.` they then watched the 6th grade students. Recently, 6th grade students have started studying a new topic. They are studying Hi,friends!2 Lesson 6 `What time do you get up?`. They had their third class on this topic.

First, we had our greeting game. The teachers gave a demonstration first and then the students asked each other. Just as in previous classes we focused again on the question "What did you do on Saturday and Sunday?".
"Let's talk to many people!"

Nice smile!

If someone thinks of something they want to say in English they can ask one of the teachers.

Next, Mr. Takeyuki talked to the students about the goal for the lesson. Recently many students at our school have the flu. He asked the students for ways that they can protect themselves from getting the flu. One of the students suggested going to bed early and getting up early.
Mr. Takeyuki told the students that the goal for the class was to find out what time their classmates go to bed and get up.

After checking the goal we did the chant using gestures.
"What time do you get up?"

Next, we practiced asking the questions "What time do you get up?" and "What time do you go to bed?". We practiced by having the whole class ask the question together to individual students.
"What time do you get up?"
"I get up at 6.30."

After practicing the students guessed what was the earliest and latest time that their classmates get up and go to bed.
"Hmmm....maybe the latest time to get up is 7? Otherwise they will be late for school!"

Then, after a demonstration by the teachers, it was time for all the students to ask their friends. We focused on asking the question "What time do you get up?" first.
Ms. Emily helped with the pronunciation.

Good eye contact!

After asking the question "What time do you get up?" a lot the teachers stopped the class and got some good students to give a demonstration.
"What time do you get up?"
"I get up at 6.15."
"6.15?"
"Yes."
Sometimes the times are difficult to hear so it's good to check. Well done!

Next, we focused on asking the question "What time do you go to bed?".
Nice eye contact!

Great smile!

Lastly, we all checked together who gets up and goes to bed the earliest and latest. Let's all ask them together!
"What time do you go to bed?"
"I go to bed at 8.30."
"It's early! Good job!"

Good job 6th grade students!

3rd grade students have recently had their first class on a new topic. The topic is `Who are you?` and we are using the `In the Autumn Forest` picture book.

We started class with a greeting game. The students could use any English they have studied so far to talk with their friends. They used phrases like "What is your favorite color?" and "What's this?".
Great smiles!

Nice gestures!

Good eye contact!

The main part of the class was listening to the story `In the Autumn Forest`. We used the digital version of the story. In this class we listened to half of the story. We will listen to the other half in the next class.
In the story the animals are playing `Hide and SeeK`. After listening to half of the story (and finding half of the animals), the teachers asked many questions.
"What animals do you remember?"
"What body parts did you see?"
"What animal was first?"
If the students couldn't decide on the order of the animals we watched the story again.

In the story the students had to guess many different animals by their body parts. In order to study the English for different body parts we sang the song "Head, Shoulds, Knees and Toes". Then we played the `Please Game`. If the person says "Touch your mouth, please." you have to do what they say but if they don't use `please` you should not do it!
"Touch your mouth, please!"

"Touch your nose! Oh, no one moved! You are good at this game!"

After playing as the class the students got into pairs and played again. The students took turns to give teach other orders.
It's a fun game!

Good job 3rd grade students! We are looking forward to listening to the second half of the story in the next class.

4th grade students have recently had their first class on a new topic. The topic is `This is my day.` and we are using the `Good Morning` picture book.

As usual, we started by greeting as a class.


Next, we had a greeting game. Before starting, the teachers did a demonstration.
"Let's watch!"

"Nice jacket. Do you like black?"
"Yes, I do."
"What's your favorite color?"
"Guess what?"
"Blue?"
"No."
"Red?"
"Yes! It's red!"

After watching the demonstration all the students stood up and did the greeting game, too.
Good eye contact!

Nice smiles!

After the greeting game we all confirmed the goal for the class.
"Let's listen to the story!"

The main part of the class was listening to the story `Good Morning`.


Ms. Emily used the digital version of the story to read to everyone.
In the first class we focused on the first half of the story. After Ms. Emily had read us the whole story once, she went through the first half of the story again asking questions.
"What color is this?"
"What animal is this?"
"How many?"

Next, we reviewed the story together.
"The pages are all out of order. Let's remember the story and put them back in order!"

The students used mini cards.
"Hmmm...what comes next?"

"Maybe this one?"

Then we checked the answers together as a class.
"I think this one is next."

Everyone said whether they had the same answer or not.
"Is it okay? Good job!"
Ms. Emily read each page as we put it in order and everyone repeated after her.

Next, we played the pointing game.
We had to point to the right page as Ms. Emily read them.

Lastly we did the chant. It was super fast so everyone just did gestures with the chant. Can you tell what gesture this it?
"I wash my face!"

In the next class we will focus more on the second part of the story. Everyone is interested in learning more! Good work!

The weather has been colder recently and some students have been ill with the flu. In order to stop the flu from spreading we have been doing `Read Aloud Broadcasts` instead of the students mixing with people from other classes or grades for Tomilish Time. Both last week and this week we read two books during each broadcast.

Last week the first book we read was about events around the world during the different months.


Ms. Keiko read the Japanese page and Ms. Emily read the foreign countries page.


It was very interesting for students to see the different festivals and events around the world and compare them to Japan.


The second book we read last week was `The Little Red Hen`.


It was about Hen(a chicken) who had to do all the work while her friends Dog, Cat and Mouse all refused to help. In the end Hen ate the cake she made all by herself and her friends learned to help.


This week the first book we read was `Go Away Green Monster`. Setsubun is coming soon so we picked books with a monster theme.


In this book we talked about the different colored body parts of the monster.


The monster was scary so we decided to make it go away by saying "See you!" to each body part.
"See you, face!"

The students waved goodbye and said "See you!" in their classrooms, too.
"See you, face!"

The body parts that we said "See you!" to, disappeared!
It was so funny!

Everyone laughed a lot!
The monster was not scary any more!

The second book that we read this week was `Big feet`. It has been snowy this week so this was the perfect story to read.


There were very big footprints in the snow. I wonder what made them?
Was it a dinosaur? Or a monster? Or a giant?

"Look!"
It was just Dad playing a joke! How funny!

It was a good story!

`Read Aloud Broadcasts` are very fun but we hope everyone feels better soon so we can have normal Tomilish Time again!
Take care!

This week during Upper Grades Tomilish Time both 5th and 6th grade students practiced the English they have been studying in class.

5th grade students have recently been studying the phrase `What do you study on Monday?`. They had each made a schedule after thinking about what they want to be in the future. We mixed up the classes to allow the students to practice with people other than their classmates. The students asked each other what they had chosen and why.
"What do you study on Tuesday?"

"I study Japanese and math."

Good eye contact! It's very difficult to avoid looking at your paper when talking. Well done!

Everyone was very interested to see what students in other classes had picked. It was fun!

6th grade students have been studying different things depending on their class as one of the classes is further behind than the others due to the open school event.
Class 6-1 have just finished studying the topic`He is famous`. They have been studying adjectives and using the words `He` or `She` to describe their friends.
First they reviewed all the adjectives. The teachers acted out some of the words. It was very funny!

Then, the students got into groups and gave each other quizzes like they had done in class.
"He is funny. He is handsome. He is outgoing. Who is he?"

Classes 6-2 and 6-3 have recently started studying Hi, friends!2 Lesson 6 `What time do you get up?`. We always like to start with the chant to refresh everyones' memories.


The 15 minutes that we have for Tomilish Time is the perfect amount of time to do some of the listening activities in the textbook.


The students try their best.


"You can do it! Don't give up!"


Good job everyone!

5th Grade students just finished their last topic from the Hi, friends! textbook. They have been studying Hi, friends! 1 Lesson 8 `I study Japanese`.

We started class with a greeting game. This time we practiced using the phrase that we have been learning during Tomilish Time "What's your favorite ~?". In this class everyone asked each other about their favorite food.
"Hello!"

"What's your favorite food?"
"It's curry and rice."

"It's udon!"
"Delicious!"

Next, the students created their own `dream` schedules. Rather than just put subjects that they like the students had to think about what they wanted to be in the future and what they would need to study in order to achieve that goal. They had to write their reasons why they had chosen the subjects that they picked.
"I want to be a basketball player. I put P.E. in order to improve my skills. I need Home Economics to learn about nutrition. I picked English because I want to talk to foreign basketball players. I also need to study math to use for scores."

After making their schedules the students walked around the room and asked their friends about their schedules.
"What do you study on Monday?"
"I study home economics and math."
"Why?"
"パティシエになりたいからです。"

　"Nice dream!"

"You can do it!"

Good job everyone! It was very interesting to hear about your dreams!

Recently 6th grade students had their last class on the topic, `He is famous`. They have studied different adjectives to describe people and also the use of `He` and `She`.

As always we started class with a greeting game. This time we focused on the question "What did you do on Saturday and Sunday?". After summer vacation the students studied how to talk about what they did in the past so this phrase was review for them.
"I went to the mall. I ate udon. It was delicious."

After that we reviewed the different adjectives and the teachers gave quizzes using those adjectives.
"She is beautiful. She is smart. She is active. She can speak English well. Who is she?"
"Ms. Keiko?"
"Yes! That's right!

Some students also gave quizzes, too.
"He lives in Fukushima. He is active. He is honest. Who is he?"

Next, the students had to make quizzes about their classmates. Some students wanted to gather more information about their friends so we gave them a short time to ask each other questions.
"Do you like soccer?"
"Yes, I do!"

After that, the students got into groups and took turns to give each other quizzes. In previous topics they have given quizzes using `can`. It was very difficult to guess the person! This time they know much more English and can describe the person's personality, too. It was much easier to guess!
"Is it...?"

"I know! I know!"

Nice work everyone!