1st year (JHS) Are you ~ ? Yes, I am. No, I'm not. Shin Chan's world and Lesson Plan

Teaching Are you ~ can be boring, but I created a lesson based off the popular anime and manga Shin Chan. Many children here in Japan already know the character's names so it is easy for them to become acclimated to saying Are you ~ and answering.

I will have the doc file available on a google drive because sharing is caring. Of course you can not begin with a worksheet right away and it is always a good idea to have a warm up activity. I try to make my warm ups lead into what the students are learning. For this lesson I used an action game. I wrote the target grammar on the board:

"Are you ~?"

"Yes, I am"

"No, I'm not"

 

Ususally I have this written before class is started and I draw a happy face next to yes and a sad face next to no. After I ask the important questions (Hello, How are you, How is the weather, What day is it today, What is today's date, What year is it) and write them on the board we repeat them. The beginning of the lesson is always the same and it is important to have consistency.

 

I will have the action cards available as well, but if you would like to make your own the actions are: Happy, Sad, Hungry, Cold, Hot, Sick, Sleepy, Fine and Tired. I use pictures on my cards that match the flashcards used so that the students have an easy time. My mission is to make English fun and accessible. These are also 1st year students (the equivilent of 7th grade in the USA), so their reading skills aren't excellent. First we review the material, then I demo the game. This involves a lot of me talking to myself and pretending that I am a student. If you like acting and being a little silly then an ALT position is a good one for you. After I demo the game we play. I put the smaller cards into my "magic bag" and shake. The students are divided into 2 teams and play rock, scissors, paper to see who will go first. First team to score 6 points is the winner and students that volunteer win the sticker of the day. Most classes really like this game, but you will run across a quiet class who will not want to play. Usually I tell them that I count down from 5 and if a person volunteers before that they will get a point for their team and a sticker, if this doesn't work I still pick someone to play.

 

 

After the game is over we review the target grammar and then I introduce the idea that you can also use "Are you" for someone's name:

 

"Are you ~ (Natalie)"?

"Yes, I am"

"No, I'm not"

 

 

Then each student receives a Shin Chan work sheet. I make a large copy for an example and attach it to the blackboard with magnets. Again, I demo the game. In advance I have prepared many different character cards. I tell the kids to take one card and that it is "TOP SECRET". I show them that they will ask eachother, "Are you ~" and respond with the target grammar. If their classmate says yes, they ask them to sign in the area with the character's names. We then move on to completing the worksheet. I also created another side of the work sheet that has more general questions, but they LOVE this activity. It is funny when they get a character they don't like and vice versa. When they finish the sheet they see me and I give them an OK stamp (more on supplies I find useful later).

 

The back of the worksheet has the more general version:

 

 

The idea of collecting signatures is the same, but they also get a chance to practice the target grammar with more general phrases. Before I let them collect signatures we practice the phrases on the sheet. When they finish they receive an OK stamp. This lesson should take 45 to 50 minutes and the kids seem to have a lot of fun doing it.

 

I will make all materials available, including a lesson plan available soon. If this kind of thing interests you then please feel free to message me or send me any tips you have on being an ALT.

 

Link to materials:

Shin Chan's World

Printable Shin Chan Character Cards

Are you ~? back sheet

 

Cheers!

Natalie