Welcome to the class!

Hello!

How are you? Welcome to my blog, Daito Learning Pages! I do not use this blog so much anymore, but I might sometimes post videos, pictures and other things for you for our classes. You can write comments here too. We can have fun in these classes!

ブログにようこそ！ブログが授業のためにヴィデオ、写真、画像やアップする。どちでも英語とか日本語コメントの書くができる。楽しいクラスしましょう！

Now - I will show you a little bit about myself. The picture above is my "hello" to all of you. The picture looks a little strange. It's not me - it's an image from a CD cover! But I like the image and the colors. 

Here is a little introduction about me and the classes. You have to guess a few things first, so let's get started!

 

So that's all for now! I'll be glad to see all of you next week! 

Images: Top, 8th & 10th images - screenshots of Frank Zappa Hot Rats album cover. All rights reserved to The Zappa Family Trust. No copyright infringement intended. Original image altered and uploaded for educational purposes only/2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, & 11th images - screenshots of personal images. All rights reserved/3rd & 9th images courtesy of Shutterstock. All rights reserved.

Culture through English A: Spring final assignment・前期末課題

Hello!

How are you? Here are the topics, deadline, and guidelines for our spring semester final presentations. 

Topics

You can choose one (1) of these topics: 

• The origins of some family names in Japan 
• An immigrant community in Japan (such as Koreans or Chinese born in Japan) or immigrant/unique ethnic community in another country 
• How a foreign person can become a citizen of Japan or how a person can become a citizen of another country you choose and research about (for example, how a foreign immigrant to the U.S. can become a U.S. citizen)

Task & guidelines 

You have a choice for this assignment. Because this is the final assignment, I will ask for a little more than on assignments 1 and 2. You can:

• Make a video of yourself giving a 5-7 minute Power Point, Key Note, or Google Slides presentation –or-
• Write a longer 5-7 paragraph (段落) research report, on a Word document or handwritten on notebook pages, with clear pictures taken of the pages 

About family names

For the first theme choice, be sure to show:

• The ranking of the family name in Japan or another country (for example, how common is the name) and number of people in Japan or another country with this name
• Any changes in the kanji of the family name, or the spelling of the name in a different language, over time
• In the case of Japanese family names, any differences in kanji within the same family name (for example, the difference between 渡辺 and 渡邉) and reasons for this difference
• In the case of a foreign family name, any possible differences in spelling of the name within  the country (or other countries that have the same language - for example, German language family names in Austria or Switzerland)
• The different parts of Japan or another country that the family name has migrated to and the parts of Japan or another country that the name is most often found in 

For the second theme choice, here is a list of some unique communities and ethnic groups in some different countries. You do not have to choose one of these - you can think of a refugee, ethnic group or community of your own. But you can choose one (1) of these if you like:

• The Travelers (Ireland)
• Vietnamese refugee boat people from the Vietnam War
• Bretons (northwestern France)
• The Basques and their language (northwestern Spain/southwestern France)
• The Sorbs and their language (eastern Germany/southwestern Poland)
• German minorities of Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan
• Hungarian minority of Romania
• The Sami people (northern Norway and Finland)
• Metis people of Quebec (Quebec, Canada)
• The Haida First Nations (British Columbia, Canada)
• Hasidic Jews of New York (New York City, U.S)
• The Lumbees (east central coast of the U.S.)
• Cajun (Acadian) people of Louisiana (the U.S.)
• Cham people (Cambodia)

For the third theme choice, make sure to research points such as: 

• Possibilities and issues of dual citizenship rights (二重国籍の権利) 
• Obligations of military service (徴兵制度) 
• Any possibility of double taxation (課税) between the person’s new country and old country 
• any other interesting or unique points that you may find about citizenship rights and responsibilities 

About presentations

If you make a Power Point show, I would like you to follow these guidelines: 

• You have to have a title slide - then a summary slide - then after that 5-7 slides with pictures and text on it - then finally a closing slide
• It has to be colorful and interesting to look at
• You have to video-record yourself giving the presentation - or if you can - do a narration to your slides where you talk out your presentation
• As with our other assignments, you are free to design the presentation display any way you want to.

About reports

If you choose to write a report, as we have done on the other assignments, you can also include pictures with it on a Word document - or take some pictures to go with your report. 

Deadline

Please upload your presentation files or written documents/pictures to Manaba no later than 23:59 on August 5th (8/5). However, I can take your files or documents up to 23:59 on August 8th (8/8). 

Please name your display file(s) or written document like this (here is an example): 

t_suzuki_cteA_final_assignment

("cteA" means Culture through English A)

If you have to upload more than one file, add the extra files with the same name, but with a letter after “final_assignment.” For example:

t_suzuki_cteA_final_assignment_a  (this shows that it is an extra file)

Please remember again that if you don’t have a computer but want to write a report, you can write clearly by hand on notebook paper, take a clear picture with your smartphone of the notebook page(s), and upload the picture file to Manaba. Please name the file the same way as above for a presentation file or Word document. 

I cannot take any more files after 23:59 on August 8th (8/8).

Good luck! 

Image: Top - by Angie from Sawara, Chiba-ken, Japan - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=639426/Screenshot taken from photograph originally uploaded to the Daily Mail website - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3437455/Not-passport-equals-travel-documents-come-different colors-countries-choose-them.html. I do not own the rights to the original image. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for classroom use only.

Writing English A: Spring final writing assignment・前学期期末作文

Hello!

How are you? Here is our spring semester final assignment - writing comparison and contrast (比較対照). 

In this assignment, you have a choice about comparing and contrasting two (2) different works of art, or two (2) different pieces of music.

About works of art
Let us begin with an example of a work of art. The image above is a very famous painting by the great 20th-century French artist Henri Matisse called Red Room (Harmony in Red). It was painted in 1908. 

What comes to your mind as you see this painting? Is there a reason for the design the way it is - for example, where the window is placed in the picture? Or the white apron of the woman at the table on the other side of the picture?

Do you feel it is a peaceful picture? Or maybe is it not so peaceful, because red is a strong color?

These are examples of things you can write about with art.

Accessing pictures 
Go to this link. It is a separate page on this blog, but it is not a regular blogpost. (On the web version of this blog, you can find it in the sidebar menu under this name: Artwork for student writing.) 

When you see these works of art, what comes to your mind? What other images, feelings, or even scenarios do you imagine? Follow the steps that are shown on the blogpage when you go to it. 

NEW - when you write about your two works of art, include these points:

1. General description (描写) about both artworks - what is in the pictures, such as the background or setting (outdoors, indoors, and such), figures or objects, and/or shapes and designs, what kinds of colors are dominant (支配的), and so on.

2. Mood and impression - what might be the dominant mood or impression that you get from the figures or objects - what kind of happiness, lightness, seriousness, or darkness in feeling or emotion comes through, what kind of message seems to be communicated, and so on. 

3. Preference (嗜好、好みこと) - in the end, which artwork you like more, with reasons - which artwork seems more powerful, or moving, or interesting, or convincing (説諭、説得的) to you. 

4. Scenario - here is a part of the writing I hope you can have fun with. When you view the work of art you liked better, what kind of story or scenario comes to your mind? What do you imagine? What do you see? You can imagine characters, a place, a time, objects, animals - anything! Write a very short, mini-story to this music! 

About music
You also have the choice to write about pieces of music. Here is an example of one such piece of music from your homework assignment on writing about music by a Norwegian trumpeter and bandleader, Nils Petter Molvaer, and one of his pieces, "Baboon Moon." 

As you listened to this piece of music, what came to your mind? What combinations of musical instruments are there and what did you feel they express? Were there reasons for the kind of tempo it has, or the instruments that you heard the most? Did the tempo and instrumental sound express to you the title of the piece of music and the location that the title comes from? 

So, with any piece of music, these are examples of the kinds of things you can write about with music.

Accessing music
Go to this link. It is also a separate page on this blog, and like the page with artwork, it is not a regular blogpost. (On the web version of this blog, you can also find it in the sidebar menu under this name: Music for student writing.) 

When you hear these pieces of music, what comes to your mind? What other images, feelings, or even scenarios do you imagine? Follow the steps that are shown on the blogpage when you go to it. 

NEW - when you write about your two pieces of music, include these points:

1. General description (描写) about both pieces of music - what the main instruments (楽器) are, such as guitar, piano, saxophones, keyboards, and so on.

2. Mood and impression - what might be the dominant mood or impression that you get from the music, and perhaps individual instruments - what kind of happiness, lightness, seriousness, or darkness in feeling or emotion comes through, what kind of message seems to be communicated, and so on. 

3. Preference (嗜好、好みこと) - in the end, which piece of music you like more, with reasons - which music seems more powerful, or moving, or interesting, or convincing (説諭、説得的) to you. 

4. Scenario - here is a part of the writing I hope you can have fun with. When you hear the piece of music that you liked better, what kind of story or scenario comes to your mind? What do you imagine? What do you see? You can imagine characters, a place, a time, objects, animals - anything! Write a very short, mini-story to this music! 

How much to write
I would like you to write around 4-5 paragraphs on one (1) of the pairs of pictures or pairs of music pieces. But - do not stop yourself! If you can write more - go for it!

As I mentioned in class, if you do not want to write about any of the artwork or music on the blog  page links, and want to write about two works of art or two pieces of music of your own, you can.

Special note: If you write about your own choices of music, I ask that they be instrumental - no vocals - and that they be short - each one no more than four (4) minutes each. 

Collection of your writing into books
I am gathering your writing about the artworks from the blogpage link into a book called Every Picture Tells a Story - student writing about art and photography. 

Likewise, any of your writing about the music from the separate blogpage link I am also gathering into a different book called Words on Music - student writing about music. 

So whichever task you choose - writing about the artworks or writing about the pieces of music - try to write to the best you can. Your writing could get into a book!

Deadline (締め切り) 

It will be due on August 5th (8/5), so you have two (2) weeks to work on this. Before that time, if you need any advice or guidance, message me anytime.

I would encourage you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in the Every Picture Tells a Story and Words on Music books. 

Good luck! 

Image: Red Room (Harmony in Red) by Henri Matisse - Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8553576/Board notes - personal photographs. All rights reserved.
Video uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the video or the musical composition within it. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for educational purposes only.

Writing English A: Comparing & contrasting music・音楽が比較対照

Hello!

How are you? Here is a new post for today - writing comparison and contrast (比較対照) with pieces of music. 

Activity/homework
Check out these four (4) video files. Listen to them as many times as you want or need. Select two (2) to write about. Compare and contrast (比較対照して) them with each other. They are instrumental pieces of music only - there are no words or vocals. 

Important notes: 
Take notes about these pieces of music you select. Which do you like better? What qualities (質、優劣) do they have? 

Also - what do you believe the artists are expressing (発送して) through their music? What might the sounds give you feelings about? 

What kind of scenarios might each piece of music give you feelings about? What do you imagine as you see and think about them? You can imagine people, characters, animals - anything that comes to your mind as you listen is okay!

When writing your comparison and contrast, write about the instruments (楽器) that are playing - for example, piano, brass, guitar, violins, and so forth. 

Now listen to all four (4) of these files - then choose two (2) for your comparison and contrast: 

File #1

File #2

File #3

File #4

I hope these pieces of music give you ideas and feelings to try out a different kind of writing. 

Take care! See you next week!

Images: Top - by Henri Matisse - State Hermitage Museum , Saint Petersburg, Russia, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26957974/Board notes - personal photographs. All rights reserved.

Video files uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the files or the musical compositions within them. All rights reserved to the copyright holders of the files and compositions respectively. 

Writing English A: Ukiyoe・浮世絵

Hello!

How are you? Today let's look at ukiyoe (浮世絵)! The picture above is by Kitagawa Utamaro, one of the most famous ukiyoe artists. 

Do you think ukiyoe still has any impact on Japanese culture today? Perhaps in manga or anime? It might not seem that way - but ukiyoe did have a big impact on Western art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

Activity

Look at the pictures below. What do you think of them? Do you think that manga and anime were influenced (影響した) by ukiyoe? What do you think of the impact that it had on Western art that you see below? Choose one (1) of these works of art and write 1-2 paragraphs about your impressions of these pictures.

Bamboo Yards, Old Kyobashi Bridge (Utagawa Hiroshige)

Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge (James McNeill Whistler)

Sudden Shower Over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake (Utagawa Hiroshige)

Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige) (Vincent van Gogh)

Have fun with these! But before you go - here's one more for you to enjoy! 

Shiba Zoujouji (Kawase Hasui)

See you next time! 

Images: Top - by Kitagawa Utamaro - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs divisionunder the digital ID jpd.02051.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11159688/Bamboo Yards, Old Kyobashi Bridge - by Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重) - Online Collection of Brooklyn Museum, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3790943/By ジェームズ・マクニール・ホイッスラー - Livre Peinture de paysage, de Norbert Wolf, Taschen, 2008. ISBN 9783822854655, パブリック・ドメイン, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8616218/Sudden Shower Over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake - by Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重) - Online Collection of Brooklyn Museum, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=226069/Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige) - by Vincent van Gogh - rwGc5ZWvzXZ0vA at Google Cultural Institute, zoom level maximum, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13523165/Bottom - Shiba Zojoji - by Kawase Hasui, scanned by W.Schmidt - Collection Walter Schmidt, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23985180

All images uploaded for educational purposes. All rights reserved on photographed images to the copyright holder(s). All rights on compositional works ultimately reserved to the artists’ descendants, designated heirs, and/or trusts and trustees.

Culture through English A: Refugees・難民

Hello!

How are you? Today I would like to introduce a new topic about people in difficult situations - such as refugees (難民).

Look at the picture above. Why are so many people on a boat? Where are they going? Talk about this with your classmates. Make some notes about it.

Activity
Now do the same with these two following pictures. Who are the people in the pictures? What are they doing? Where are they going? Where might they be coming from? What are they feeling?

Most importantly - what's your opinion of their situations? Make some notes in your notebooks about them.

See you next time!

Images: Top - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Refugees_on_a_boat.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Refugees_on_a_boat.jpg/Boy - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asylbewerber_-_15.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Asylbewerber_-_15.jpg/People on grounds - "Evstafiev Travnik refugees" http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Evstafiev-travnik-refugees.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Evstafiev-travnik-refugees.jpg/Man with passport and children - by Alemaugil - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2956803/
All images from Wikimedia Commons.