This week we began learning about Japan as our second country in our study of cultures around the world. Students learned about some traditions from Japan, and also learned that Japan is known for their technology. We got a glimpse into what life is like for a first grader in Japan by watching some videos created by a young girl from Japan. We were able to see how Japanese students’ school lunch time is different from ours, and even some cool technology in Japanese bathrooms that we hadn’t seen before!

Today, we learned about origami – the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. Together as a class we followed instructions to make a simple origami puppy. Then, students got to explore more origami projects and try some out on their own. The projects were challenging and required lots of problem solving, critical thinking, and persistence. They did a great job sticking with it and created some neat results!