Year-end Lesson

Jessica Adler

Procedure

1. Hang the poster sheet up on the board. Write the name of the class in marker in the middle
2. Hand out one butterfly sheet to every student, ask them to write their names in the middle of the butterfly
3. Explain the concept of year-end messages (write a sample message to your JTE on the board)

Dear Sensei,

Thank you so much for your help this year. I had so much fun with you. Sometimes you seem really tired in class, but I hope you had fun too. You are so funny, but also a little crazy! Remember when we danced at bunkasai? Maybe we can hang out next year... Good luck!

Yours truly,

Jess

Explain that messages can be about anything: something you like about the person you are writing to, what you think of the person, a happy memory, a question for the person, a sign-off, salutation, etc.

1. Explain that students should get four messages, one in each section of the butterfly
2. The students have to leave their seats to get messages
3. Once they get started, I usually write some adjectives on the board to help them along. Make sure both you and your JTE have blank butterfly sheets so that you can participate as well
4. With 12-15 minutes remaining, give a five-minute warning. With 8-10 minutes left, have each student cut his or her butterfly out of the worksheet. After they have cut their completed butterfly out, they can attach them to the poster paper on the board. They can put it anywhere: crooked, straight, whatever, anything goes! This is mad Impressionism. After 40 kids have hung their butterflies, it looks like a bunch of butterflies flying on the sheet.
5. When the bell rings, hang up the poster on the side of the room or in the back, and now you have English hanging on the walls. Gorgeous.