Preparation:
1. Print out the images
2. Cut & Laminate
3. Separate the (16) images in 5 different envelopes (House, Job, Pet, Vehicle, Travel)
4. Print Worksheets + "You will" slip
5. Optional: Buy a Daiso box and write おみくじ on it.
- Warm-up
- 2 Questions about Omikuji
- Separate into groups
- Rules
- Writing
Start with a simple warm-up to get the students ready for class. I usually do Hot Stitch (Hot potato) as a quick warm-up to get the students talking in English.
After the warm-up, I start the new PPT with a "Happy New Year" (How you say it in Hawaiian is also added, but you can delete it or replace it with your mother tongue). Then I ask what these pictures (Omikuji) are and where you can buy/get the slip of paper. Students will write an omikuji (or prepping them) for a random student in class. This is NOT their fortune (and they'll get excited at first because they think they are pulling cards for themselves, but they are not), but for a random student in class.
Separate the class into five groups (the number of students does not matter; there are 16 cards for each envelope). Explain the rules:
- Each group will have one envelope (House, Job, Pet, Vehicle, Travel)
- Everyone in the group pulls out one card WITHOUT LOOKING/RANDOM. (They cannot look and choose a card; it defeats the purpose)
- Write their "answer" in the blank. (The image on the envelope should match the icon on the fortune slip)
- Put the cards back in the envelope and pass it to the next group (Clockwise)
- Repeat five times
I give the group 2 minutes with each envelope. This will go by super fast.
- Collect the envelopes
- Instruct to fold the fortune very small and add it to the fortune box
- Shake the box (put on your best dance move)
- Group by group, students will randomly draw out a fortune from the fortune box.
If they don't know the word, you can show them the image in the PPT or review the entire list of images.
If there is time, pass out the worksheet.
- The first section is simple: they write what fortune they received: "I will...."
- Students write two resolutions (Free write, or they can choose from the list below)
- The third session is "What would you (they) like their New Year to be?". I usually let the students choose to write it in Japanese or English. Most will choose Japanese because they are low-level.
Feel free to edit any cards (PPT: Omikuji Cards). If you're going to edit the Omikuji Cards, don't forget to edit the "Omikuji 2024" PPT since there are slides of the Cards, too (I use them to go over the list or to help students visualize what they received on the slip)
The "Happy New Year" PDF contains the worksheets and the slips of "You will..."
I made the worksheet and slips in Canva.
This is such a great lesson! I really want to try this with my lower-level schools, it's the perfect amount of support! I think they'll really enjoy it. Thanks so much!
That powerpoint is insanely good! I needed another New Year's lesson and this is perfect. Thank you!
Thank you very much for sharing this lesson plan. My students and JTE really enjoyed it!
One of my JHS is small with ~8-11 students in each grade. I used this lesson plan for all 3 grades. For each category I asked students to get creative and allowed them to use their chromebooks for 10mins.
After they drew their Omikuji they read it. Then I did a wheel of names draw and made each students read their Omikuji out loud to the class. Most of them were funny ones so we all had a good laugh about it.