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Japanese Proverbs (Kotowaza)

Eleventh graders explore Japanese proverbs (ことわざ, kotowaza) — short, memorable sayings packed with wisdom. “七転び八起き” (fall seven times, rise eight) teaches perseverance; “猿も木から落ちる” reminds us even experts err.

Grade 11Proverbs (Kotowaza)55 minutes1 class periodACTFL / World LanguagesExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Know Japanese proverbs.
  • ✓Understand their lessons.
  • ✓Appreciate the wisdom.
  • ✓Use a kotowaza.
Essential Question

Every culture has proverbs. What wisdom do Japanese kotowaza carry — and what can they teach us?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Japanese Proverbs Check

Project each item and have students answer about Japanese proverbs.

📜 Understand Japanese proverbsTry it
Answer each question about Japanese proverbs (kotowaza).
The Lesson · Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Words of Wisdom

6 min

Every culture has proverbs — what wisdom do Japanese kotowaza carry?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show “nana korobi ya oki.”
  • Ask what it means.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Proverbs (Kotowaza)

13 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Proverbs Check.
  • Note each lesson.
  • Note the imagery.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

15 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain a proverb.
  • Give a modern example.
  • Share the lesson.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain.
  • Give it.
  • Share.
4

Speak — Speak

15 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say a kotowaza aloud.
  • Explain when to use it.
  • Share with a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Explain.
  • Share.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a proverb.
  • Say its lesson.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Intermediate-High).

ACTFL
Cultures 2.1

Explore proverbs & values.

ACTFL
Cultures 2.2

Explore cultural wisdom.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.2

Compare proverbs across cultures.

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand proverbs.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Proverb + meaning cards.
  • Show the imagery.
  • Explain each lesson.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with nana korobi ya oki.
  • Use one proverb.
  • Discuss its lesson.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Learn three more kotowaza.
  • Compare to English proverbs.
  • Illustrate one.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 📜Proverb cards
  • 💻Japanese Proverbs Check
  • 🖼️Proverb illustrations
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

ことわざ (kotowaza)proverbちえ (chie)wisdomきょうくん (kyōkun)lessonたとえ (tatoe)metaphorがんばる (ganbaru)to persevereしっぱい (shippai)failureけいけん (keiken)experienceでんとう (dentō)tradition
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does “nana korobi ya oki” (fall 7, rise 8) teach?
Never give up — perseverance.
QUESTION 2
What does “even monkeys fall from trees” mean?
Even experts make mistakes sometimes.
QUESTION 3
What is a kotowaza?
A traditional proverb with a wise or witty lesson.

Reflect: proverbs.

Have students explain one Japanese proverb and its lesson (like “nana korobi ya oki”). A printable Japanese proverbs sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Japanese Proverbs (Kotowaza)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Japanese Proverbs (Kotowaza)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Japanese Proverbs (Kotowaza)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: がんばる (ganbaru), きょうくん (kyōkun), けいけん (keiken), ことわざ (kotowaza), しっぱい (shippai), たとえ (tatoe), ちえ (chie), でんとう (dentō)
  1. wisdom
  2. to persevere
  3. failure
  4. metaphor
  5. tradition
  6. experience
  7. lesson
  8. proverb

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does “nana korobi ya oki” (fall 7, rise 8) teach?
  2. What does “even monkeys fall from trees” mean?
  3. What is a kotowaza?
Answer key — Part A: 1) ちえ (chie) · 2) がんばる (ganbaru) · 3) しっぱい (shippai) · 4) たとえ (tatoe) · 5) でんとう (dentō) · 6) けいけん (keiken) · 7) きょうくん (kyōkun) · 8) ことわざ (kotowaza)
Part B: 1) Never give up — perseverance. 2) Even experts make mistakes sometimes. 3) A traditional proverb with a wise or witty lesson.