Home: Fall
2021 Edutainment Lesson Plans
Fall 2021 Edutainment Lesson Plans
(Let's have fun learning English!)
Lessons on this page are optional and not part of your grade, but if
you take the time to do them, they will not only improve your overall
English communication skills, but will also broaden your cultural
horizons to help you become a more successful international citizen in
today's global society!  Bonus
points will be offered on some assignments.
***********
Thanks
for all your hard work this semester! I hope to have the pleasure of
meeting you in person one of these days. Best wishes to you always...
Cheers,
Gary
Week 14:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz
- At the 8:56 mark in this video is
a story about an exciting new car that can change colors by using
electronic ink. Wow. For bonus points, write down both the make and
model name of this car. [Click
on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle size.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 29 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 14 instead.]
English in a Minute
- If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Dough
Interesting Japan news
- In this interesting article you can read about some amazing cat-friendly homes. For
bonus points, write down how many different floor plans you can choose
from if you decide to buy one of these homes especially designed for
cats.
We are the World! - Target bird golf
(ターゲットバードゴルフ) is an interesting game that seems to be very popular
among older Japanese people. For bonus points, write down what they use
for their "golf ball."
Humorous images -
For his Y2K Year 2000 nengajo (年賀状, New Year's post card), this crazy
gaijin thought it would be funny & cool to dress up like a Geisha Girl. In fact, perhaps you have seen this guy before. If not, click here to solve the mystery. For bonus points, write down this gaijin's name. 
Week 13:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz
- At the 7:50 mark in this video
is a story about 19-year-old Zara Rutherford from Belgium who is
trying to become the youngest woman ever to fly solo around the world.
For bonus points, write down when she is scheduled to be back home.
[Click
on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle size.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 28 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 13 instead.]
English in a Minute
- If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Fan the Flames
Interesting Japan news
- Lucky folks up in Hokkaido are being treated to a special
illumination event this
Xmas season created
with colorful drones, as you can see in this video (removed by NHK). For bonus points, write down the name of
the town where you can see these amazing illuminations.
We are the World! -
Are you addicted (病みつき) to your smartphone? Check out this shocking,
eye-opening video to see what can happen to your relations
with other people if you use your phone inappropriately. Wow.
Humorous image -
Speaking of using your phone too much... At last! The solution. (click link to see funny
picture)
Week 12:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz
- This interesting story at the 4:55 mark in this video
shows a very realistic humanoid robot. For bonus points, write down the
robot's name and how much money the robot's designer spent to develop
it.
[Click
on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle size.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 27 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 12 instead.]
English in a Minute
- If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Lefty Loosey, Righty Tighty
Interesting Japan news
- This article
shows how the dangers of 'smartphone-walking' (歩きスマホ) in Japan is
getting more
severe. This past July, a 31-year-old woman who was looking at her
smartphone walked out onto a railroad crossing in Tokyo and stopped,
thinking she had already crossed the safety barriers.
Unfortunately, she was so focused on her smartphone screen, she didn't
realize she was still INSIDE the safety barriers and didn't hear the
siren announcing an oncoming train, and sadly was struck and killed by
the train.
For bonus points, write down the number of times ambulances were called
in Tokyo between 2016 and 2020 for accidents involving people walking
or cycling while looking at their smartphones, according to the Tokyo
Fire Department.
We are the World! -
Several
years ago when I lived in Chiba, while out on my mountain bike one day,
by chance I passed by an elderly lady's home decorated by an
uncountable number of handmade windmills (風車). As you can see, most of
these windmills are made from aluminum drink cans and PET bottles.
According to the nice lady, making these amazing windmills is her son's
hobby. Here's the video. [For bonus points, count the number of
windmills. JUST KIDDING, ha ha!]
Humorous image -
Have you ever built your own PC? Or have you have ever taken it apart
to see what's inside? Ever wondered how all the inside moving parts
make your PC work? If not, no problem. Just click this link
to see inside your PC to see how it all really works. WOW!
Week 11:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz
- At the 7:33 mark in this video
is an interesting story about a high-tech smart dog who knows how to
use a smartphone. For bonus points, write down the name of this
beautiful Labrador Retriever.
Wow! [Click
on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle size.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 26 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 11 instead.]
English in a Minute
- If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Keep Me in the Loop
Interesting Japan news
- This video (removed by NHK) says a Japanese startup
is now accepting
orders for its new “hoverbike” protoype. For bonus points, write down
the price tag.
We are the World! -
This video
shows the AMAZING Batman Roller Coaster ride at the Six Flags Fiesta
Texas amusement park. For bonus points, write down how many passengers
ride in each car and which city in Texas this park is located in (hint:
it's not Houston!).
Humorous image -
So when you go to bed at night, do you "shut down" your PC or just put
it in the "sleep" mode? Either way, do you REALLY know what happens
after you go to sleep? Check out this video
to see the silly stuff that ACTUALLY happens on your PC while you
sleep!
Week 10:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz
- In the news story at the 7:47 mark in this video,
for bonus points write down the age of the woman who set a new world
record recently in the 100-meter dash at the Louisiana Senior Games.
Wow! [Click
on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle size.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 25 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 10 instead.]
English in a Minute
- If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Get Out of Town
Interesting Japan news
- The main goal of the Shibuya Crossing renovation project is the
construction of an 800-meter aerial pedestrian deck which will connect
the Shibuya Hikarie building, Shibuya Scramble Square, and Shibuya Mark
City, allowing people to easily walk aboveground to connect to Shibuya
Station's MANY train lines. For bonus points, write down the name of
the lady with the Tokyu rail company who is interviewed in this news story.
We are the World! -
In this short video clip
of a Nippon TV Fukaii Hanashi (深イイ話) show, a thief gets arrested by 2
handsome cops. If you know him, for bonus points write down the name of
the famous American actor police officer on the left.
Humorous video -
The most expensive TV commercials you will ever see on American TV is in early February during
the American football NFL Super Bowl championship game. This year
advertisers had to pay more than $5,000,000 for just a 30-second ad.
WOW! Here's a funny Super Bowl TV commercial from
several years ago that takes place in a Japanese sushi shop. Ha ha!
Week 9:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz
- The news story at the 7:11 mark in this video introduces a new AI-powered cooking robot.
For bonus points, write down the name of this amazing robot. [Click
on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle size.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 24 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 9 instead.]
English in a Minute
- If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Rain On Someone's Parade
Interesting Japan news
- This video
(removed
by NHK) reports
that the East Japan Railway Company is retiring the remaining
E4 double-decker trains on its Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train line. For
bonus points, write down the number of passengers carried by this
16-car train.
We are the World! -
In this amazing video,
Italian daredevil wingsuit pilot Uli Emanuele filmed his scary flight
through a 2-meter-wide rock opening in the beautiful Swiss Alps. WOW!
Humorous photos -
If
you love
photography as much as me, you may be amused by these funny "pictures
taken at just the right angle." Hopefully they will bring a smile
to
your face today!
Week 8:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz
- One of the biggest enviromental problems for Planet Earth is
disposable plastic waste. At the 3:13 mark in this video
is an interesting story about a company that hopes its products made
with seaweed will help replace the use of plastic. For bonus points,
write down the name of the gentleman interviewed in the story. [Click
on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle size.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 23 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 8 instead.]
English in a Minute
- If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Fight Tooth and Nail
Interesting Japan news
- One of my former English students who is now a famous architect in
London recently shared with me a project that his firm is designing for
the Mori Building Company in the Toranomon-Azabudai district in central
Tokyo. In this article
you will see many photos of this exciting new project which includes
plans for Japan‘s tallest skyscraper. For bonus points, write down
how tall this new building will be.
We are the World! -
If you've
never seen a singing and dancing bird, you will LOVE this precious
cockatoo bird named Snowball who loves the Back Street Boys. CUTE!
Here's the video.
Humorous video -
Some people who drink too much alcohol do crazy things and get in
trouble. For a good laugh, check out this funny video
of a guy who drank too much. To understand the humor, root beer is not
really an alcoholic "beer", but is a soft drink which tastes kind of
like Dr. Pepper.
Week 7:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz
- This week's story teaches us that we're never too old to attend
college or to pursue our dreams! At the 4:33 mark in this video,
you'll learn about an amazing student-athlete at Reinhardt University
in Georgia, USA. For bonus points, write down her age. [Click on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle size.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 22 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 7 instead.]
English in a Minute
- If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: In
a Nutshell
Interesting Japan news
- Sendai's weird new hotel has a very unusual check-in procedure, as
can be seen in this
video (removed by NHK). For bonus points, write down
the name of the hotel "staff" who greets you at the front desk. Wow!
We are the World! -
If you've never seen a downhill bicycle race on a glacier (氷河), you
won't believe this crazy race at the Alpe d'Huez ski resort in the
French Alps where you will see SO many cyclists crashing into each
other! OMG! Here's the video.
Humorous video -
Many of you may be too young to be familiar with the famous manga
series called Saint Seiya (聖闘士星矢, セイントセイヤ), which was also an anime TV
series. So if you're already familiar with the Saint Seiya theme song, you'll
probably get a good laugh seeing this young French guy singing the song
in a singing contest. Here's the video.
For bonus points, please share your opinion by grading his Japanese
language skills on a scale from 1 (not so good) to 10 (G-r-r-reat!).
WOW.
Week 6:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz
- At the 7:01 mark in this video,
you'll see an interesting story about the Albuquerque International
Balloon Fiesta. For bonus points, write down how many people attended
this 9-day event. [Click on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle size.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 21 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 6 instead.]
English in a Minute
- If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Small Potatoes
Interesting Japan news
- In this video (oops, NHK deleted it), the 81-year-old Japanese skateboarder
states that "anything short of death is just a scratch." For bonus points, write down how much
he paid for his first skateboard.
We are the World! -
Last week I shared a video
of the College of Engineering where I studied civil engineering (土木工学)
at The University of Texas at Austin. This week I'd like to show you
the on-campus dormitory where I lived called Jester Center. More than
3000 students live there, WOW! Here's the video.
Humorous video -
This video shows the most amazing tropical fish you've
ever seen. They can even do TRICKS, wow!
Week 5:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz
- For this week's English comprehension challenge, at the 7:45 mark in
this video
check out this news story of a beached whale in Argentina. For bonus
points, write down the whale's length. As usual, host Carl Azuz
finishes the story with his usual oyaji gyagu (おやじギャグ), ha ha. [Click on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle size.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 20 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 5 instead.]
English in a Minute
- If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Gut Feeling
Interesting Japan news
- Honda is developing an electric vertical take-off and landing, or
eVTOL, aircraft. The key vocabulary word in this news story
(removed by NHK) is "range," meaning the distance that a vehicle can
travel. For bonus
points, write down the range for this new flying car that Honda is
hoping to achieve.
We are the World! -
It was a VERY
long time ago when I was your age as a university student, but even
today, many years later I still remain very proud of my alma mater. You
might enjoy seeing this promo video
for the College of Engineering where I studied civil engineering (土木工学)
at The University of Texas at Austin. For bonus points, write down the
average annual starting salary for engineering graduates from my
university.
Humorous image -
To read a very popular ancient Japanese proverb (古代日本のことわざ), visit this page.
Week 4:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz
- For bonus points, what is the name of the dog, a Russell Terrier,
that recently set a world record for running around a baseball diamond
in 21.06 seconds? Cue over to the 8:33 mark in this video. That is a FAST dog! Can you run that
fast? [Click on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle size.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 19 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 4 instead.]
English in a Minute
- If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Tone Deaf
Interesting Japan news
- If you have time, please check out the ADORABLE baby cheetah in this
31-sec. video (removed by NHK). For bonus points, write down
where he was
born.
We are the World! -
To broaden
your global horizons, check out Spanish acrobatic paraglider pilot
Horacio Llorens take a breathtaking nighttime flight through the Aurora
Borealis (北極光) near Trømso, Norway in this 3 min. video.
Humorous video -
Before you have your next barbeque, if you're not sure if your beef is
safe to eat, here's how to identify if your cow has mad cow disease
(狂牛病): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6ag1bIabg0
Week 3:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz - This week,
if you have time, have a look at the story at the 2:21 mark in this video
to see a very interesting centuries-old fishing tradition in an Asian
nation. For bonus points, write down the name of the fish they catch.
You might also like the short story at the 8:05 mark showing some
highlights of a recent robotics conference in China. [Click on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. Click on the settings (gear)
icon if you need to change the subtitle settings.]
Let's Learn English, Lesson 18 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 3 instead.]
English in a Minute
- a short video explaining a popular idiom used in everyday American
English conversation. If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Talk is Cheap
We are the World! -
In my
college days, one of my favorite bands was The Doobie Brothers. And one
of my all-time favorite musicians in those days was a friend I had the
pleasure of often hearing him sing and play his guitar. And now,
decades later, he still sings and plays the guitar very well. If you
have time, please listen to his band in Austin, Texas playing The
Doobie Brothers' tune, "Jesus is Just Alright" in this video starting
at the 12:04 mark (he's the lead singer and guitarist).
For bonus points, let me know what YOU think about his band!
Humorous video -
Back in the
mid-90s, I had the pleasure of singing and dancing in a children’s
English education stage show (子供の英語教育のショー) conducted in public halls
all over Japan. One of my fellow entertainers was a funny guy from
Australia who was also a comedian. Here’s the music video
for a funny song named "Kinjo no Gaijin" (近所の外人) he recorded which
became so popular, it was even played for a while on the Tokyo radio
station InterFM897. Hilarious! [his pet vacuum cleaner's name is Erik,
ha ha...]
Week 2:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz - At the 8:02
mark in this video, you can see plans for a sightseeing space
balloon in 2024 which will carry as many as 8 passengers to an altitude
of 100,000 feet. WOW! For bonus points, at the bottom of your homework
form, write down
the cost of a ticket and how many hours the flight will last. [click on
the "CC" button for English subtitles].
Let's Learn English, Lesson 17 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [If you find this
lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 2 instead.]
English in a Minute
- a short video explaining a popular idiom used in everyday American
English conversation. If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Wishy-washy
We are the World! -
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015, skydivers broke a world record for the
largest sequential formation of all time, as you can see in this video.
WOW! For bonus points, how many skydivers were there?
Humorous video -
This funny video shows 8 different types of people shopping
at the supermarket. For bonus points, write down which kind of shopper YOU are, ha ha. [Click on
the "CC" button for English subtitles. If you cannot read them, click
on the settings (gear) icon, then click on "Subtitles," then "English,"
then click on "Options," and where it says "Font size," select "100%."]
Week 1:
CNN10 Weekly Newsquiz - Formerly
called "CNN Student News," this short commerical-free broadcast
highlights news stories of interest to American students. Watch the news story starting
at the 7:25 min. mark in this video and write down the name and length (in
meters) of Australia's largest dinosaur. [click on
the "CC" button for English subtitles] For bonus points, write your
answers in the
comments section at the bottom
of your Week 1 quiz form.
Let's Learn English, Lesson 16 -
an online lesson with video showing the lives of young Americans. Watch
the short video, try out a few of the other exercises on the page, and
then take the short quiz to check your comprehension. [Intermediate
learners may find some of these lessons a little easy, but with
language learning, sometimes a quick review of the English expressions
you already know is
vital for long-term retention of your language skills! On the other
hand, if you find this lesson too hard, you might want to challenge Lesson 1 instead.]
English in a Minute
- a short video explaining a popular idiom used in everyday American
English conversation. If you can imagine living in an English-speaking
country, think
of a situation where you could use this week's American idiom: Lost Cause
We are the World! -
pictures or videos of interesting things happening in Japan and other
parts of the world. For the first week, check out Scotland-native Danny
MacAskill, a professional cyclist who gets paid BIG money to do tricks
and stunts on
his mountain bike. You won't believe this amazing video
where Danny takes a dangerous, death-defying bike ride across rooftops
in the Canary Islands, off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa. For
bonus points, write down which language they speak in the Canary
Islands. This video has been viewed over 110,000,000 times. WOW!
Humorous video -
What's your favorite brand of soy sauce? Watch this video
to find out the teacher's favorite brand!
Homework Assignments:
In general, you
will have one week to turn in
homework assignments from the day they are assigned. Homework
assignments more than one week late will receive an automatic 20%
deduction. Assignments more than 2 weeks late will not be accepted and
will receive a ZERO on the assignment.
My main teaching philosophy:
Edutainment!!
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Apr 26, 24 11:01 PM Hi Gary, I love your site as it is so informative. On August 1st, 3 of us will be attempting to climb Mount Fuji. My husband and I are comparatively fit Read more
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Apr 26, 24 10:32 PM Hi, I have some questions about reserving a hut on Mt. Fuji. I'll be in Tokyo a few days before climbing season and am attempting to climb on July 1st. Read more
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Apr 24, 24 09:00 AM A Warning to America: 25 Ways the U.S. is Being Destroyed | Explained in Under 2 Minutes
(click link to view shocking video) Read more
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