Grand Prix Quiz: House

Students need to know Japanese words for rooms. “Karuta Game: Japanese Household Vocabulary” is a resource to introduce and practice this vocabulary.

Teachers may also wish to use “Cultural Notes: Japanese House” to introduce the Japanese house.

Groups prepare coloured markers attached to Blu-Tack, for indicating which rooms have been taken.
The teacher prepares a series of questions.

Students form a maximum of 5 groups and line up in rows. The first student from each group steps forward and the 5 students play じゃんけん. The winner consults with the group to choose a room or other space on the game sheet (apart from ろうか or かいだん), about which a question will be given. The 5 contestants get ready to answer the question. The teacher asks a question related to the chosen room. The first contestant who puts up their hand can try to answer. (Alternatively, s/he can hold up a flag, ring a bell or press a buzzer.) If the student answers correctly, s/he gets 10 points. If s/he cannot answer, the teacher may give other group representatives an opportunity to answer. Alternatively, the contestants may be allowed another chance by asking for a ‘lifeline’, and consulting with their group. If the answer is correct, that group ‘takes’ the room or space with a coloured marker. A place that has been marked cannot be chosen again. The contestants rotate, with new group members coming forward. The contestant who won the previous round gets to choose the next room, always consulting with the group, and the process is repeated. (Alternatively, the teacher can indicate who will choose a room to make sure every group gets a turn.) The group with the highest score wins.

まえにでて（ください）－Come out to the front
しつもんです！－ Here’s the question
～さん、こたえて（ください）－Please answer
はい、せいかいです－ Yes, that’s correct
(room) に こまをつけて（ください）－Stick your marker on the room

1. For beginner learners, questions can be asked in English, eg. What do you say when you enter the げんかん?
2. The teacher prepares questions at two levels of difficulty, and when contestants choose a place, they specify which level of question they will attempt.

Student: しょくどう、やさしいレベル（おねがいします）
やさしいレベル ＝ 10 points , むずかしいレベル ＝ 20 points

Questions

The question 「Roomになにがありますか。」is the most obvious, and can be used to start with. Alternatively, the following questions, some of which require students to draw on their wider Japanese knowledge, can be used. There are two sample questions for each room/space in the house, at different levels of difficulty.

• Rooms of a Japanese House: 3 Hints Game
• Board Game: House

Resource created by Cathy Jonak, Himiko Negishi-Wood and Chisato Nakayama (March 2004).