DRL/with Benchmark
Cultural Thematic Unit Gr. 3
Created by D. Sue Muir
How My Parents Learned to Eat
Memoir
By Ina R. Friedman
I. Preparation:
IA. Establishing or Stimulating Prior Knowledge
Turn and Talk: Students will discuss a time when they felt nervous, anxious or awkward in a situation that was
new to them. Share out with the group.
Discuss the genre, memoir.
IB. Introducing Key Vocabulary: In pairs, use skimming technique to find the words in the text. Place a sticky note on the
page as the vocabulary word is found. Write KNOW, HEARD or SEEN, DON’T KNOW about each word. Discuss with your
partner. When finished, each pair will share their findings with the rest of the group.
Content: Japanese, Yokohama, Sukiyaki, Western food, Englishman, Westerners, kimono
Academic: natural, stationed, foreign, utensils, encouraged, trembled, clever
II. Purpose Setting: Character traits development, “I notice…” strategy using evidence to support their findings
Introduce the concept of irony
III. Directed Reading and Discussion:
 BENCHMARK Assessment: Read pages 1-8 and answer questions orally. Read companion text, Counting Your
Way Through Japan and answer Benchmark assessment questions orally. Benchmark Assessment questions
attached.
 Students will read the story and place “I notice” sticky notes on the places where they find out more about the
characters, P for physical trait, C for character trait. Students will place their sticky notes on a T chart on the
board/chart. They will discuss the evidence they found for their traits.
 Additional discussion questions: When do you think the story takes place? Who is telling the story? Why is this
story important to the author?
 Introduce the concept of irony: Discuss what the word irony means. Gives examples of situations that are ironic.
What is ironic about this story?
“Ironic statements (verbal irony) often convey a meaning exactly opposite from their literal
meaning. In ironic situations (situational irony), actions often have an effect exactly opposite from
what is intended.”
Is it ironic that I posted a video about how boring and useless Facebook is on Facebook?
Is it ironic that I have 10,000 spoons but what I really need is a fork?
IV. Extension of SkillsReader Response questions:
 What character traits did both main characters possess? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
 Think of a time you were ____________ (character trait.) How was your situation similar or different than the
characters in the story?
V. Suggested Enrichment Activities:
 Fortune Cookie Bulletin Board: Make fortune cookies out of felt rounds and find a quote from a famous person
that could be used as a fortune. Students will discuss what their quote means and why it has meaning in their
lives.” Eat real fortune cookies and share.
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Bring in chopsticks. Copy or access http://www.robsworld.org/chopsticks.html for a “How to” tutorial on using
chopsticks. Use the chopsticks to eat a variety of Japanese foods. Read the section called “Bad Manners.” Which
bad manners tips are similar to yours and which tips are totally different from yours? Chart them on a T-chart.
Writing Extension: Write a memoir explaining a special tradition that you have experienced in your family.
Chopsticks (Hashi)
See below for credits. This web page created to help you learn how to eat with chopsticks. Kim and I learned to
eat with chopsticks while stationed in Misawa Japan. We lived there for three years, and the food was
fantastic. While you're here, perhaps you'd like to check out the rest of Rob's World!.
The Japanese word for chopsticks; hashi, means "bridge." Unlike Chinese chopsticks, which are squared-off
and blunt at the end, these Japanese utensils are rounded and tapered to a point at the end (and much more
difficult to use). It has been suggested that this is in order to facilitate the removal of bones from fish, which
makes up a great part of the Japanese diet. Note that most Japanese restaurants serve the Chinese style
chopsticks to patrons.
Using Chopsticks
Would you eat a sandwich with a spoon? Or use a fork to eat
ice cream? Certain foods require the appropriate utensil.
Asian foods are no exception: they seem to taste better eaten
with chopsticks. And although some of us were raised using
chopsticks, it can be an awkward experience for the rest of us.
Fortunately, learning to eat with chopsticks is a simple matter,
as this tutorial shows.
Many of us labor under a misconception about chopsticks-that both sticks are moved together in your hand as you pick up a morsel. This is only half-true. Instead you'll
be holding one chopsticks in place while pivoting the other one to meet it. Simple, eh?
Heaven forbid that the restaurant serves disposable chopsticks in this era of
disappearing ancient forests. But to prepare you for that possibility, here's some
advice on breaking them apart. Pull the sticks away from you on a horizontal plane,
so your palms end up facing away from you. Twisting them apart vertically can cause
splintering, which might hamper your dining experience.
Of course, most restaurants will serve you disposable chopsticks, especially in Japan. Many things are
individually wrapped. The culture is very conscious of personal hygiene and sanitation.
Step 1 - Position the chopsticks
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Place the first chopstick so that thicker part rests at
the base of your thumb and the thinner part rests on the
lower side of your middle fingertip.
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Bring your thumb forward so that it traps the stick
firmly in place. At least two or three inches of chopstick
should extend beyond your fingertip.
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Now position the other chopstick so that it is held against the side of your index finger by the end of
your thumb. (As if you were holding a pencil)
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Press the ends of both sticks on the plate, while holding them at a slight angle to the table. Allow them
to slide just a little so that the ends line up.
Step 2 - Pivot the top chopstick
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Place a little pressure on the top chopstick. It will pivot on your index finger and thumb. Remember:
the bottom chopstick is stationary. Your thumb will stay fairly stationary, while the index and middle
fingers are used to move the top chopstick.
The tip of the top chopstick will move towards the tip of the bottom chopstick. Encourage this. Hold
those tips together firmly enough to grasp a piece of food and lift it off the plate. Place delicately into
your waiting mouth. Although there's no need to stoop, you may wish to lean over your plate a bit
during your first attempts. It might save you a clean-up.
That's about it. Have a little practice, use mini-marshmallows or some other small food items, and
you'll be able to use chopsticks with the best of them.
Bad Manners
(Using chopsticks)
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Mayoi-bashi: Mayoi means "dithering." It is bad manners to wave your chopsticks around aimlessly
over the food, trying to decide what to take next.
Utsuri-bashi: Changing the food you have selected after you have touched the food.
Saguri-bashi: Looking for contents in a soup with chopsticks.
Sashi-bashi: Sashi means "inserting." It is bad manners to spear food with the points of the chopsticks
as if they were a fork.
Yose-bashi: Yose means "drawing near". It is bad manners to pull the dishes towards you using the
chopsticks. Always pick the dishes up in the hand.
Yoko-bashi: Keeping chopsticks together and using them like spoon.
Komi-bashi: Raking foods into one's already full mouth with chopsticks.
Neburi-bashi: Licking the ends of chopsticks.
Other tips
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Don't eat with a broken or mismatched pair of chopsticks.
Don't eat twice in a row from the same dish except your rice bowl.
Don't stick chopsticks in your rice. This is commonly done at funerals, or as an offering which is placed
on the altar at an ancestral shrine.
Don't dig under food to get the best pieces.
Don't eat food directly from the central plate; transfer it to your bowl first.
Don't lick your chopsticks. - Don't stab your food with a chopstick.
Don't set chopsticks on your bowl of dishes. Chopsticks should be placed on the table, chopstick holder
or tray. When you are not using the chopsticks, put them in front of you onto the table or a dish with
the tip to the left.
Do not give food from your chopsticks directly to somebody other's chopsticks. Only at Buddhist
funerals where the bones of the burned body are given in that way from person to person.
Don't make noise with your chopsticks.
Neither point with the chopsticks to something or somebody nor move them too much around in the
air.
Don't reach across another person with your chopsticks.
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Knife and fork are used for Western food only. Spoons are used for eating certain Japanese dishes, for
example donburi or Japanese style curry rice. A Chinese style ceramic spoon is sometimes used to eat
soups.
Making slurping noises while eating noodles is perfectly acceptable in Japan. There is no need to
excuse yourself for making noises while eating.
Handling dishes
Japanese dishes are designed to be the right size and shape for holding in the hand. It is a particularly
important point of etiquette to lift the dishes to the breast when eating rice or drinking soup.
When eating tempura, sashimi (raw fish), or other food which is dipped in sauce before being eaten that you
use the hand not holding the chopsticks to hold the dish containing the sauce.
The dishes or plates used for grilled fish are usually too large to pick up. Such platters may be left on the table.
When eating from a large platter or pot, transfer a portion from the communal pot to your own small dish and
then lift this dish to eat.
Table Manners
Use your chopsticks to cut up pieces of food too large to fit into the mouth in one bite.
When eating food served in bowl with a lid, replace the lid on the bowl when you have finished.
When you have finished your meal, replace your chopsticks on the chopstick rest (when provided/present) as
they were when you started. (I usually fold the chopstick wrapper into a small rest)
Author: Robert L. Vaessen e-mail:
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