For two years, pupils in schools across Japan have been observing mokushoku (silent eating) to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Schools have started to lift this rule because Covid-19 infections have fallen. This resources pack includes an article from The Week Junior magazine, along with a sheet of activities designed to get children thinking, talking and writing about what the story means to them.
Oracy
The idea of children having silent meals might have been introduced in Japan to stop the spread of Covid, but is it worth introducing it to our schools anyway? Knowing how noisy dining rooms can get, wouldn’t it be nice to have a completely silent lunch, if not every day then perhaps once or twice a week? Or do you think eating together is an important social experience that requires conversation? What do you think?
Writing skills
Write a recipe for a perfect mealtime conversation as if it were instructions for cooking a delicious dish. Who would be there? What would you talk about?
Or
Write an imagined review of a restaurant or café where no one is allowed to talk. Describe the atmosphere and your opinion of the waiters as well as the quality of the food.
Investigate
Different cultures have different ideas about the polite way to eat in public. Research and list at least five different examples of eating etiquette (rules of polite behaviour) from around the world. For each one, say whether you think it is something we should do here in the UK.
Find the entire series of Topical Tuesday resources to download in our Topical Tuesdays collection.
What is The Week Junior?
The Week Junior magazine looks at current affairs and helps children make sense of the world, provides context and clarity to complex issues, improves general knowledge and encourages discussion and debate.
To find out more about The Week Junior and to download its free resources, please go to The Week Junior website.