[Elementary English] Learn Directions in 1 Minute! “Go! Gem-emon!” Rap Turn right! Turn left!

Do your students turn the wrong way on “Turn right”?

“They can do ‘Go straight,’ but ‘Turn right’ and ‘Turn left’ get all mixed up…”
“When students face each other to give directions, left and right get reversed…”

Does this sound familiar when you teach giving directions?
Thank you for all your hard work preparing lessons every day!
Hi, I’m Gem-emon, the development partner of Deji-Lab!

The more you think about left and right, the more confusing it gets. That’s why the best shortcut is to ride the rhythm and turn with your own body!
Following our “12 Months Rap Challenge,” we made this second song: “Go! Gem-emon! ~Turn right! Turn left!~”

3 Features of This Video

1. A “Follow-Along Window” shows the right way to turn!

A small “follow-along window” stays at the top right of the screen the whole time. In the window, Gem-emon moves seen from behind, facing the same way as the students, so they can simply copy him and turn in the correct direction.
A clockwise arrow (↻) appears for “Turn right,” a counterclockwise arrow (↺) for “Turn left,” and a direction arrow for “Go straight,” so students can understand each move with both their eyes and ears.

2. Students discover the “face-to-face trick” by themselves!

In the second chorus, Gem-emon in the window turns to face the viewers and does “Turn right.” On the screen, he turns toward the left!
“Huh? He turned left on ‘Turn right’!” This discovery leads to the most important skill in giving directions: thinking from the other person’s point of view.

Whether he is seen from behind or from the front, the arrow is always clockwise. Students naturally learn the rule: “It may look different, but Turn right is always clockwise when seen from above.”

3. About 1 minute! Plays directly, even where YouTube is blocked!

The song is about 1 minute long, perfect for a warm-up at the start of class.
Just like the 12 Months Rap, the video plays directly on the Deji-Lab website, so you can use it on school tablets where YouTube is blocked. No ads at all!

Screenshots

How to Use It

It’s easy! Click the “Watch the Video” button above and press play.
Gem-emon recommends playing it twice.

• 1st time: Students stay seated, watch, and listen to get the flow of the song.
• 2nd time: Everyone stands up! Say, “Turn the same way as Gem-emon in the small window at the top right,” and start the video.

Students turn 90 degrees and take a step in place, so leave some space between desks for safety.
If you hear “Huh?” during the second chorus, that’s a great learning moment! Ask, “Why did he turn to the left on the screen?”

Connection to the Japanese Course of Study (2017)

• Grades 5 and 6, Foreign Language (English): Language activities — Listening / Speaking [Interaction]