NHK for School
The schools service from NHK is a wealth of programming for students of Japanese. There is a variety of subjects for all interests. The Japanese is natural, possibly slightly simpler than adult speech. Most programs have transcripts, and some have subtitles. Some will have worksheets and additional activities. Most are short enough for repeated viewing at 10 to 20 mins length.
The service can be accessed via a web browser
https://www.nhk.or.jp/school/
or with an iPad app
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/nhk-for-school/id1104138987
Neither is perfect, on balance though you get a fuller experience going to the programs website.
I find the kokugo 国語 programs the most interesting.
ことばドリル is a favourite of mine. The programs are only 15 mins long and deal with small grammar or writing points. They show how Japanese adults can make mistakes and how Japanese is taught to Japanese children. I make the same mistakes as the fall guys in the various segments.
昔話法廷 (folktale court) is at the advanced end of the difficulty spectrum as it's more for middle school students. However its concept of giving folktale characters their day in court is interesting. Will Red Riding Hood or The Three Little Pigs be banged up for what they did to the wolf? The procedures in Japanese court are markedly different to the British and American systems most english speakers might be familiar with through TV. There are no verdicts, that is left up to the students.
I'm only uncomfortable with one episode, which deals with whether a death sentence will be handed down, as it starts from the position that a death sentence is just. I'm with Ireland and the EU on this, as a matter of principle death sentences are unjust. This particular episode is also available signed in Japanese sign language and as an extended episode with commentary.
The programs covering technical education are good too.
ピタゴラスイッチ is at the lower end of the difficulty scale, aimed at first graders. It is worth watching for the program idents featuring ingenious contraptions. I often laugh aloud at some of the ideas. A lot of the segments are about processes.
テキシコー is more advanced and deals with programming concepts without the use of a computer. It introduces 5 core programming processes: analysis, combination, generalization, abstraction and simulation. It is also available in English and French on NHK World but I think it loses its charm in translation.
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