2017 activity report on a regional contribution program conducted by Nagoya University: 'Investigation of natural and environmental history in the Tokai region' for the higher grade elementary school students

We, the members of the Division for Chronological Research at the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research at Nagoya University, held a regional contribution program for the higher grade elementary school students on August 3–4, 2017: “Investigation of natural and environmental history in the Tokai region”. Twenty-seven students observed natural samples to experience earth and archaeological sciences. The first day began with lectures on tephra chronology and dendrochronology. After the lecture, the students took part in several hands-on experiments by using tephra and annual tree rings. On the second day they travelled to Shizuoka by bus and visited the Museum of Natural and Environmental History, Shizuoka to study natural and environmental history in the Tokai region. Later in the day they went to Miho no Matsubara to observe the states of coastal erosion and pine wilt disease. Finally, they went to Nihondaira to study about a movement of the earth’s crust. The program ended a success. The post-program questionnaire shows that the participants enjoyed the program and learned many new things.
宇宙地球環境研究所年代測定研究部は，静岡県ふじのくに地球環境史ミュージアムの山田和芳教授，菅原大助准教授，静岡大学理学部の北村晃寿教授と協力し，平成29年8月3日（木）と4日（金）の2日間にわたり，小学高学年生27名を対象とした夏休み体験学習「東海の地球環境史を学ぼう」を行いました．教室での講義だけでは得られ難い実体験の機会は，子どもたちの科学への興味や関心をより高めるきっかけになり，本体験学習の目的は十分達成できたと考えられる．