IFD is over!
International Friendship Day 2009 is over! :D
- Jordan
EZ COE ICT extravaganza's over!
Woohoo, the EZ COE ICT event was a success! :D
Note: We will be doing the presentation again as a static display for IFD.
- Jordan
EZ COE ICT - finalization
JOBSCOPES
- Kasidet: purchase Japanese merchandise for display
- Mr Ron Tan: purchase "sample" products
- Kenwin: print approx. 20 photos
- Jordan & Angus: come up with a script for the presentation
EVENT SCHEDULE
- 2pm - registration at Ngee Ann Sec's porch
- 2.30pm - address by LucasFilms
- 3.30pm - break
- 4pm - people will be visiting the display booths
- The whole event should end at around 6pm.
- Ngee Ann Sec's school hall will be open from 2.30pm-6pm the day before the event, to allow for setting up of equipment and decorations
The day before the event, we will be leaving for Ngee Ann Sec to set up our booth. We will leave all decorations and items at the booth. We will only be bringing back the projector and laptops.
Note: please bring all electric/electronic equipment on Tuesday, to make sure they work in Ngee Ann Sec.
We are provided with 2 whiteboard panels (in a "T-shape"), 1 power socket, 2 tables and possibly some desks.
We need to bring our own extension cords, speakers, laptops, projector, VGA cable and decorations. We will also be bringing the banner for the Kyushu trip.
Note: Everybody should bring their own personal souvenirs (e.g. keychains, soft toys, etc.) as well! Please pass them to Mr Daryl Tan by Monday, 6 April!
PRESENTATION
- "Decentralized". Instead of us addressing a large group of people at once, there will be numerous "stations" around the booth. At each station, 1 or 2 people will be explaining an individual aspect of the project and trip.
- The Mt Aso project by Jordan and Angus will be displayed on a laptop.
- Jordan's, Ashley's, Kasidet's, Sidney's and Sahil's projects will be printed out by Mr Ron Tan, and will be used as "samples" for visitors to flip through.
- Jordan and Angus will be explaining their Mt Aso project.
- The remaining people will explain their individual projects, as well as memorabilia such as photographs and souvenirs.
An important part of the presentation is the description of how we went about doing the project:
- Google Docs (collaborative file-sharing site) for sketching of ideas
- our areas of research
- how we compiled our research data in Google Docs
- we consulted teachers on how we could improve our projects - teachers could monitor our progress through Google Docs
- the trip was used to collect information, such as photos and maps. This allowed us to think of new ideas and improve our lesson plans further.
- the post-trip period was used to add on to the existing projects and refine our ideas and focus.
- we then consulted the teachers again and finalized our project.
- the completed lesson plans were then used to teach Lower Sec students History and Geography (e.g. the Minamata Disease presentation).
This shows that the entire Kyushu trip and creation of lesson plans was a student-led initiative from start to finish. Everything was done by students, with minimal intervention from teachers.
Remember: the key purpose of this EZ COE ICT event is to show how Victoria School has managed to integrate ICT into its lessons!
- Jordan
- Jordan
3rd meeting for IFD '09
Agenda: refine proposals and finalize logistics.
- Jordan
The actual proposal documents (with logistics requirements included) are with Sidney. This meeting focused on the roles of different people in the project.
Ming Jun and Jordan are in charge of Sec 2s and 3s, as well as any "extra" items/events during the week.
Kasidet and Angus are in charge of Sec 1s.
Sidney and Ashley are in charge of Sec 4s.
MAIN PROPOSAL CONTENT
- Logistics (equipment needed)
- Manpower
- DVD/download for "My Friend Totoro" movie
- Schedule for the day
- Jordan
EZ COE ICT event - briefing
Victoria School is the East Zone's Centre of Excellence for Information & Communications Technology (EZ COE ICT), and the Humanities Learning Journey to Kyushu, Japan has been selected as one of the items to be showcased during an event on Wednesday, 8 April, 2-5pm, at Ngee Ann Secondary School.
WHAT WILL WE BE SHARING?
- What was the Kyushu trip?
- Where did we go?
- Who sponsored the trip?
- Explanation of the trip being an "interdisciplinary study" of Geography, History and Social Studies
- Explanation of the service learning aspect of the trip - the products (worksheets, lesson plans) benefit others!
WHAT WAS OUR TASK FOR THE TRIP?
- The main objective of the trip was to create a lesson package for future students to use in their studies of the Humanities
- Before the actual trip, we created a draft of our lesson packages. This would allow us to know what our final project would be like, and thus what we would be focusing on during the trip (e.g. soil samples, interviews, etc.)
- After the trip, we revised our projects and created the final worksheets and lesson plans.
- The project was ongoing! Thus, we always had something on our hands and could fully utilize the experiences gained during the trip.
WHAT WILL BE IN OUR PRESENTATION?
- Worksheets and lesson plans
- Explanation of how we were given personal freedom to do our projects, according to what we wanted to accomplish (e.g. what questions we wanted to include, how we would go about accomplishing lesson objectives)
- Explanation of the Kyushu trip being a STUDENT-LED INITIATIVE (instead of teachers designing worksheets for students, this time it was students designing for fellow students!)
- How we used Google Docs to collate information, Google Sites to showcase our projects to others, and the blog to combine all aspects of the project and trip into one place.
LOGISTICS/RESOURCES REQUIRED:
- "Specimens", such as journals and scrapbooks
- soil samples and rocks from Mt Aso
- posters and maps
- photos to showcase the different parts of the trip, such as the school visit and the Minamata Disease Centre (Kenwin to print out $50 worth of 4R photos).
- sample lesson plans (print out)
- videos (Ming Jun to collate)
- borrow a projector from Ngee Ann Sec
- Japanese memorabilia (e.g. clothes, biscuits, etc.).
The overall objective of our presentation at Ngee Ann Sec next Wednesday is to express the freedom we (the students) had in our various projects, and how we got to stretch our minds and be creative in our lesson packages; to make it known that the trip was subsidized by the Japanese government, and thus such a fieldtrip is feasible for many other schools; and to IMPRESS OTHERS and "sell" VS. :P
Remember, MOE officials, teachers, principals and students from different schools will all be there! Our projects represent VS!
More details will be up soon.
- Jordan
2nd meeting for IFD '09
Here are the minutes for the 2nd meeting of IFD '09.
Agenda: Discussion of activities for the different levels, as well as the hall programme.
There have been a few minor adjustments to the overall aims of International Friendship Day.
AIMS
- Promote the understanding of different cultures
- Inculcate the meaning of friendship in students
*
There have also been changes to the activities for IFD '09.
Note: the following are all TENTATIVE.
SEC 1
- Create a poster for IFD '09 based on the theme of ASEAN
- Venue: Parade Square. In case of inclement weather, the activity will be shifted to the respective classrooms
- Suggestion: design a worksheet for teachers to use (i.e. rubrics, possible ideas, etc.)
SEC 2 & 3
- Movie screening (suggestions: My Neighbour Totoro, Pompoko)
- Venue: Hall
- If timeslot provided is too short, the movie can be continued after school is dismissed that day
SEC 4
- Pop quiz
- Venue: Auditorium
- 3 volunteers from each class will answer questions based on the themes of ASEAN and international friendship. The rest of the students will be watching the quiz (questions to be confirmed)
- The first volunteer to press a buzzer/bell will be allowed to answer
- Questions will be asked by an emcee (who is to be confirmed)
Basically, games, food-tasting and trip memorabilia displays have been scrapped for the Lower Sec students, as well as the movie screening for Sec 4s.
*
Events for the week leading up to the celebrations have also been planned.
- Static displays under the staircase with the Victorian Anthem
- Sushi-making at the canteen
- Get Indian, Chinese and Vietnamese students to prepare their own ethnic food (to be confirmed - we need to ask them first)
- Fishing Game (tentative). In this game, students will stand behind a barrier, and use a rod attached to a line and net to scoop up cans from a tub of water. The more cans successfully "fished" out within a certain time, the higher the student's score (Jordan in charge of logistics and resources for the Fishing Game)
- Jordan
1st meeting for IFD '09
Hi people,
Today was the first meeting for the organizing committee of International Friendship Day (IFD) '09, and here are the minutes.
Agenda: committee members and their duties, aims of IFD, outline for IFD celebrations (including activities and assembly programme).
ORGANIZING COMMITTEEChairman: ErnestCo-chairman: SidneySecretaries: Ashley, JordanPerformance I/Cs: Angus, KasidetLogistics: Ming Jun, Kian Chong
AIMS OF IFD
- To forge international friendships
- To learn about our citizenship
- To learn about different cultures and how they relate to us
ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES OF IFD
- Emcees and AV crew. Suggested: 2 "main" emcees for the assembly program, with "specialized" emcees for the Kyushu, Guangzhou and India trips.
OUTLINE OF IFD
- Date: 17 April 2009 (Friday). However, celebrations will run for the entire week.
- Assembly program must be more interactive - avoid boring the audience with PowerPoint presentations and speeches!
- Videos from Japan and China
- Overseas students and scholars translate school announcements into their native languages "live" (i.e. immediately after the announcement has been read).
- MORE FUN AND GAMES (minimize use of PowerPoint presentations!).
- Static displays at the canteen.
- Deploy people to man "stalls" and show videos of the trips.
- Scholars from 3D and 3H to put up presentations on their native countries.
*
The activities for IFD '09 will most probably be divided based on level.
Venues required (tentative) : hall, auditorium, field, amphitheatre, and possibly more.
LOWER SEC
- Games of different ethnic groups and countries (require resources - logistics department to look into this).
- Trip memorabilia (e.g. scrapbooks, souvenirs) on display.
- Teach them to cook food of different countries during Home Econs lessons (needs approval and confirmation from Mrs Melissa Lim and Ms Hashimah).
SEC 3
- Movie screening in hall.
SEC 4
- Movie screening in auditorium.
I/Cs for Lower Sec: Angus, Kasidet, Ming Jun, JordanI/Cs for Sec 3: Ashley, SidneyI/Cs for Sec 4: Kian Chong, Ernest
*
ASSEMBLY PROGRAMME
- The assembly will be held in the hall on a Monday, during the 3 CE-TT periods.
7.50-8.25am: All levels gather in hall for presentations from the various exchange trips and from overseas students. Suggestion: fill up intervals between presentations with performances.8.25-9.00am: Levels split up for their respective activities. Lower Sec students will play games of different ethnic groups. The movies for the Upper Sec students will be foreign movies.9.00-9.35am: Undecided as of yet.
*
Please pass any suggestions you may have to Mr Khoo or the organizing committee! Thanks! :D
- Jordan
Post-trip survey
If you have not done this survey, please do it now.
If you did this survey already, please do it again.
There were 3 bugs and so your responses were not properly captured. Alert your friends please.
- Mr Khoo
If you did this survey already, please do it again.
There were 3 bugs and so your responses were not properly captured. Alert your friends please.
- Mr Khoo
Duties for IFD 2009
These are the duties for the EXCO of International Friendship Day 2009.
Chairman: Ernest
Presentations
Gokase: Yu Fan, Sidney
Kurume (school exchange): Ming Jun, Sahil
Emcees: Angus, Kasidet
Static displays: Ashley, Reuben, Kenwin, Yong Xuan
There will also be additional presentations from the Guangzhou trip by the Vietnamese and Chinese students, and RSP.
- Kenwin
Chairman: Ernest
Presentations
Gokase: Yu Fan, Sidney
Kurume (school exchange): Ming Jun, Sahil
Emcees: Angus, Kasidet
Static displays: Ashley, Reuben, Kenwin, Yong Xuan
There will also be additional presentations from the Guangzhou trip by the Vietnamese and Chinese students, and RSP.
- Kenwin
Day Six (1 Nov 2008)
DAY SIX
Today, being the last proper "day" of our trip, was filled with SHOPPING!
In the morning, we had breakfast in our hotel, before departing for fruit-picking at Tanushimaru. After a rather long bus ride, we finally reached our destination - a lush orange orchard.
Here, we were allowed to pick up to 15 oranges each, and could sample 1 in the orchard if we so wished. Most people took full advantage of the fact that we could pick our own oranges, and we all scrambled to get the best ones.
After our fruit-picking session, we left for Robo Square in Fukuoka City, a high-rise building in the city, in stark contrast to the rural area we'd just left.
In Robo Square, we observed the various robotics displays that the Japanese are famous for, and watched a "robot show".
Sooner than most of us liked, we left Robo Square for Fukuoka Tower, where we ate an early lunch of hamburgers.
After lunch, we visited the Fukuoka Citizen Preparedness Centre. Here, we watched and took part in demonstrations on how to protect ourselves in the events of disasters such as fires, earthquakes and typhoons. Most of us enjoyed the activities we took part in, such as an earthquake simulation (including a shaking floor, toppling furniture and loud bangs), a typhoon wind simulation (we had to wear goggles to prevent the >30m/s wind from harming our eyes), a lesson on how to operate fire extinguishers, and navigating through a maze to train us in the correct way of evacuating a building in the event of a fire.
The knowledge we gained here will certainly be very useful in the unfortunate event that we encounter a disaster back in Singapore.
The rest of the day was nothing but shopping! First, we travelled to Marinoa City, a waterfront shopping mall. Then, we went to Aeon Mall, where we indulged in even more shopping, plus yet another buffet dinner!
Finally, at 10pm, we returned to our hotel and settled in for the night.
Today, being the last proper "day" of our trip, was filled with SHOPPING!
In the morning, we had breakfast in our hotel, before departing for fruit-picking at Tanushimaru. After a rather long bus ride, we finally reached our destination - a lush orange orchard.
Here, we were allowed to pick up to 15 oranges each, and could sample 1 in the orchard if we so wished. Most people took full advantage of the fact that we could pick our own oranges, and we all scrambled to get the best ones.
After our fruit-picking session, we left for Robo Square in Fukuoka City, a high-rise building in the city, in stark contrast to the rural area we'd just left.
In Robo Square, we observed the various robotics displays that the Japanese are famous for, and watched a "robot show".
Sooner than most of us liked, we left Robo Square for Fukuoka Tower, where we ate an early lunch of hamburgers.
After lunch, we visited the Fukuoka Citizen Preparedness Centre. Here, we watched and took part in demonstrations on how to protect ourselves in the events of disasters such as fires, earthquakes and typhoons. Most of us enjoyed the activities we took part in, such as an earthquake simulation (including a shaking floor, toppling furniture and loud bangs), a typhoon wind simulation (we had to wear goggles to prevent the >30m/s wind from harming our eyes), a lesson on how to operate fire extinguishers, and navigating through a maze to train us in the correct way of evacuating a building in the event of a fire.
The knowledge we gained here will certainly be very useful in the unfortunate event that we encounter a disaster back in Singapore.
The rest of the day was nothing but shopping! First, we travelled to Marinoa City, a waterfront shopping mall. Then, we went to Aeon Mall, where we indulged in even more shopping, plus yet another buffet dinner!
Finally, at 10pm, we returned to our hotel and settled in for the night.
Day Five (31 Oct 2008)
DAY FIVE
The previous night, each of us was allocated a dormitory in the Fukuoka University of Economics. Many of us welcomed this, as we were finally able to get some privacy and relax a bit, without the noise and interference from our friends.
In the morning, we ate a simple breakfast at the university cafeteria, before we were transferred to the actual university campus. It was surprising to find out that the university has its own in-campus elementary school, known as the Linden Hall Elementary School. Here, we learnt more about the school's education system, and found out more about the students' school lives.
Next, we went to thefamous Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine, supposedly the most famous Shinto shrine in all of Japan. Here, we learnt more about the Shinto religion, and its practices and customs.
On the way to the shrine, we visited the numerous souvenir shops lining the streets.
We were then transferred to downtown Fukuoka, for a syabu-syabu lunch at MK Restaurant, similar to the steamboats we have back in Singapore. After that, we had 2hrs of shopping time in the Fukuoka city centre!
Meeting in a subway station, we visited the NHK TV/Radio Broadcasting Station, where we viewed exhibits of the various TV shows and dramas broadcasted by NHK at one point or another, and also saw an actual radio broadcast going on!
Finally, we went to the Tosu Premium Outlet Mall in the evening , a factory outlet mall with beautiful, Victorian-era architecture, for another 2hrs of shopping! After shopping, we ate dinner at a buffet restaurant, before being transferred to the Hotel Chisun Inn Tosu, where we would spend the last 2 nights of the trip in.
The previous night, each of us was allocated a dormitory in the Fukuoka University of Economics. Many of us welcomed this, as we were finally able to get some privacy and relax a bit, without the noise and interference from our friends.
In the morning, we ate a simple breakfast at the university cafeteria, before we were transferred to the actual university campus. It was surprising to find out that the university has its own in-campus elementary school, known as the Linden Hall Elementary School. Here, we learnt more about the school's education system, and found out more about the students' school lives.
Next, we went to thefamous Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine, supposedly the most famous Shinto shrine in all of Japan. Here, we learnt more about the Shinto religion, and its practices and customs.
On the way to the shrine, we visited the numerous souvenir shops lining the streets.
We were then transferred to downtown Fukuoka, for a syabu-syabu lunch at MK Restaurant, similar to the steamboats we have back in Singapore. After that, we had 2hrs of shopping time in the Fukuoka city centre!
Meeting in a subway station, we visited the NHK TV/Radio Broadcasting Station, where we viewed exhibits of the various TV shows and dramas broadcasted by NHK at one point or another, and also saw an actual radio broadcast going on!
Finally, we went to the Tosu Premium Outlet Mall in the evening , a factory outlet mall with beautiful, Victorian-era architecture, for another 2hrs of shopping! After shopping, we ate dinner at a buffet restaurant, before being transferred to the Hotel Chisun Inn Tosu, where we would spend the last 2 nights of the trip in.
Day Four (30 Oct 2008)
DAY FOUR
In the morning, we walked over to Unzen Jigoku (literally "Unzen Hell"). This is a series of vents which constantly emit toxic, stinking fumes of hydrogen sulphide, which react with metal compounds in the soil, forming sulphur. The air here is constantly smoky due to the vents, and through the haze, you are able to see boiling pits of sulphur.
In the past, when Japanese society was still very conservative, Christians were thrown into these sulphur pits to die a slow, painful death.
Despite all this, Unzen Jigoku, like most of the other places we visited, is surrounded by large expanses of mountains and colourful flowers.
Next, we visited the Nagasaki Peace Park, a memorial dedicated to the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in World War II. We viewed the bronze "peace statue", and numerous other sculptures and fountains in remembrance of the victims. A large group of elementary schoolchildren were present at the Peace Park, as well as the "ground zero" site of the bombing (the hypocentre of the blast), reciting prayers and their own silent wishes to the victims of the bombing. This shows that the Japanese are still deeply affected by the bombing, and are sincere in their wish that such a disaster will never happen again.
We also went to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, where we viewed exhibits detailing the various aspects, and the damage, caused by the bombing.
After that, we drove over to Kurume for our much-anticipated school exchange. At the school (Kurume Nanchiku High School), we were warmly greeted by the Japanese students, and were treated to displays of their school's various clubs (equivalent to our CCAs), such as taiko drums, judo, kendo and sports.
After a short interaction session with the students, we presented tokens of appreciation to them, before leaving for our dormitory stay at the Fukuoka University of Economics.
In the morning, we walked over to Unzen Jigoku (literally "Unzen Hell"). This is a series of vents which constantly emit toxic, stinking fumes of hydrogen sulphide, which react with metal compounds in the soil, forming sulphur. The air here is constantly smoky due to the vents, and through the haze, you are able to see boiling pits of sulphur.
In the past, when Japanese society was still very conservative, Christians were thrown into these sulphur pits to die a slow, painful death.
Despite all this, Unzen Jigoku, like most of the other places we visited, is surrounded by large expanses of mountains and colourful flowers.
Next, we visited the Nagasaki Peace Park, a memorial dedicated to the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in World War II. We viewed the bronze "peace statue", and numerous other sculptures and fountains in remembrance of the victims. A large group of elementary schoolchildren were present at the Peace Park, as well as the "ground zero" site of the bombing (the hypocentre of the blast), reciting prayers and their own silent wishes to the victims of the bombing. This shows that the Japanese are still deeply affected by the bombing, and are sincere in their wish that such a disaster will never happen again.
We also went to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, where we viewed exhibits detailing the various aspects, and the damage, caused by the bombing.
After that, we drove over to Kurume for our much-anticipated school exchange. At the school (Kurume Nanchiku High School), we were warmly greeted by the Japanese students, and were treated to displays of their school's various clubs (equivalent to our CCAs), such as taiko drums, judo, kendo and sports.
After a short interaction session with the students, we presented tokens of appreciation to them, before leaving for our dormitory stay at the Fukuoka University of Economics.
Day Three (29 Oct 2008)
DAY THREE
Today was one of the high points of the trip. After bidding goodbye to our farm families, we departed Gokase for Mt Aso!
On the way to Mt Aso, we stopped over at the Shirakawa Riverhead. This Shinto shrine is famous for its crystal-clear spring water, which constantly bubbles up from the sand beneath a pool.
We each took turns filling our water bottles with some of the water. Despite having flowed over plants, rocks and soil, the water was very clear and pure to the taste, and had no visible impurities.
After our brief visit to the Shirakawa Riverhead, we continued our journey to the famed Mt Aso.
Some background information:
When we visited Mt Aso, we were exposed to very cold temperatures of around 6.5°C. We took a cable car ride up to the summit of Mt Naka, the highest point of Mt Aso, at 1592m above sea level. Here, the land is barren and rocky, compared to the lush green meadows at the volcano's base. This is due to the continuous stream of toxic sulphurous fumes being emitted from Mt Naka's crater.
Soon after, we returned to ground level and visited the Mt Aso Volcanic Museum, where we viewed presentations and exhibits detailing the various aspects of Mt Aso, from its formation to its uses and characteristics.
After another Japanese lunch at a nearby restaurant, we proceeded to Kumamoto Castle, a famed attraction of Kyushu. It is one of the few remaining castles from the ancient times, and is now a popular tourist destination.
Here, we learnt about the political history of Japan, including the rule of the bushi, or samurai class. We toured the various buildings of the castle complex, including the one remaining original building (the rest were reconstructed after the Japanese civil war in the 19th century, which destroyed them).
Close to evening, we departed for Kumamoto Port, where we took a short ferry ride over to Nagasaki. When we reached Nagasaki, we took a bus ride up to Unzen, where we stayed at another hot spring resort.
Today was one of the high points of the trip. After bidding goodbye to our farm families, we departed Gokase for Mt Aso!
On the way to Mt Aso, we stopped over at the Shirakawa Riverhead. This Shinto shrine is famous for its crystal-clear spring water, which constantly bubbles up from the sand beneath a pool.
We each took turns filling our water bottles with some of the water. Despite having flowed over plants, rocks and soil, the water was very clear and pure to the taste, and had no visible impurities.
After our brief visit to the Shirakawa Riverhead, we continued our journey to the famed Mt Aso.
Some background information:
Mt Aso is one of the most famous active volcanoes in Japan, and possesses
the largest volcanic caldera (crater) in the world, with a diameter of 24km and
a circumference of 126km. Mt Aso is theorized to have formed from 4 major
eruptions during the past 300,000 years. The magma flowed out of 5 main vents,
which eventually became the 5 main peaks comprising Mt Aso - Mt Neko, Mt Naka,
Mt Eboshi, Mt Kishima and Mt Taka, of which Mt Naka remains active.
The eruptions released such huge amounts of magma from the Earth, that an
"empty space" was formed beneath the surface, into which the ground collapsed,
creating the large caldera that Aso is famous for.
When we visited Mt Aso, we were exposed to very cold temperatures of around 6.5°C. We took a cable car ride up to the summit of Mt Naka, the highest point of Mt Aso, at 1592m above sea level. Here, the land is barren and rocky, compared to the lush green meadows at the volcano's base. This is due to the continuous stream of toxic sulphurous fumes being emitted from Mt Naka's crater.
Soon after, we returned to ground level and visited the Mt Aso Volcanic Museum, where we viewed presentations and exhibits detailing the various aspects of Mt Aso, from its formation to its uses and characteristics.
After another Japanese lunch at a nearby restaurant, we proceeded to Kumamoto Castle, a famed attraction of Kyushu. It is one of the few remaining castles from the ancient times, and is now a popular tourist destination.
Here, we learnt about the political history of Japan, including the rule of the bushi, or samurai class. We toured the various buildings of the castle complex, including the one remaining original building (the rest were reconstructed after the Japanese civil war in the 19th century, which destroyed them).
Close to evening, we departed for Kumamoto Port, where we took a short ferry ride over to Nagasaki. When we reached Nagasaki, we took a bus ride up to Unzen, where we stayed at another hot spring resort.
Day Two (28 Oct 2008)
DAY TWO
We started the day with a Japanese breakfast, before packing and leaving Yunoko Sankaikan for the Kumamoto Environment Centre. Here, we learnt about the many different environmental issues in the world through interactive displays, such as computer quizzes, short videos and simple games. The facilities here are simple enough for young children to understand, and there were many elementary school children here on a school excursion.
Next, we visited the Minamata Disease Municipal Museum, where we learnt about and expanded our knowledge on the Minamata Disease.
A bit of background information:
Here in the Minamata Disease Municipal Museum, we learnt about the above, and also listened to a recount by an actual Minamata Disease sufferer, who shared with us his life before the disease struck, when he was infected, and after he recovered. It was quite a touching story, and served as a reminder to never repeat such a tragedy.
Lunch for the day was Spanish paella (rice with seafood), served in Japanese style at a quaint, picturesque location on a cliff above the Yatsushiro Bay.
After lunch, we took a long drive to Yabe Village, the site of the Tsujyun Bridge, a popular tourist destination. The Tsujyun Bridge is an aqueduct, which, in ancient times, served to transport water from the mountains to irrigate surrounding farms.
Now, the Bridge has weekly discharges of water to cleanse its pipes, which are actually spectacular sprays similar to a fountain!
After watching the water discharge at the Tsujyun Bridge, we were transferred to the highlands of Miyazaki Prefecture, to the small village of Gokase. This was where we experienced our Japanese farmstay.
We were all truly surprised when we were greeted by the various "host families" at the Gokase Winery. They were all smiling and waving Singapore flags! Inside the winery, we were treated to a simple "welcome ceremony", and were introduced to our host families - 3-4 students to 1 family.
Kenwin, Ming Jun and I (Jordan) were allocated to a family who lived on a small cottage, precariously perched on the edge of a cliff. It was a 10min-long car ride from the winery to the house!
At the house, we ate a dinner of vegetable curry (probably made from the family's own crops), boiled sweet potatoes, fruit salad and orange jelly.
We were also introduced to the family's 3 young children, with whom we spent most of the evening playing with.
But what surprised us most was the fact that some aspects of the farmers' homes were actually more technologically-advanced than our homes back in Singapore! Take, for example, the bathroom. It had a fully-computerized water heater, and even had a "communication system", allowing the user to speak to people outside the bathroom, in case of accidents such as falls.
The 3 of us spent the night on futons, once again.
We started the day with a Japanese breakfast, before packing and leaving Yunoko Sankaikan for the Kumamoto Environment Centre. Here, we learnt about the many different environmental issues in the world through interactive displays, such as computer quizzes, short videos and simple games. The facilities here are simple enough for young children to understand, and there were many elementary school children here on a school excursion.
Next, we visited the Minamata Disease Municipal Museum, where we learnt about and expanded our knowledge on the Minamata Disease.
A bit of background information:
The Minamata Disease was first discovered in 1956. Since 1932, the Chisso
Corporation in Japan (one of the world's largest manufacturers of products such
as liquid crystal) had been dumping wastewater containing methyl mercury into
the nearby Minamata River. Over time, dangerous amounts of methyl mercury
accumulated in the bodies of fish and other aquatic lifeforms living the river
and surrounding sea.
As Minamata City itself is located next to the sea, many of its residents
were fishermen. In the 1950s, people began to observe dead fish floating in the
waters surrounding Minamata. Soon enough, cats which had eaten the contaminated
seafood began having strange convulsions and spasms.
In 1956, the first documented case of Minamata Disease in humans occurred,
but it was a very long time before the root cause of the disease was discovered.
The Chisso Corporation knew that their mercury-containing discharges were the
cause, but concealed the fact from the authorities to prevent profit
losses.
Eventually, Minamata Disease was identified as a severe form of mercury
poisoning, and the problem was only solved in the 21st century.
Here in the Minamata Disease Municipal Museum, we learnt about the above, and also listened to a recount by an actual Minamata Disease sufferer, who shared with us his life before the disease struck, when he was infected, and after he recovered. It was quite a touching story, and served as a reminder to never repeat such a tragedy.
Lunch for the day was Spanish paella (rice with seafood), served in Japanese style at a quaint, picturesque location on a cliff above the Yatsushiro Bay.
After lunch, we took a long drive to Yabe Village, the site of the Tsujyun Bridge, a popular tourist destination. The Tsujyun Bridge is an aqueduct, which, in ancient times, served to transport water from the mountains to irrigate surrounding farms.
Now, the Bridge has weekly discharges of water to cleanse its pipes, which are actually spectacular sprays similar to a fountain!
After watching the water discharge at the Tsujyun Bridge, we were transferred to the highlands of Miyazaki Prefecture, to the small village of Gokase. This was where we experienced our Japanese farmstay.
We were all truly surprised when we were greeted by the various "host families" at the Gokase Winery. They were all smiling and waving Singapore flags! Inside the winery, we were treated to a simple "welcome ceremony", and were introduced to our host families - 3-4 students to 1 family.
Kenwin, Ming Jun and I (Jordan) were allocated to a family who lived on a small cottage, precariously perched on the edge of a cliff. It was a 10min-long car ride from the winery to the house!
At the house, we ate a dinner of vegetable curry (probably made from the family's own crops), boiled sweet potatoes, fruit salad and orange jelly.
We were also introduced to the family's 3 young children, with whom we spent most of the evening playing with.
But what surprised us most was the fact that some aspects of the farmers' homes were actually more technologically-advanced than our homes back in Singapore! Take, for example, the bathroom. It had a fully-computerized water heater, and even had a "communication system", allowing the user to speak to people outside the bathroom, in case of accidents such as falls.
The 3 of us spent the night on futons, once again.
Day One (27 Oct 2008)
Sorry for the severe lack of updates on this blog. There has been no internet access for the past few days in the places where we've been staying. Please check back here regularly, as we will be uploading the full "stash" of pictures and photos once we return from Kyushu!
Entries for subsequent days in the trip will be posted whenever we have the opportunity to do so, or as soon as possible once we return from Japan.
Thank you!
*
DAY ONE
At 1.10am, 27/10/08, the 24 of us students, plus Mr Khoo Kay Yong and Mr Ron Tan took off for Fukuoka International Airport in Kyushu, Japan, on flight SQ656.
After the 6hr journey, we arrived at Fukuoka International Airport! Following that, we boarded our coach and had a 3hr bus ride to our first stop - Izumi City.
At Izumi, we proceeded to a "crane observatory"after lunch (we had a traditional Japanese meal). At the observatory, we were able to view around 200 cranes lounging in the surrounding fields. These cranes are in Izumi as part of their annual migration. Once the temperature rises at the start of spring (around mid-February), the cranes will fly back north to the island of Hokkaido.
As a side-note, Izumi is one of only three places in Japan where wild cranes can still be seen. This is due to extensive deforestation, which has destroyed the cranes' natural habitats and driven them away.
Our second stop of the day was the Tsukinoura Centre, where we learnt about Japan's methods of waste management. Similar to Singapore's NEWater scheme, Japan also recycles sewage, albeit in a slightly different way:
Japan converts solid human waste into a virtually odourless fertilizer for plants.
We visited their RBS (Reactor Bio Systems) plant to view the various stages of this process.
After our visit to the RBS plant, we proceeded to our hotel for the night, the Yunoko Sankaikan ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), where we were grouped 4 to a room. The inn is a beautiful structure overlooking the Yatsushiro Bay, and offers stunning seaviews. Yunoko Sankaikan also provides hot spring/spa/communal bathing services to its guests, and some of us entered the hot springs to experience the customs and practices of Japan.
In the evening, we ate a traditional Japanese dinner here, and even wore Japanese yukata, or robes!
We spent the night in the ryokan on futons (mattresses) laid out on each room's tatami mats. Despite the mattresses being relatively thin compared to those we usually sleep on back home, it was very comfortable, and most of us managed to get a good night's sleep.
Entries for subsequent days in the trip will be posted whenever we have the opportunity to do so, or as soon as possible once we return from Japan.
Thank you!
*
DAY ONE
At 1.10am, 27/10/08, the 24 of us students, plus Mr Khoo Kay Yong and Mr Ron Tan took off for Fukuoka International Airport in Kyushu, Japan, on flight SQ656.
After the 6hr journey, we arrived at Fukuoka International Airport! Following that, we boarded our coach and had a 3hr bus ride to our first stop - Izumi City.
At Izumi, we proceeded to a "crane observatory"after lunch (we had a traditional Japanese meal). At the observatory, we were able to view around 200 cranes lounging in the surrounding fields. These cranes are in Izumi as part of their annual migration. Once the temperature rises at the start of spring (around mid-February), the cranes will fly back north to the island of Hokkaido.
As a side-note, Izumi is one of only three places in Japan where wild cranes can still be seen. This is due to extensive deforestation, which has destroyed the cranes' natural habitats and driven them away.
Our second stop of the day was the Tsukinoura Centre, where we learnt about Japan's methods of waste management. Similar to Singapore's NEWater scheme, Japan also recycles sewage, albeit in a slightly different way:
Japan converts solid human waste into a virtually odourless fertilizer for plants.
We visited their RBS (Reactor Bio Systems) plant to view the various stages of this process.
After our visit to the RBS plant, we proceeded to our hotel for the night, the Yunoko Sankaikan ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), where we were grouped 4 to a room. The inn is a beautiful structure overlooking the Yatsushiro Bay, and offers stunning seaviews. Yunoko Sankaikan also provides hot spring/spa/communal bathing services to its guests, and some of us entered the hot springs to experience the customs and practices of Japan.
In the evening, we ate a traditional Japanese dinner here, and even wore Japanese yukata, or robes!
We spent the night in the ryokan on futons (mattresses) laid out on each room's tatami mats. Despite the mattresses being relatively thin compared to those we usually sleep on back home, it was very comfortable, and most of us managed to get a good night's sleep.
The day has arrived!
The day has arrived! At 1.10am tomorrow morning, the 24 of us + 2 teachers will be flying off to Kyushu, Japan for our Humanities Learning Journey!
Woohoo!
The past week has been very hectic, what with all the meetings, but remember that all that preparation - as well as the trip itself - is for the "greater good". xD
We'll be using the knowledge gained from this trip to help teach the future Lower Sec students! I bet you just can't wait to torture them with your worksheets, right? =.=
The fact that the outcomes of this trip are "tangible" should motivate us to work harder both during and after the trip. Remember your lesson plans and what you planned to achieve in them!
As much as we'd like it to be so, this field trip isn't a holiday. :( It is merely one part of this learning journey we've volunteered to undertake in order to help future generations of students. Focus on the lessons behind each location we visit, and this trip will become much more meaningful.
See you all at the airport! ^^
- Jordan
Woohoo!
The past week has been very hectic, what with all the meetings, but remember that all that preparation - as well as the trip itself - is for the "greater good". xD
We'll be using the knowledge gained from this trip to help teach the future Lower Sec students! I bet you just can't wait to torture them with your worksheets, right? =.=
The fact that the outcomes of this trip are "tangible" should motivate us to work harder both during and after the trip. Remember your lesson plans and what you planned to achieve in them!
As much as we'd like it to be so, this field trip isn't a holiday. :( It is merely one part of this learning journey we've volunteered to undertake in order to help future generations of students. Focus on the lessons behind each location we visit, and this trip will become much more meaningful.
See you all at the airport! ^^
- Jordan
Performance of Understanding 3
As you embark on PU3, which is the learning journey itself, be reminded of the goals and expectations you have set for yourself. Pls review your own inputs and fulfill them in the course of the trip.
The understanding goals of PU3 are:
The understanding goals of PU3 are:
- how can field trips help me acquire a deeper understanding of the generative topics?
- how can on-site data & artifacts help improve my lesson package designed in PU2?
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