The Calendar of Studying the Community
--- We Are Kamokko Expeditions --- April '01~March '02
Kamo Elementary Third Grade Students

Aims:

* To raise appreciation of our natural and cultural world of the community * To raise the sense of wonder * To learn methods of exploring, expressing, and exchanging * To learn cooperation through collaboration

April

Orienteering
	*Make a rough plan of the year *Research nature and everyday life in the community *Form Kamokko Expeditions

Walking along the river
	*Walk along Kamo River in the community *Look for spring

Bird watching in the school grounds
	*Watch birds in the school grounds and in the precincts of a shrine next to the school *wagtails, swallows, bulbuls, sparrows, thrushs

Spring wild grasses
	*Pick up wild grasses in the school grounds *Consult picture dictionaries for the wild grasses *Make a sketch of the wild grasses

May

Making group flags
	*symbol flags for each expedition
Excursion to the town
	*Walk in the town *Cultural Center, an old burial mound, a refuse burning facility, the woods, Sports Center

Swallow watching in the school grounds
	*Research swallows in the schol gorunds *Hirundo rustica, Hirundo daurica, Delichon urbica, sparrows *places of nests, kinds, ?

Swallow watching in the community
	*Reserach swallows in the community *places of nexts, kinds

Butterfly observation
	*Collect butterfly eggs *Raising and observation *Send a professor questions about Cotesia glomerata
Brush calligraphy
	*Learn brush calligraphy from a calligraphy artist in the community *Interests in tradition and brush calligraphy

June

Exploring the town
	*Explore the main street of the town *Buildings, shops, signs, etc. *Select three places for research in groups
Making a town map
	*Make a map showing the research in groups
Presenting the maps
	*Present what they researched in groups
Cirkline (a travel buddy) and studying the community
	*Cirkline, a travel buddy from Denmark, arrives *Study the community in order to tell Cirkline about the community *Send pictures of "My town" to students in Denmark (July)

July

Researching town facilities and interviewing the staff
	*Research three town facilities Cultural Center, Sports Centr, Children's Center *Discuss what they want to know and how to interview *Go to the facilities and interview the staff
Making newspapers
	*Make newspapers based on what they interviewed in groups
Presenting the research
	*Present the research to guests from the facilities *Questions and Answers

August

September

Insects in the community
	*Collect insects in the community *Consult picture dictionaries for the insects *Observe and make a sketch of them
Autumn flowers
	*Paint autumn flowers Water paints, autumn poem
Researching Denmark and exchanging with Danish students
	*Cummunicate with elementary school students in Hornbaek, Denmark using Internet *Research Denmark *Presentation *Send questions about Denmark *Answer questions from Denmark using maily drawings

October

Letters to aged people living alone in the community
	*Write letters to aged people living alone in the community
Excursion to a supermarket
	*Make an excursion to a supermarket in the community *Listen to a shop keeper about the work *Ask questions *Create a leaflet of the supermarket to be put in the shop
Looking for autumn
	*Look for autum in the precincts of a shrine in the community *Make picture dictionaries of autum treasures in groups

November

Fallen leaves
	*Paint fallen leaves Water paints, Indian ink
Studying nature and life in snowy districts
	*Nature in cold districts *Listen to stories about children's life and play in snowy districts
Planning a barbecue party
Making a shopping plan
	*Make a shopping plan for barbecue food in groups *Within 1000 yen (5 persons)

December

Experiencing making charcoal & a barbecue party
Experiencing making charcoal
	*Study traditional industries in the community *Help putting woods in the furnace *Help putting charcoal out of the furnace *Ask questions
Shopping
	*Go to the supermarket to buy food School~Supermarket~School
Preparation
	*Prepare food for barbecuing
Barbecue party
	*Have a barbecue party *Pick up firewoods *Fan and fire the charcoal

January

Gifts from the woods
	*Pick up wood pieces and make handicrafts using them

February

Researching tools used in the old days
	*Research old tools kept in the town *Study names and uses

March

Ideal village project
The flying man
	*Listen to the flying man's story of a view seen from the sky (parapenting) *See slides *Ask questions
Viewing the town
	*Go to the observation platform in the community and view the town
Designing ideal villages
	*What village do we want to live in? *Think what we want to keep and what we want to have in the town *Design ideal villages
Creating ideal villages
	*Creating ideal villages based on the designs in groups *Canvas, Indian ink, paints, crayons, markers
Finished!
	*Think of catchphrases to advertise the ideal village *Put up the pictures on the wall of the hall for the graduation ceremony
Communicating with students from foreign countries
	*Exchanging impressions and comments of pictures with students from Slovakia, South Africa, Denmark using Internet