Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 3.1
Content as indicated under the 1998 National Curriculum Standards
(1) Regional composition of the world and Japan
A. Regional composition of the world
(a) Locational relationships on the earth and distribution of land and water bodies
(b) Make-up of countries and regional divisions
B. Regional composition of Japan
(a) Japan's location and territory
(b) Make-up of prefectures and regional divisions
(2) Surveys appropriate to a region's scale
A. Local area
B. Prefectures in Japan
C. Countries of the world
(3) Japan as compared to the world
A. Japan examined from many different aspects
(a) Japan's geographical characteristics seen from the natural environment
(b) Japan's geographical characteristics seen from population
(c) Japan's geographical characteristics seen from resources and industries
(d) Japan's geographical characteristics seen from livelihood and culture
(e) Japan's geographical characteristics seen from linkages between regions
B. Japan as seen from the interrelationship of all these characteristics
Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (
1999
)
desirable skills and attitudes that should be instilled in students through geography
learning. The intent of these two goals has carried forward to the revised curriculum
and their descriptions have not been changed.
By accepting these changes in the geography fi eld's objectives, the three content
heading areas in the 1998 National Curriculum Standards (Table
3.1
) [(1) regional
composition of the world and Japan, (2) Surveys appropriate to a region's scale, and
(3) Japan as compared to the world], have been reworked under the 2008 National
Curriculum Standards into two major headings, (1) The various regions of the
world, and (2) Japan's many different regions (Table
3.2
).
Under the major heading (1), the topics are to form an axis for understanding the
world's regions, world's regional make-up, diversity of different people's livelihood
in various parts of the world, characteristics of the various regions of the world, and
fi nally, descriptive geographical knowledge, perspective, and methods obtained
through understanding world regions. The latter is learned through a process of
exploration, and surveying the world's many various regions.
The major heading (2) is composed of the topics in the major heading (1), as
listed above, as a strategy to develop and to deepen the lesson content and learning
activities in progressive steps, based on the model of 'learning-utilizing-exploring'
(Central Council for Education
2008
). Through this pedagogy, students learn the
fundamental vocabulary, knowledge, concepts and skills related to societal phenomena,
and they are able to apply them to explore issues.
Along with the re-examination of the goals and content make-up of the geography
fi eld, changes were also seen in the number of classroom hours. Over the course of
