Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 5.2
Contents of Social Studies textbook used in third and fourth grades of elementary
school
Chapter
Section
Points
My town, town
for everybody
Around school
Field research
Condition of the city
Workers and
our lives
Staff in a store
Characteristics of our community
and people's lives
Farmers' life
Changing life
Antique tools and old life
Change of people's lives
Tradition to posterity
Learn history in local community
Protection of
our life
Protection from fi re
Disaster prevention education
Protection from accidents and incidents
To our better
life
Where does water come from?
Urban system knowledge
Disposal and reuse of waste
Development of
country
Irrigation network(s) in the mountains
Local history
Our prefecture
Location of prefecture
Characteristics of the prefecture
Regional characteristics and people's lives
Prefecture connecting to the world
Kita et al. (
2012a
,
b
)
Fig. 5.3
Pages from Social Studies textbook for third and fourth grade (section entitled “Around
school”) (Kita et al.
2012b
)
In the fi fth grade, students learn about Japan including its natural environment
(e.g., landforms and climates), industries (e.g., agriculture, fi shery, and manufacturing),
and acquire information about society's role in environmental conservation (Table
5.3
).
The most common teaching method is for students to read maps, graphs, and fi gures.
