Teaching Environmental Science through Locally-Based Study

With the help of specialists within the region and throughout the country, the Itoigawa Global Geopark and the Itoigawa City Board of Education have published a new textbook which aims to use the Itoigawa Global Geopark in classrooms and homes as an invaluable resource for teaching children and adults alike the basics of environmental science, conservation practices, and the wonders of the natural world around us.

The English Edition of the Itoigawa Global Geopark Textbook

The textbook is designed as a supplementary textbook to go along with students’ fifth and sixth grade science course. It covers a variety of topics including Itoigawa’s geology as well as weather, rivers, seas, and earth and how they affect the region’s ecosystem and the lives of the people who live in the Geopark. It also covers natural disaster safety, how the Earth’s movements cause these disasters, and how people can work together to prevent disasters or minimize their damage.

The textbook has become part of the city’s regular fifth and sixth grade science curriculum as part of Itoigawa’s new Unified Education Policy which aims to tie regular academic studies with local and regional environmental awareness, community involvement, hometown pride, and appreciation. The Itoigawa Global Geopark has become a vital part of this curriculum and continues to encourage children and adults alike to become more actively involved in their community and more conscious of the need to protect our shared geological and cultural heritages.

The textbook, designed as a supplement to students’ regular course of study, uses real examples from the Itoigawa Global Geopark to teach about the natural environment and the ecosystem