The SDGs in " Time for Integrated Learning" for first-year junior high school students
Middle School Attached to Faculty of Education, Kagoshima University
https://www2-edu.edu.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/jhschool/Background and objectives of activities
The aim of the integrated learning time in junior high school is to develop the qualities and abilities needed to think about how to live one's life by solving problems better.
In order to solve problems better, it is important to identify problems in the real world and in real life, and to view them as your own problems.
At the affiliated junior high school, in the first year, under the theme of “Getting to know Kagoshima”, we aim to set problems as our own by considering the 17 goals of the SDGs in relation to the appeal and issues of Kagoshima, and to think about and propose what we can do now.
Summary of Activities
During comprehensive learning time, each student set their own research topic related to their hometown, Kagoshima. Utilizing summer vacation and other periods, they investigated current conditions and challenges, engaged in deep thinking, and compiled their findings into reports. After summer break, students deepened their learning through group presentations based on these reports. Then, at the Culture Festival, all 180 first-year students divided into three groups: “Nature and Disaster Prevention,” “Resources and Energy,” and “Population and Industry.” They created stage presentations combining plays and presentations, proposing solutions to Kagoshima's challenges and highlighting its appeal.
Expected Benefits
Students learning about their hometowns, sharing its appeal, and proposing solutions to challenges fosters a sense of collaborative participation in society, contributing to the achievement of the goals outlined in the SDGs.
We will continue this educational activity with the aim of instilling a perspective on building a sustainable society in junior high school students, who are the future leaders of society.