[Selective Program] Learning Program 2: "Can you save your life in that situation?"
[Date and Time] Monday, March 6, 2023
[Number of people] 24
On March 6th, Kyoto City Saikyo High School visited us. For Saikyo High School's educational trip, each student chose a course they wanted to go on from seven destinations. One of these, the Tohoku course, has the theme of "earthquakes and disaster prevention." They will spend one day in Minamisanriku Town during the six-day trip, which will mainly visit various places such as earthquake ruins and heritage facilities from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
"Around autumn last year, our second-year students went on an educational trip to Minamisanriku Town and took part in the Minamisanriku 3/11 Memorial Learning Program. The teachers who accompanied them recommended it, saying, 'It's a facility where students can learn enthusiastically,' so we chose it as the destination for our first-year students' educational trip. Kyoto, where we live, was the site of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in the past, and it is said that a Nankai Trough earthquake will occur in the future. Our students are highly conscious that we should know more about disaster prevention, so they chose the Tohoku course."
At the entrance to the Minamisanriku 311 Memorial, there are panels and a 3D map that compile numbers and data related to the earthquake. The staff explained to us that the town was located about 10 meters below where we were standing, and that the tsunami reached a point almost as high as the ceiling of this facility. On the wall, there is a line showing the height of the tsunami, 15.5 meters, that hit the old disaster prevention building, and the students tilted their heads to look up.
Afterwards, you will proceed to the exhibition gallery, where you will find exhibits compiling stories from the Great East Japan Earthquake, testimony videos, and other materials. You can deepen your learning by carefully studying the exhibition panels on your own, or by pointing at each other with your friends as you watch the testimony videos.
Next, in the Art Zone, you will watch Christian Boltanski's "MEMORIAL" while listening to explanations from the staff. You will then feel Boltanski's thoughts as he continues to create works that confront life, death, and the dignity of life, before proceeding to the Learning Theater where the program will take place.
In "Program 2: Can you protect your life at that time?", which was taken this time, participants learned that when natural disasters occur, they can face situations that far exceed expectations, based on the example of Minamisanriku Town, where many of the town's designated evacuation sites and shelters were hit by the tsunami. In the video, witnesses who were junior high and high school students at the time of the earthquake talk about how they evacuated and responded at the evacuation shelters that were hit by the tsunami that day. During the program, there are several questions and one-minute dialogue time, and by talking to people around you, you can deepen your own understanding and gain new realizations and ways of thinking.
From the students who participated this time:
"Watching the testimony video, taking notes, and talking with those around me got me thinking about how I would act if I were in the same situation. I felt that the lesson of having a second evacuation option was something we could use, so I decided not to be satisfied with the evacuation drills we are currently doing, but to think more about what to do in an emergency."
"Because I couldn't immediately answer the questions that came up in the video, I realized that I don't think much about disaster prevention or what to do in my daily life. I want to think about it on a daily basis with a sense of responsibility so that I can make quick decisions and take action when a natural disaster strikes."
The feedback I received was:
From the teacher who led the group:
"Program 2 featured many testimonies and personal stories from people of the same generation, so I think the students felt it was relevant to them. In the Tohoku course that I took this time, we learned about the experiences of earthquakes in other regions, so I would like to use the stories I heard in Minamisanriku as a reference and deepen my thoughts about disaster prevention with the students."
The feedback I received was:
One of the things we value in the Minamisanriku 311 Memorial Learning Program is talking with someone other than yourself. Even if you only talk to someone for a short time, you can be exposed to ways of thinking that you have never thought of before. It is important to continue thinking about how to respond to various situations while incorporating opinions other than your own. We hope that you will realize that this accumulation will lead to protecting your life in an emergency.
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The Minamisanriku 311 Memorial is used by groups from all over the country for educational trips and other purposes.
In addition to mini-books that can be used for pre- and post-learning, we also have various storytelling programs available. We have programs that will lead to deeper learning.
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