Practical Education program for improving
response capability to survive from tsunami
津波から生延びる対応力向上のための教育プログラムの実践

Mari Yasuda 保田真理
Suppasri Anawat
Fumihiko Imamura
1Backgroud• Damage from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake especially 466 children under age of
9 years old were killed.
• 74 out of 108 children in Ishinomaki primary school were killed as they could not takeadvantage of the 50 min to evacuate before tsunami• Elementary school and middle school students respectively were killed in Yuriage area ofNatori city.

• What’s the reasons?
Tsunami has never been expected
Advance preparation was insufficient
Evacuation drill for tsunami was not enforced

No education program has been existed to provide
wisdom to survive
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Yoshihama
School,All saved

all students saved
10 teachers saved

4-5km far from the coast

Okawa
school, bigdamage
74 students killed, of 108
10 teachers killed, of 1133

Okawa elementary school, Ishinomaki city

Tsunami inundation level

Important!!

Students were unable to use the time for
evacuation when tsunami reached totheir school 50 min after the earthquake

Unfavorable conditions:Location
No roof to climb up
No route to the hill behind
No evacuation plan for tsunami

Quick evacuation based on a daily preparation

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Tsunami attacked but the saved life

All Saved
Tsunami inundation level

Yoshihama elementary school 55
Ishinomaki cityObjective of the research• Current supplementary books are insufficient to fully
cultivate disaster reduction response capability.
• This research verifies the response capability ofchildren in the middle of growth curve with highcuriosity and ability of assimilating knowledge, by
providing education program which enable them totake appropriate action and improves disaster
reduction capability when disaster happens.
• Keywords: Judgment capability, Response capability,
Enjoy learning
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Appropriate action during disaster
1. Understanding and provision of knowledge
Do not limit to certain area or disaster2. Improvement of judgment capability under various circumstances
Capability to recognize the danger and make decision withinappropriate choices came up by logical imagination rather thanrecollection of memory.
3. Practical research methodology which enables to understand various
roles and situation.
Subject of the research: upper grades primary school and middle
school students.
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Research method (Education program)
Target: elementary school and middle school students
Practical method(1) Understanding and provision of knowledge:
Explain the mechanism of the nature itself and the occurrence ofdisaster(2) Improvement of judgment capability in participatory education:
Play an evacuation simulation game in groups using a tool whichassists the supplemental reader.
(3) Measurement of effect:
Conduct a survey of the students at pre and post game.
8What is the difference between“Wind wave” & “Tsunami”?

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YUI project is starting!
• Elemntary school : 5th grade = 70 schools
3,924students (1,095 done)
1.Lecture

2. Group work
– Team work（Leader，Supporter，Cooperative relation，Discussion），Result（evacuation map）
– Game : Gensai handkerdhief

3. Group presentation
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Scenery of a visiting lecture
1. Lecture (knowledge)

Conclusion：Protect our life by ourselves
Protect our families and friends after
ensuring our own safety
4. Presentation
2. Group work11１

(in Thailand)

12 1212１

Sunset beach& Ala Wai elemntary school(in Hawaii)

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Tsunami Propagating over the Pacific Ocean
The sea is linked

In average, natural disaster affect
160 millions people are hit and kill
0.1 million people every year

In latest tenyears years, the number of times ofgenerating and damage of the natural disaster haveincreased 3 times.
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Questionnaire results
Tsunami knowledge
27%

Impression from the lecture114%
普段から良く聞いている

1
379%

2

少し聞いたことがある

3

Never heard about

What could help for disaster
87reduction
11%
3%

619%

52%

2345678135%

431%
37%
38%

22%

243%

1

Destructive power of tsunami

2

Oshima has a risk of tsunami

344%

Discuss about evacuation with family
家具の固定をする

221%

320%

31%

Tsunami arrive fast4

命はかけがえが無い

5

避難することが大切

6

災害は世界で起こっている

Impression of the class
48%

218%

食料品など備蓄する

1

Evacuate to high ground
災害放送を聞く173%

避難することを周りの人に教える
わからない

Tsunami risk

2

家族会議の大切さ

3

よくわからなかった

4

楽しかった

Will you discuss with your family?

Impression of the teachingmaterials
149%

611% 127%

517%

24%

1Understandable

2

Funny to use

3

わからない

3
6%

190%

1

Definitely discuss

2

わからない

3

話し合わない15

Loop of practical disaster reduction
Independence system

Risk evasion

Regionalcontribution

Caring offriends

Risk recognition decision
School education(Supplementary books)

The watch in
the region
Support system

ChildrenStudent

Disaster reduction improvement
support tools

Family education

Relationshipwith friends
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Evaluation and conclusion
Yes, I can do it by myself.

•More than half of students believe that they should protect their life bythemselves after listened to the lecture and played the game.
•The program helps children to improve their recognition as well asimagination and capability to react to the disaster. It is also expected theprogram cultivates the quick judgment capability.
•More students started to check their evacuation route/place and talk more
often about disaster with their family•Future expectation: to improve disaster awareness of children andgenerate ideas and action forces with the right quick decision for disasterrisk reduction

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Learning from the Great East Japan
Earthquake

International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University
Research AssociateMari Yasuda

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