Although I have been coming to this school every day, I never realised just how much diversity there was in the woods. After observing closely, I realised that is more than one type of ant, and as for fungi, so many species are all growing in the same place. I have come to realise how desirable it is for us to preserve of our waterways and to respect nature. I was surprised at how many living things exist between the tides, all adapted to their own environment. I thought woodlice just behaved without thinking, but it isn't so.
Animals are certainly a mystery.
The comments suggest that the most valuable educational experience provided by outdoor classes and laboratory experiments is that students started to notice their immediate environment, to appreciate it and to understand the need to preserve it. Most comments about the practical classes were positive. The only negative comments I received were about my classroom teaching, particularly my language ability. Before the classes, students did not seem to notice natural areas in the city around them. This dichotomy is possibly stronger in students from the strongly urbanised Kanto region since they are less likely to have the same experience of unspoiled wilderness as their counterparts from less crowded countries.