Field Trips To The Zoo
Studies show that field trips are powerful learning opportunities and students best learn when they experience/learn something first-hand. Learning about animals inside the four corners of the classroom may sound fun, but nothing beats a personal experience seeing them in their habitat.
Today, May 24th of the year 2022, the Year II students of Ishida Preschool, Bear Class and Momo Class were given the chance to personally see the animals in the Kyoto City Zoo. The day before the actual event, the students joining the said activity were informed beforehand on what to wear and bring, so as what to expect and do during the field trip. They were asked to bring their own lunch boxes, picnic mats, and are expected to wear their sports wears before coming to school.
（研究によると，遠足はとてもよい学びの機会であり，直接体験・学習することによって多くのことを学べます。教室で動物について学ぶのも楽しいですが，実際に動物を見る経験に勝るものはありません！
今日，年中組の子どもたちは京都市動物園へ遠足に行きました。遠足の前の日，子どもたちは先生から服装や持ち物（お弁当や敷物）等，遠足についてのお話を聞きました。
そして当日。遠足へ出発する前に，遠足でのお約束を確認しました。動物園では，みんなとてもワクワクし嬉しそうな様子で，28℃の気温や暑さが気にならないようでした。）
And on the day of the event, before leaving the school, the teachers of the two classes gave their students a little orientation on what to expect and how to act and behave during the trip. The buses left on time and there was no problem encountered during the trip. At the zoo, all the students seemed so happy and excited as they entered the place. A scorching temperature of 28 degrees Celsius felt nothing as opposed to the students’ excitement to see the animals. The place is not too big that it took us an hour or so to see every animal in the zoo. We started off seeing the giraffes then took a class photo with the flamingoes. We then headed to see the hippo and passed by the goats’ pen and the penguin’s aquarium. We then stopped by for a bit where the chimpanzees, monkeys and gorillas are located. We then got amazed with the tropical animal’s house where tortoises, snakes, a sloth, a crocodile, an iguana, some bats, and many more are.
（動物園では，約1時間でたくさんの動物を見ることができました。最初にキリンを見てから，フラミンゴたちの前でクラス写真を撮りました。それからカバを見に行き，ヤギとペンギンのそばを通り過ぎました。次に，チンパンジー，サル，ゴリラがいる場所に立ち寄りました。そして，カメやヘビ，ナマケモノ，ワニ，イグアナ，コウモリ等がいる熱帯動物館では動物の姿に驚きました。）
Right before we had our lunch, we then went to see the elephants. We then had a short toilet break and had lunch under the shade by the penguin’s aquarium. And lastly, before we head back to school, we stopped by the wildest animal in their kingdom, the lions, tigers, and jaguars.
Clearly field trips maximize the learning potential any school can offer but on top of all the learning the students had today, they are nothing compared to the happiness and smiles this trip has given them.
ゾウを見た後にトイレの小休憩を挟み，ペンギンの近くの木陰でお弁当を食べました。最後は“もうじゅうワールド”でライオンやトラ，ジャガーを見ました。
遠足では学べることがたくさんあります。今日の遠足の経験からいろんなことを感じたことと思います。
笑顔と幸せがいっぱいの楽しい遠足になりましたね！
5月24日 Doms先生より）
