Author:  Teacher Chris

The Aoyama kindergarten students took an excursion to the Nature & Science Museum. It was a fascinating place filled with artifacts all throughout time. As we entered the first room, we were greeted by a Plesiosaur skeleton hanging from the ceiling and some fossils of elephants when they lived in Japan!

The next room was 'Nature of Japanese Islands'. The room was filled with giant crabs, lobster and deep sea creatures you don't normally see. It also had different geological rocks and really big seashells. The museum staff allowed everyone to touch the biggest one there. 

The next area was about the history of time. There were star maps and constellation globes to explain how our ancestors used to navigate without GPS. They also had a traditional Japanese clock called a Wadokei that was based on Seasonal Time, and not the 24 hour days we use today. They even had an interactive version the students could play with.

We then went into an area that had different things from all around the world! It had a neat light up floor showing how things changed and evolved over time. There was a model of the biggest flower on Earth, but what all the students liked was the skeleton of the Allosaurus.

The last thing the students experienced was 'Future Science and Technology'. It focused on inventions, computers, and space exploration. The trip to the museum was a great way for students to see interesting things they don't normally get to see inside the classroom. They were able to look into the past and even look forward to the future. We even ended our day with a picture next to a giant rocket!