Tokyo College of Biotechnology took advantage of the summer break to conduct skills training sessions and science experiments aimed at high school teachers as well as special science classes for elementary school students.

 

The college conducted a high technology training session for high school teachers at an agricultural high school in Nagano.

 

At the request of the Nagano Prefectural Comprehensive Education Center, this year instructors from the teaching department at Tokyo College of Biotechnology once again conducted a high technology training session for agricultural high school teachers in Nagano during the last week of July. This was the sixth such training session that the school has hosted.

 

The focus for this year’s session was fermentation experiments. The high school teachers worked mainly on a five-day experiment to help them better understand the relationship between fermentation products and microorganisms.

 

The instructors from Tokyo College of Biotechnology first started by discussing the details of the experiment with the high school teachers and then worked together with them to prepare the equipment that would be used in the experiment. On the second day, the high school teachers observed what effects various microorganisms—such as mold, yeast, lactic-acid bacilli, and common bacteria—would have on the sodium content and color of miso bean paste created by the students at the college. The high school teachers also conducted different experiments using liquid mediums and petri dishes with nutrient agar to investigate the various bacteria in the environment around the school. The teachers were able to observe yeast in the surrounding environment.

 

Many of the high school teachers who took part in the training session had originally majored in botany and said that studying microorganisms was very beneficial.

 

(Natsue Kato, Tokyo College of Biotechnology)

 

“Waku Waku School” Program at Kitakojiya Elementary School

 

Mr. Sugita and Mr. Moroki from the Tokyo College of Biotechnology taught classes at Ota Ward Municipal Kitakojiya Elementary School located near the college on Thursday, July 21 and Monday, July 25 as part of the “Waku Waku School” program, a series of special classes held during the summer break. The two instructors joined the program as science experiment teachers. This summer marks the third year of the Waku Waku School program, which has been run exclusively by Tokyo College of Biotechnology.

 

Day One: Carrot Rocket, Fly!

 

On the first day, the students used carrots and hydrogen peroxide (antiseptic solution) to conduct an experiment to observe the chemical reaction when the constituent parts of carrots come into contact with a gas.

 

Day Two: The See-Touch-Confirm System

 

On the second day, the students used slime, which is popular with elementary school students, to conduct an experiment on polymers and the chemical reaction produced by ultraviolet light. The students were able to experience the fun of science and looked like they were having a wonderful time while thoroughly absorbed in the experiment.

 

On each of the two days, the students taking part in the Waku Waku School program had a lot of fun doing something interesting using materials familiar to elementary school students.

 

The Waku Waku School program gave students the chance to experience the fun, excitement, and “wow” of science.