Thursday, May 28, 2009

Kerama Deer

Something I like about the school system here is their concentration on local specialties. This week we went on a snorkeling trip one afternoon, an actual SCUBA dive another. Gardening is taught and so is eisa drumming.

The Kerama deer live on four islands, but Geruma has the most pride for them. So tomorrow the 5th graders are going to a university in Naha to give a presentation about them. They did a practice run-through today. Their 'study' is slightly less than scientific, but it suffices for elementary students. I am unsure what they concluded, but their pictures of deer trails, tracks, and antler rubs were pretty cool.


Something notable about their presentation - and I've seen it in all adult presentations in Japan as well - is that they don't use bullet points. Instead, they put all of the text on the visual aids (or Powerpoint slides) and just read from them. I'm not sure if it works, but I know there is less eye contact.

[Here's a Kerama deer crossing at low tide between Fukaji and Geruma islands]

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