2/8 A PROPOSAL TO THE UNITED STATES-JAPAN FOUNDATION

The program will include, first of all, geographic education. In particular, we would like to explore various elements which constitute a "city" such as megalopolis, freeways, and shopping centers, and to investisate urban life including food, clothing, shelter, and culture. Japan has a population of 123 million. 42％ of it has concentrated in three big cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, and the gravitaion of population towards cities are still continuing. Little attention has so far been paid to the study of cities, but recently from the viewpoint of environmental education the use of environment has become more and more important in terms of the creation and control of urban build-environment. In the U.S., the dynamic renaissance movement of geographic education took off in 1984. Geography educators in Japan need to pay careful attention to the progress of geographic education in the U.S. schools. 　　　The program will also include American politics, economy, industry, history, culture, nature, and religion which are described and discussed in the textbooks of social studies used at primary, junior high and high schools in Japan. Thus it will be included in the category of Precollege Education. 　　　Here let us say a few things about our Joetsu University of Education. Joetsu University of Education was founded in 1978, and is one of the three national universities based upon new concepts of teacher education, perhaps the most important being a program that offers primary, junior high, and high school teachers the opportunity to further their education at the graduate level. The Graduate School of Education offers a two-year master's degree program and encourages students to conduct research into practical methods and approaches to elementary and secondary education. Experienced teachers benefit from the School because it gives them a wider perspective in education through exposure to the latest developments in their fields. The School has more than 200 teachers with at least three years' teaching experience. They are expected to act as school leaders after completion of the program. Note that they are "teacher students" who are assured of their status as teachers at their own schools. Our target audience will include some of these teachers. In 1996, the Graduate School of Education for the Doctoral Program was founded in our university. This is the first doctoral program that was established in teachers universities. 　　　Let us be more specific concerning our main objective. It has been said that development of those teaching materials which directiy contribute to the students' true understanding of the United States of America is necessary in primary, junior high and high schools. This is needed particularly in subjects like social studies education, teaching of geography, history, and civics in which we must use a rich database. Development of software has been delayed considerably compared to installation of hardware at Japanese schools. It is thus quite important to develop teaching materials through multimedia and also to digitize them. It is also important to investigate those software techniques of the U. S.―those related to posters, videotapes and CD-ROM materials, since they are extremely advanced.

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