2.1+WebQuest+Activity

** Shoshika ** ** 少子化 ** **WebQuest Activity for 3rd year college students**

 Designed by Yuki Waugh and Junko Tokuda

l Introduction| Questions | Tasks | Procedures and Resources | Evaluation| Conclusion l **Introduction** Shoshika is a serious social issue in Japan now. There are several reasons why the birth rate started to decline. The Shoshika epidemic poses serious socioeconomic problems. In this lesson, you will research, analyze and understand the issues and finally evaluate the current policies and propose possible solutions.

**Questions**
 * What was the birth rate in 2008?
 * Which year holds the highest birth rate?
 * What is the difference in the number of children between the years of the highest birth rate and the lowest?
 * What are the factors of the current lower birth rate?　(What causes Shoshika problems?)
 * What kind of problems are caused by Shoshika?
 * What kind of national and local governmental policies are proposed/ implemented?

** Tasks ** You will research causes of the Shoshika issues and current policies. You will also research other social issues caused by Shoshika. At the end of the lesson, you will post your findings and possible solutions on Wiki and share them with your classmates.

**Procedures and Resources**  **Step 1**  Read the following sites and do the tasks below to deepen your knowledge/ understanding about Shoshika. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> You will work in a group of 3 students.

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 1. 2008年の出生率は何でしたか. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 2．出生率が一番高かったのは、何年でしたか. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 3．出生率が一番高かった時と低かった時の子供の数の違いは、何人ですか. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> (Look at the graph of page 3, titled "The falling birthrate and the start of population decline")

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 4．少子化の原因は何ですか. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 5．少子化によってどんな問題が起こりますか. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Japan Times <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> BBC News <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> [|こどもニュースウィークリー　人口減少社会]

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 6. 国や自治体の少子化対策には、どのようなものがありますか. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Japan Times

<span style="font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;"> **Step 2**

<span style="font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;"> **<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;">Warm Up Activity **

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;">

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Use a graphic organizer to organize what they have learned in the previous lesson regarding the Shoshika problems. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> (Work in a group of three students.)

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Pay attention to the following points: <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 1. Causes of Shoshika issues <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 2. Social problems created by Shoshika issues <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 3. Current policies relating to Shoshika issues <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 4. Possible solutions of each issue

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 5. After making a graphic organizer in a group, exchange ideas and opinions with other groups.

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 6. As a homework, record your opinions about Shoshika issues in a Voicethread.

<span style="font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;"> **Step 3** <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Make a newsletter about Shoshika in the group of 5 students. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Each person takes a responsibility to write a assigned section in Japanese. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Sections are following: <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> A: What is the current Shoshika phenomena? <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> B: What are the causes of the Shoshika issues? <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> C: What kind of problems are cuased by Shoshika? <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> D: What are governmental policies to solve problems relating to Shoshika? <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> E: What do you suggest to solve Shoshika problems?

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Suggested Programs <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Microsoft Office Newsletters <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Mac Pages (Newsletters)

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Example of former student <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">**Evaluation** <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Complete of assignment (Step 1: 1-6 and Step 2) and knowledge gained

3 || Good 2 || Satisfactory 1 || Score || group discussion and posted on the Wiki. || Most of the time, team members participated in group discussion and posted on the Wiki. || Group members participated in group discussion and posted on the Wiki, but a little more cooperation and collaboration was needed. ||  ||
 * || Excellent
 * Completion || Completed all of the 6 questions in Step 1. || Completed 5 questions in Step 1. || Completed fewer than 5 questions in Step 1. ||  ||
 * Knowledge gained || Can answer accurately all questions related to facts. || Can answer accurately almost all questions related to facts. || Can answer accurately most questions related to facts. ||  ||
 * Cooperation and collaboration || All group members actively participated in
 * TOTAL || /9 ||

Step 3: Newsletter assignment

3 || Good 2 || Satisfactory 1 || Score || <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"> chosen topics. || <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Newsletter shows moderate creativity. Accurately represents the chosen topics with few inconsistencies. || <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; webkitborderhorizontalspacing: 0px; webkitborderverticalspacing: 0px;">Newsletter shows creativity occasionally with some inconsistencies. ||  ||
 * || Excellent
 * Creativity || Newsletter <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">shows extreme creativity. Learner went above and beyond expectations. Accurately represents
 * Content || <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Learner fully captures an important element of chosen topic. || <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Learner shows clear understanding of the topic, but does not fully capture an important element of the topic. || <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; webkitborderhorizontalspacing: 0px; webkitborderverticalspacing: 0px;">Shows average grasp of topic, but focuses on unimportant elements sometimes. ||  ||
 * Use of Language || <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. || <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Writer makes 1-2 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. || <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Writer make 3-4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. ||  ||
 * TOTAL || /9 ||

<span style="font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">**Conclusion** Japan has faced the critical social issue - Shoshika. The Japanese birthrate started to decline since the 1980s, after 2nd baby boom. Current birthrate is as low as 1.37 and local and national governments have tried to establish policies to solve issues relating to Shoshika. There are several causes that have been affecting Shoshika. One of the possible factors is that recently couples do not marry at a young age and do not immediately have children when they marry. The Japanese life style has been changed and there are women who chose career instead of getting married and having children. Some couples are facing the fact that because of current financial situation young couples cannot afford to have children. Due to Shoshika, it is difficult to maintain welfare, provide social security benefits and guarantee economic growth. Therefore, we need to take this problem seriously and seek for solutions toward raising the birthrate.