Bring History to Life on School Trips to Japan

For students of history, visiting Japan on school trips can excite, inspire and, most of all, offer insights and first-hand experience, thus bringing history to life. From the ancient roots of its civilisation to the Second World War to the dynamic growth of modern Japan over the last 60 years, this is a country with a wealth of history. It is a fantastic place to demonstrate to students how specific moments are rooted in the context of what came before - the continuity of history, and its bearing on the present and future. To maximise the learning potential of a visit to Japan, here are some important attractions to include in your itinerary.

Edo-Tokyo Museum

Tokyo, formerly known as Edo, was originally a fishing village and then a fortified town, and although it was only made the imperial capital in 1866 it enjoyed a long and prosperous history beforehand. As Edo, it was chosen by the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu for his seat of power, and became one of the world's largest cities, as well as effectively being the cultural capital of the nation. When Japan returned to imperial rule with the Meiji Restoration, the Emperor moved there from Kyoto and established the City of Tokyo. Students on school trips to Japan will most likely be familiar with this history; however, the wealth of detail on offer at the Edo-Tokyo Museum goes beyond anything that can be learned in the classroom. With original artefacts and faithful reconstructions, it tracks the culture, politics and daily life of the city from its beginnings to the present day, and even looks to the future.

Kyoto Imperial Palace

The Kyoto Imperial Palace was the Emperor's official seat of power since the 12th century and up until the Meiji Restoration, although the building has gone through many incarnations; the current one dates from 1855, but its style harks back to the architecture of the Heian Period. Students on school trips with an interest in the Imperial court during the Meiji era and earlier will find plenty to fascinate them here, with tours of the buildings and grounds revealing the halls, state rooms, and residences of important figures.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial

School trips to Japan also offer students the opportunity to learn more about the Asian and Pacific side of the Second World War, while the Hiroshima Peace Memorial serves as a reminder of the war's devastating impact. Although it can be a sobering experience, a visit to the Peace Museum brings home lasting damage of the bombing, with exhibitions of objects and photographs, but it is also a place to learn about efforts being made towards worldwide peace, with a good selection of material aimed at enabling school groups to explore these issues.

Angela Bowden works for STS (School Travel Service), the UK's largest educational travel company, providing school trips for recondary schools, primary schools and colleges. School trips with STS can encompass art/design, foreign languages, history, science/nature, geography and more, to worldwide destinations.

Contractors Need Proper Education

There are several career paths that anyone can choose to take in life. Many people make this choice when they are younger. They may decide to become a dancer, basketball player, singer, doctor or even a lawyer. The aforementioned list of duties seem to be the most popular when people are younger. They may even retain their popularity for those who are in high school. However, these are not the only jobs that can bring someone a nice comfortable living.

Contractors for instance have chosen an admirable career path. It is great choice for anyone who enjoys dealing with construction projects. It is especially good for anyone who loves things such as architebture yet they really don't have the architectural skill to pursue that profession particular. However, they still want to be involved with the creation of buildings such as home. This is what residential contractors are responsible for. So, if anyone is willing to do this type of work, there are several different avenues that you can take.

For instance, if you are already working in the construction industry and you have decided that you are interested in what residential contractors do, one of the things you can do is shadow a professional that you know. This can give you hands-on experience and allow you to see what to do and what not to do. It will allow you to see things from a real life perspective and you will be able to see what a specialist does on a day to day basis. Shadowing someone can also give you some knowledge that you may not have been able to attain in the actual classroom. That is because this person is able to tell you things from experience that may not necessarily be in a textbook.

For example, you can be shadowing someone one day and there is a disagreement between some of the workers. By seeing an actual professional handle the situation, it would give you a better idea as to what you can do if you were ever faced with such a situation. Things like this can't really be taught in the classroom.

This isn't to say that classroom learning is not important. Anyone who wants to go this route should also look into taking formal classes. In the classroom, you will be able to learn basic skills that will be the foundation of your career. You will be able to learn what type of materials to use. You will learn which material are the least and most sturdy. So, learning in a class setting will also give you invaluable experience.

There is more than one path to take in order to join the current pool of residential contractors. The most important step to becoming successful in this field, however, is to actually get your license.

There are several ways to become one of the next successful contractors. For information on this career path, please see the following: http://www.angieslist.com.