High School-University Cooperation
As part of the High School-University Collaboration (How High School-University Collaboration Should Be, MEXT), the Institute of Freshwater Biology uses its excellent facilities to deepen collaboration between IFB faculty members specializing in biology and ecology and high school teachers who are advisors for biology clubs and societies, providing a venue for local high school students to learn about biology.
- High School Student Conference Presentation
- Ueda Nishi High School Learning Project
- Ueda Nishi High School Biology Club
- Inquiry Learning: Someyaoka High School
- Inquiry-based learning: Someyaoka High School and Nagano Nihon University High School
- Out-of-School Learning: Nishogakusha University High School
High School Student Poster at the Ecological Society of Japan
In August 2023, Mihiro Shirai of Someyaoka High School worked on measuring the population of minnows as part of his research studies. He estimated the population and its confidence interval using the removal method, referring to Professor Eiji Kuno's "Animal Population Dynamics Research Method I - Population Estimation Method" (1986). This survey method, which uses multiple cellbins, is designed to take into account the temporal and spatial variability of the estimate, and the results were presented at the Ecological Society of Japan, High School Student Poster in the spring:
Mihiro Shirai1, Akira Maejima1, Sakie Kodama2 and Hiroshi Hakoyama2 (1 Someyaoka High school, 2 IFB Nagano University) Estimation of the population of Topmouth gudgeon in a pond using the removal method General Lecture (Poster Presentation) PH-17
UNMP, Ueda Nishi High School Learning Project
Ueda Nishi High School regularly holds UNMP (Ueda Nishi High School Learning Project), which is organized by the student council. The Institute of Freshwater Biology cooperates with UNMP biology classes.
4th UNMP Lecture A "Learn about the water quality of the Chikuma River!"
January 28, 2023: The 4th UNMP Lecture A "Learn about the water quality of the Chikuma River!" was held. A mini-lecture was given at the Institute of Freshwater Biology and a survey of water quality and benthic organisms in the Chikuma River was conducted. The collected samples were analyzed in the laboratory (EcoPlate analysis using a microplate reader and identification of benthic organisms such as aquatic insects).
5th UNMP Lecture "Let's learn about the water quality of the Chikuma River!"
October 15, 2023: The 5th UNMP Lecture "Let's learn about the water quality of the Chikuma River!" was held. Associate Professor Sakie Kodama took the lead in the field of the Chikuma River, measuring the water quality and surveying the benthic fauna. The results of the survey were examined in accordance with the MOE's Water Quality Assessment Manual, which uses aquatic biota as an indicator of water quality. As a result, it was confirmed that there are significant differences in water quality and aquatic biota between the main stream of the Chikuma River and the discharge of sewage treatment water into the Chikuma River.
6th UNMP Lecture "Thinking about Biodiversity
The 6th UNMP Lecture "Thinking about Biodiversity" was held on January 27. Six students, including those from the Biology Club and the Student Council, participated under the guidance of teacher Yumitsu Tsuchiya, and each presented their learning and research contents and had an active discussion with professors from the Institute of Freshwater Biology (Associate Professor Sakie Kodama and Professor Hiroshi Hakoyama). The Institute of Freshwater Biology also gave a lecture on the basic concepts of biological conservation and statistics to deepen the high school students' understanding. In addition, they practiced measuring the ploidy (gene content) of animals using the Institute's flow cytometry, and together with a lecture on the evolution of ploidy in the classroom, they learned the basics of the ploidy characteristics of organisms and that amphibians tend to have larger genome sizes among animals.
7th UNMP Lecture
The 7th UNMP Lecture was held on September 23rd. Five students participated and gave presentations on topics of their interest: the relationship between water quality and living organisms in the Chikuma River, the ecology of aquatic insects, and the ecology of the Japanese newt. In addition, the Institute of Freshwater Biology presented the ecology of lampreys and water quality analysis of the Chikuma River.
9th UNMP Workshop
On September 23, 2025, the 9th UNMP workshop was held at Ueda Nishi High School. Two students participated and conducted investigations and morphological observations of planarians, as well as genome size measurements.
Ueda Nishi High School Biology Club (Link)
Visit on March 11, 2022
March 11, 2022 Ueda Nishi High School Biology Club visited the Institute of Freshwater Biology (Adviser: Teacher Yumitsu Tsuchiya)
October 24, 2022: Collecting aquatic organisms
October 24, 2022: The Ueda Nishi High School Biology Club measures water quality and collects aquatic organisms in the lab.
November 6, 2023: Research consultation
November 6, 2023: Shiho Miyashita, a first-year student from the Ueda Nishi High School Biology Club, came to consult about conservation research on red-bellied newts.
Inquiry Learning (Comprehensive Learning (Inquiry) Time, MEXT)
Someyaoka High School
July 29, 2022: Chikuma River garbage problem
On July 29, 2022, nine students from Someyaoka High School visited the Institute of Freshwater Biology as part of their research on the Chikuma River garbage problem and the creatures of the Chikuma River.
Nagano Nihon University High School
May 28, 2026 Inquiry-based learning related to the International Baccalaureate (IB) program
On May 28, 2026, Mr. Atsushi Yamaguchi from Nagano Nihon University High School visited the Institute of Freshwater Biology, accompanied by Dr. Yohei Fukata, as part of inquiry-based learning related to the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. During the visit, he toured IFB’s research and rearing facilities and learned about river ecosystems and the conservation of freshwater fishes.
Extracurricular Learning
Nishogakusha University High School
On July 29, 2024, five biology students and a teacher from Nishogakusha University High School in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, visited the Institute of Freshwater Biology as an extracurricular learning experience to get closer to living creatures. After receiving a lecture on freshwater biology, the high school students collected and observed aquatic insects such as dragonflies on the premises.
