"Life and Death Education" in Home Economics Education : Curriculum development, Teaching practice and Class evaluation

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This study examined life and death education curriculums in home economics education. First, it analyzed practice reports, the findings of which revealed two distinctive features. The first group of classes focused on life and food based on the perspective that food nurtures life. The second group of classes dealt with the theme of birth and childcare or the theme of quality of life for elderly people, encouraging students to think about the issues of sex, life and death.Second, we offered a class of home economics at a junior high school, in which we took up the theme of death as part of family and childcare education. In the class, students were required to read "A Letter to a Child with Cancer" by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, a teaching material, and fill in a worksheet. The analysis of the worksheets enabled us to verify that our class was meaningful. It showed that the students were greatly impressed with the story, contemplated life and death, and acknowledged that they had a meaningful class.In 2005, we organized an academic program, including lectures, practice reports and a networking event, to discuss life and death education in home economics education in cosponsorship with the Kinki Regional Association of the Japan Association of Home Economics Education. The session of practice reports focused on experiences of life and death education in home economics in junior and senior high schools and also provided information about practices in elementary schools. This academic program provided a significant opportunity to the participants to exchange their views and opinions, with broad participation of teachers, including home economics teachers, from elementary and junior high schools in Osaka Prefecture.Finally, I am grateful to Kazue Mochizuki, professor of the Faculty of Education and Human Studies, Akita University, for her contribution to this study.