Guest Lecture on Liquefaction Caused by the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake Given by Museum Curators

Abstract

On October 26, 2011, curators of the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History visited a Chiba municipal elementary school, which had its schoolyard liquefied by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake on March 11, 2011 and explained the phenomenon of liquefaction to sixth grade students. The lecture program consisted of marine reclamation, an outline of the Earthquake, and experiments that demonstrated the liquefaction and formation of sand cones. All teaching materials used in the lecture were originally created, designed, or modified by the curators. In particular, a surface peel of the sand cone sampled at the schoolyard was used and sent back to the school after the lecture. A questionnaire survey was conducted after the lecture. The results showed that many children showed interest in the phenomenon of liquefaction; further, they indicated that they liked the lecture.