ITFI Part1. 921 Earthquake Memorial Tower  
 Both the mentors and students woke up early in a humid and scorching hot morning and headed to the sites of the International Team Field Investigation in Nantou County. Students arrived at the 921 Earthquake Memorial Tower to work on their tasks. All pupils were regrouped into cross-country teams to conduct field investigation. The tasks promoted the cooperation with team members from different cultural backgrounds while completing the assigned field work together. With specific equipment provided, each team delineated the possible magnitudes of the past earthquakes and the length of the land surface rupture as an assessment of earthquake hazards.
As the mentors arrived the same destination, they were very intrigued by the calamity that was caused by the 921 Chichi Earthquake. One of the Japanese mentors even started to draw down the formation and the structure of the earth around the affected area and began a rigorous discussion with other mentors. Indeed, that was one of the main objectives of this visit -- to try to arouse the interests of every participant in exchanging ideas and knowledge in Earth Science.
Later, while students were still investigating the site of the 921 Earthquake Memorial Tower, the mentors proceeded to the 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan, formerly a junior high school. When the earthquake occurred, all the school ground was distorted and nearly crumbled. Therefore, in memorial to this catastrophic tragedy happened in Taiwan, the government decided to maintain this area and make it into a tourist spot. In addition, there were also some interesting exhibits that simulate how earthquakes happen. Therefore, the visitors had an opportunity to experience how earthquakes affect people’s lives and properties. |
               
Album - ITFI Part1 (Lee)
Album - ITFI Part1 (Vincent)
Album - ITFI Part1 (Mango)
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Lee |
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ITFI Part2. Viticultural Research Center of the National Chung Hsing University
Rock Knowledge Assembly 
| The Rock Knowledge Assembly (RKA), one of the impressive and memorable learning experiences for the IESO participants, was held at the National Sihu Senior High School. With great enthusiasm, students and faculties from the school welcomed and greeted the IESO 2009 participants during the welcoming show. Also, the Director Te-Hsiang Su of the Department of Secondary Education, Ministry of Education, gave a short speech to reiterate the symbolic meaning of RKA as a memorial to the 10th anniversary of the 921 Chichi Earthquake in Taiwan. In closing, a video of the Typhoon Morakot, which killed hundreds and left hundreds missing last month, was played on the show to emphasize the urgency and the importance in the promotion and dissemination of natural hazard prevention and mitigation.
The featured event began to have all the countries lay out the rocks they brought from each participating country to form the characters of “IESO”. This activity symbolized the three major themes of IESO 2009: “interaction between human and the environment,” “the environment and ecological conservation,” and “mutual support among countries.” The representative members of each country shared knowledge about the rocks and their learning experiences during the past few days in Taiwan. In addition, the Korean representative presented a meaningful rock to show the friendship to the IESO 2009 host country and gave it to, Mr. Shi-Lang Lin, the Principal of the National Sihu Senior High School.
With a round of applause from the crowd, the RKA activity was concluded. To many of those who participated the RKA, it was an enriching and unforgettable event of IESO 2009. |
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Album - ITFI Part1 (Lee)
Album - ITFI Part1 (Vincent)
Album - ITFI Part1 (Mango) |
         
Album - RKA Part2 (Lee)
Album - RKA Part2 (Vincent)
Album - RKA Part2 (Mango) |
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