School: Hsin Chia Elementary School
    Houbi Township, Tainan County, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

7 students, ages 11-121 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on January 31, 2010. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2007,2008,2009

Classes and Teachers: Chou Chun-Lin

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.sj2es.tnc.edu.tw

1. Description of Our Community

Houbi Township is commonly known as owl-bi-liaow. Situated in the northern end of Tainan County, the northern and western sides are bordered by Pachang Creek and Chiayi County. It is connected to Baihe Township in the east, Yenshui Township in the southwest, Dongshan Town in the southeas, and Hsinying City in the south. In terms of natural terrain form, it is elevated in the northeastern part and is tilted toward the west. However, the relative height is not significant, and the land form is rather flat. The territory is mostly Chianan Plain in attribute.

Geographically, Houbi Township is located at the border between Tainan and Chiayi Metropolitan. Houbi Township is bound to play the role of a rural village as a result of this location distribution. Therefore, the entire humanities and landscapes of Houbi Township are apparently plain agricultural town oriented. Fields are seen everywhere especially rice fields. In addition, commercial activities in major villages within the precinct are rather slow. It is especially so as compared to neighboring towns and townships.

2. Summary of Our Project

Yong-Shin soy sauce factory is located in the Chong Chen Dong village, Ho-bin town. This factory has already existed for hundred years. Inside the factory, the owner purchased the equipments of boiling and machines for sterilizing; just because of the owner insists the original taste of the soy sauce. He uses the old and traditional way to produce them. He focuses on the each processes of the producing, and he cares the qualities of them. Each bottle of soy sauce is made from the owner’s heart and hard-working. He selects the black beans to produce soy sauce. The main product is “Master Grade Black Bean soy sauce” He doesn’t use any gourmet to make them tasty. They’re all nature made. You won’t fell thirsty after tasting them. And he doesn’t use caramel to color them. The color still stays amber and clear. Besides the “Master Black Bean soy sauce,” it also produces “the regular soy sauce” and “Fermented Bean Sauce.” This topic is researched about “how the Yong-Sin factory working,” “To know the owner’s business concepts,” “To know how the all equipments working in the factory,” “Introduce all the products in this factory.” Of course, we are not just going there for visiting, but also create the curriculum which related to our lessons. For example, “How to recognize good or bad soy sauce,” “What to add to make things tasty.” After learning theses tips, we can use that knowledge in our daily life.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

Our school is equipped with 1 computer classroom. Almost every classroom has a computer. All the school computers are connected to one another though special line or internet. The online connections are quite smooth. The campus internet is a regional internet work where resources from each computer are shared.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

(1) Unfamiliar with the research project: Soy sauce is the essential seasoning for a meal in our daily lives. It is used for stir-frying, fish steaming or stewed meat. However, we have difficulties to explain what exactly soy sauce is when we have to. What is traditional fermentation method? What is chemical soy sauce? What is black bean soy sauce? We are confused about such a small bottle of soy sauce full of knowledge. Surprisingly, we know nothing about soy sauce which we use every day. On the other hand, the research on a project which everybody is not familiar with is supposed to be meaningful. Hopefully, this research project tends to make us get familiar with the special Taiwanese flavor. In the meantime, it is also a good opportunity for us to explore this small-scale manufacturer located in remote countryside which insists on following traditional methods and creating quality handmade products under the competition and stress brought by large-scale manufacturers. (2) Arranging all research members’ meeting schedule: Under the school’s flexible schedule system, extra-curriculum activities can be arranged during on non-course schedule. All members can meet together to discuss research theme structure, interview question digest and visit appointment during daily rest time at noon, afternoon in every Wednesday, and time after school course end every day.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

It is the seventh year that Hsin Chia Elementary School carries out a research project for Taiwan School Cyberfair. All of the projects being completed were associated with the customs or local industries in Hou Bi. This time, we would like to introduce a small plant which produces traditional black bean soy sauce. This plant is not a landmark here but its traditional flavor and its insistence on “no additives” form a model worth promoting. The students can learn the concepts of sustainable environmental protection and moral behavior through close visits and observations. Such concepts are rarely found in the utilitarian society. The contents of this project not only serve a good source for people to know their residence of origin but also a reference for education in character and environmental protection.

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Attending this research project can allow the teachers not only to improve professional knowledge but also to direct students by developing the teachers’ professionalism. The Students also learn how to complete a project by continuous discussion and coordination and to understand the important of group cooperation and to change from passive knowledge learning to active knowledge construction and explore and cultivate interests and talents fully.

Theme research is a theme or integration learning which can be combined with various learning fields. For example, we have ever learned in simple formula function and graphic edition in EXCEL (Examination questions for Computer Course in Tainan County). The statistics concerning egg ratio used in school lunch in theme research and annual egg production volume provided by Council of Agriculture can be displayed by graphic charts of which the graphic chart meaning can be discussed. Such curriculums can also be integrated with ?Statistics Charts? in Mathematics Course. In summary, the knowledge of all courses are integrated into the theme research procedures.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

Computer, computer software Wordxp,PhotoImpact12,FrontPagexp,Explorer,Excel,FTP):Data upload, data compilation, webpage production Internet:Various data search including past works of Cyberfair, related book search, inquiry and topic related webpage Digital camera:Photograph taking as image record Team member E-MAIL, telephone, mobile phone :Regular communication and contact

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

Being alive, an industry is thus meaningful. The industries, particularly the ones like soy sauce production with fading flavors, cannot be represented in a museum. The traditional soy sauce industry once faced its end of life. However, local culture has been valued in recent years. Many local industries have seen the light by taking advantage of such trend. Through the research for Taiwan School Cyberfair, we make a in-depth and in-width introduction to local industries with characteristics and quality. The students can learn both local culture and knowledge in our daily lives. Local culture and history has gradually been established. The local people identify with our research project. It is also interesting to go out of school and learn something.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

In recent years, local culture and maintaining good health have become a new cultural movement. People have started searching for the past. Some unique local industries, which were once ignored, abandoned and hidden in a small corner, have been rediscovered. Through the establishment of the project and website, we hope that local industries operating in a manner of conscience can be highlighted in addition to exploring more about soy sauce in our everyday life. On the other hand, we intend to achieve school characteristics and cultivate students’ capabilities so as to make local people know that there are excellent learning activities at school in the countryside compared with urban areas.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

We would like to thank for many people’s assistance and help with this research project. First, we would like to thank the school chefs. Some cuisine prepared with soy sauce was required in this project. Therefore, the school chefs helped with shooting. Aunt Chien, one of the school staff, is good at cooking. She has obtained B-class certificate for Chinese flour cuisine processing. She is demanding in raw materials and equipment. She has a professional oven at home. Therefore, we invited Aunt Chien to teach us how to steam fish and make Korean-style bread. These two things are easy to make. You can try them, too.

For enriching the project, we went to visit the place producing black bean (raw material for black bean soy sauce) – Hsia Ying. Mr. Chou Chun Chieh of Hsia Ying Farmers’ Association and Uncle Tseng who is a black bean farmer offered great help. Finally, we would like to thank the owner of Yong Hsing Soy Sauce Plant. He personally demonstrated and explained the production process. With his introduction, we got to know handmade soy sauce into depth. By visiting Yong Hsing Soy Sauce Plant, we witnessed an industrial model which safeguards traditions and sticks to quality.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

We didn’t realize that there was more than one method to produce soy sauce until we further explored it. It takes a couple of days to complete chemical soy sauce at a low cost. But chemical soy sauce brings the biggest issues. While producing chemical soy sauce, hydrochloric acid is used to decompose protein so as to obtain amino acid. 3-MPCD, a substance causing cancer, is produced in the process of making chemical soy sauce. It is considered qualified as long as its content is lower than the standard. However, people’s health may be influenced if it is taken a lot. Contrarily, traditional handmade soy sauce is produced by following natural principles. It takes longer time and more efforts to make but it tastes natural and healthy. Through this research project, we realize that technology doesn’t necessarily bring substantial benefits and tradition doesn’t necessarily mean “being out of date”. Living in a technologically advancing time, we should re-digest our ancestors’ wisdom from time to time.