In this study a new teaching tool aided by ICT was developed for pupils to form a basic concept of insect morphology in elementary school. This tool consists of eighteen panels of heads, thoraxes and abdomens for six kinds of insects (dragonfly, butterfly, fly, honeybee, cicada, mosquito), which are familiar drawings shown in third-grade science textbooks in elementary school. Like a slot machine, three drawings of the head, thorax and abdomen of a given insect must be put together on a PC. This tool was tested for third grade pupils (experimental group) in science class of a public elementary school. Pupils of the same grade (control group) took a conventional lesson in science class. Analyses of answers from questionnaires administered to pupils of both groups showed the following three points: 1) Pupils of the experimental group had much better understanding of the insect morphology when compared with those of the control group. 2) Our teaching tool promoted the learning motivation of the pupils. 3) Pupils of the experimental group pointed out both personal learning and repeated learning as reasons for their better understanding of the learning content in science class. It is thus suggested that our teaching tool is useful for pupils to form a basic concept of insect morphology in elementary school.
