The present authors tried 1) to examine whether or not fifth grade students had naive concepts about the embryonic development of humans before they were taught about it in elementary school science, 2) to analyze any such concepts, and 3) to develop elementary school science lessons adapted to these concepts. Their findings include: 1) that children who had not learned about the development of man yet already held some naive concepts about it, 2) that these concepts could be divided into four categories( I Epigenesis, II Rank, III Proformation, and N Evolution), and 3) that although the lessons included both discussion and scientific materials on the embryonic development of man, some students refused to accept the scientific concept of embryonic development and persistently held on to their own naive concepts.

This article is a study of the teaching method for the unit, "A Change in the Weather," taking the function of information in contemporary society into consideration. This unit is part of the science curriculum of the fifth grade in elementary school. Various kinds of information about the weather were gathered and utilized with the aid of a personal computer, in addition to information from the familiar media of television and newspapers. This study examines the effectiveness of this teaching method in which students learn how to gather the information about the weather,how to utilize that information, and how to understand it. Meteorological information was gathered by student observation of an instrument screen and automatically by several sensors controlled by a personal computer. This data was utilized to represent the change in the weather graphically with printouts and images on the computer screen. Information on the type and amount of clouds was gathered from weather maps in the newspapers,from sketches of the clouds,and from photographs and videos of the clouds. Images of the clouds from the GMS(a Japanese satellite)were also utilized on the personal computer. Information from weather proverbs, weather forecasting,and meteorology was gathered from books in the library, weather maps in the newspapers, and the weather forecast on TV. The information from this "research learning" was utilized to present the results of study in class and to publish a newspaper in the classroom. This teaching method developed information literacy and motivated the pupils to observe the meteorological elements and to learn about meteorology, and it made them interested in these subjects. Measurement and evaluation of academic achievement before and after the learning activities made it clear that the students had developed their knowledge of meteorology. The teaching method in this study is based on "a new viewpoint of measurement and evaluation of academic achievement" by the development of the ability to use various kinds of information.

This article discusses the function and the importance of the laboratory teaching method that contributed to the formation and development of science education. The teaching of science in schools has traditionally followed the didactic method of teaching used in the field of humanities in which the students listen to and memorize information from the teachers. This method of teaching science has been challenged,thereby creating the need for some innovative changes. These conditions have lead to the development of the laboratory teaching method which gives students a chance to act as scientists and discoverers by solving problems through experiments based on the scientific method. Students are then able to gather facts by themselves. This laboratory teaching method is known to be a part of the science education research method of the natural sciences. This method has made four important contributions to the history of science education: 1. The basic style of teaching and learning in science education provides students with opportunities to solve problems by discovery in the laboratory. 2. The development of the laboratory teaching method has resulted in the organization of a new field of science education which has the objectives of developing scientific,logical thinking skills and attitudes and the acquisition of the scientific method. 3. With the laboratory teaching method,the basic principle of modern education regarding the fundamentals of learning can be implemented : "self-activity of the child." 4. The laboratory teaching method in science teaching has merged the research method of the natural sciences with the "principle of self-activity"of modern education,thereby putting the theory of modern education into actual practice. The laboratory teaching method, based on the above mentioned points,has provided important contributions to the development of modern education.

Satellite data that can be obtained easily from databases on networks through the internet was utilized as teaching materials in high school regional studies. NOAA data obtained from JAIDAS was utilized for teaching materials through a computer program developed by the author. This paper presents two examples: 1) lake surface temperature measurement by the utilization of NOAA data, and 2) ground surface temperature measurement by use of NOAA data. Ground surface temperature measurements show heat islands in urban areas, and this was used for a class on the subject of urbanization and human life. The purpose of this class was to arouse the interest of the students in the relationship between the natural environment and human life. The effects of this class were investigated. It was concluded that the ideas of the students on urbanization were sharpened and developed by the actual,visual examples in the teaching materials. The students started to consider the problems of urbanization as their own problems. Some of the students wished to study more about heat islands and the effects of urbanization on other elements in the natural environment. It seems clear that using NOAA data as teaching materials was effective in this class, which intended to make students more aware of the relationships between the natural environment and human life.