This study focuses on small-scale biotopes, which I were found suitable for Japanese kindergarten education after an examination of current conditions of school biotopes in Japanese kindergartens, and its future direction. Furthermore, I narrow the focus down to a type of school biotope, namely, "Mini Paddy Field Biotope", where rice is grown utilizing a water environment that matches the Japanese climate and its natural features. In this study, I examine the practical activities of this type of biotope at a Kindergarten in Tokyo and analyze its educational benefits. In conclusion, I propose some ways in which school biotope can be utilized in the kindergarten education in Japan.

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This paper focuses on e-mail communication. An experiment was conducted to compare the accuracy of judgment of one's partner's emotions experienced during e-mail communication to face-to-face communication, commonly referred to as FTFC. In addition, it also compared the emotions arising in e-mail communication versus FTFC. 22 participants of this experiment were organized into two groups: a Mail group, in which they communicated using e-mail, and a FTFC group, in which they communicated face-to-face. The accuracy of judgment was compared between the Mail group and the FTFC group. The results showed that the participants in the FTFC group judged their partners' emotions more accurately than the Mail group's participants. However, there is also a tendency to misjudge the partners' hostile emotions to be negative emotions in FTFC. In contrast, the results showed that there is a tendency to misjudge the partners' negative emotions to be hostile emotions in e-mail communication. In addition, the findings also showed that FTFC may contain more positive emotional communication than e-mail communication.

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This study examines the components of Attainment Targets (ATs) and their assessment standards for Design and Technology (DT) in the 1999 revised National Curriculum in England and the relation between their assessment standards and its sequence according to pupils' age using the quantification IV statistical method. This study used a total of 56 sentences of all levels in their ATs as statistical variables for comparison with the assessment criteria for DT of the Edexcel examination board. In conclusion, (1) their ATs comprised five types of components concerning capabilities: 1) developing and communicating design proposals; 2) exploring problems and clarifying tasks; 3) planning manufacture; 4) product manufacture; and 5) testing and evaluating; (2) this study implicates the curricular scope and sequence of the study capabilities and fundamental data to develop ATs and their assessment standards for technology in the National Curriculum in Japan.

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We developed several kinds of tiny LED torches and one attachment using materials that are inexpensive and familiar to elementary school students. We used these tiny torches in third grade elementary school science classes. Most of the responses from the students who made these torches were positive and it was made clear that these torches were useful in studying the basics of electricity.

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