It has generally been considered that the science curriculum of "Shoggako no Gakka oyobi Sono Teido" (the curriculum of elementary school, adopted in 1886) is composed of natural history, physics, chemistry, and physiology; however, the fact is that the subject of physical geography was also included in this curriculum. The science curriculum was influenced by Nishimura Tei who was a committee member of the "Shogakkou Jourei Torishirabe Iin." His opinion was that physical geography is very important for science education in elementary school. So his influence seems to have been responsible for the inclusion of physical geography in the science curriculum.

Student concept structures about mechanics in nine different learning stages were investigated by using the concept-mapping method. According to the results, the student concept structure develops from simple and partial concepts to complex and global ones in the individual learning-stages. To make the concept map, eight key words and various related words were used. For example, words concerned with daily knowledge such as "men" and "muscles" were frequently used by the lower school career students.

Teaching materials for surface tension were developed. The materials consist of spheres floating on water. The spheres have good conductivity, so as not to become charged. The behavior of the spheres is explained by the surface tension depending on the factor of wettability. When two spheres have the same wettability (both are wet or neither is wet) an attractive force works between them; when two spheres have different wettability (one is wet and the other is not) a repulsive force works between them. The wettability of spheres can easily be determined by the shadows reflected on the bottom surface of the water-container.These facts show that these teaching materials are useful for a dynamic approach to understanding surface tension and wettability. A unit program in three class hours has been proposed to research the possible cause of the behavior of the spheres and to understand surface tension, and this program has been implemented in the integrated study classes for sixth grade students of a public elementary school in Nagano Prefecture. Our program was evaluated by observation of the activities of the students and by category analysis of the results obtained from questionnaires administered to students after each class hour. It was found that the student's learning process, including the understanding of content, the pleasure of learning, interest and concern, and learning motivation, had been enhanced.

In this study, several kinds of teaching materials for the study of energy conversion concerned with natural energy were developed. Two of them are wind turbine and water turbine models by which a teacher demonstrates the mechanism and the process of energy generation. Other materials include a wind turbine model to enable students to test the performance of self-made propellers and a solar cooker. A teaching program about natural energy conversion of five class hours for third grade students was carried out in order to evaluate these teaching materials. The following became clear from analysis of the answers to questionnaires: ・The teaching materials helped students to understand and deepened their interest in various energy conversion processes. ・The teaching materials increased the interest of students in natural energy and their awareness of conserving energy.

This research project examined how quickening the interaction in the class as each student pointed out their ideas to others affected the transmission of knowledge. The procedure was to divide the students into small groups and compare them. The students in some groups discussed their ideas orally. The students in the other groups also presented their ideas orally but also drew pictures to illustrate their ideas. The result was that explaining and making the individual student's idea visible was more effective in the transmission of knowledge. Moreover, it emerged that discussing and externalizing the idea resolved mental conflicts and helped to promote explanatory activities such as protection, agreement, and questioning.

We visited nine museums and one field center in the UK in order to promote a tie-up of schools with museums in Japan. We observed in particular the activities of the children in the museums and the field center. Through these observations we were able to determine the essential elements that enable teachers to access them effectively. This report is based on the results obtained from this research. We found the following seven essential elements that could be utilized in Japan: 1. The museum presentations are directly related to school-based education. 2. Presentations and supplementary teaching materials for school-based education are supplied. 3. There is financial and conditional support from the UK government. 4. Cooperation between the government sector and the private sector is promoted. 5. A distinction is made between formal education for schools and informal education for the public. 6. Information is clearly presented to teachers. 7. The museum is presented as a place of wonder.

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of previous experience about strata observation in lower secondary school, using photographs. In our study, we conducted two examinations for students. We had a strata observation, using four photographs, and an examination of their previous experiences. We analyzed the number of their observation subjects and 'their tendencies of observation. The findings of this study are as follows. Students who had observed strata in the field made more geological discoveries than those who had not. Students who had observed the oblique strata of sandstones and mudstones observed well. Among the students who had not observed strata in the field, students who had learned about them in class observed well.

This purpose of this study is to show how to carry out a performance test with microscopes used in lower secondary schools and to examine their effectiveness. As a result of this study, we discovered the following: (1) It is possible to carry out a performance test of a microscope using a video camera; and, by doing so, the teacher can more properly diagnose the ability of students. (2) Students who like science have a good ability for using microscopes, compared with those students who dislike science. (3) There is a correlation between the performance test and the Tasknaire Test for measuring microscope skills.

Teaching guidelines currently require that teachers should not only encourage students to participate voluntarily and purposefully in observations and experiments but should also pay attention to the individual learning needs of students. In order to translate these guidelines into practice, it is essential to promote free communication among students. The present study investigated how free interaction among students can affect their grades. At the same time, it aimed to identify whether providing students with an opportunity to communicate and learn freely from each other, regardless of their grades, can help teachers recognize and understand the individual needs of students. The results obtained from the present study indicate that students with good grades not only helped students with poorer grades in the learning process but also benefited from the experience of helping others, enabling them to enhance their scientific thinking skills.