Almost all "Chemistry I" textbooks used in upper secondary school treat the reaction between sodium and water as a student experiment, which is representative of reactions between alkali metals and water. Some "Comprehensive Science A" textbooks also use the same experiment. The main part of this experiment is the procedure that the generation of hydrogen gas is confirmed by an explosive sound on ignition with a lighted match. According to the instructions and using the size of sodium piece in the textbooks. however, there are many cases where the pop of hydrogen gas are not confirmed. A reason for this failure is originated in the non-examination of the relationship between the volume of the generated hydrogen gas and the volume of the gas-collecting bottle where a lightened match is close to the hydrogen gas. In this study, we have measured the ratios of hydrogen volume to vessel volume to generate a pop and then we have determined the experimental conditions to ensure complete success. The above experiment is easy for students to carry out. It is also an important phenomenon in that the direct reaction of sodium with chlorine gas to generate sodium chloride. However. this experiment is considered dangerous due to the violent reaction and there are no textbooks that treat it as a student experiment. Since the experimental procedures are improved, the experiment turns out to be impressive, safe, and easy for students.

The present study was conducted on junior high school students to determine causal relationships between factors that may affect awareness to variables such as extraction of dependent and independent variables related to changes in natural phenomena. Pass analysis was performed with awareness to variables as a purpose variable, and "experience regarding surrounding nature," "favorable impression for mathematics," "confidence in natural science," "intellectual curiosity about nature/science and technology," "experience in scientific research," "favorable impression for natural science" and "experience in making things" as explanatory variables. The following causal relationships were demonstrated: (1) "Intellectual curiosity about nature/science and technology" co-varied with "favorable impression of natural science", being at the initial stage of a causal relationship that affects "awareness to variables." (2) "Experience in scientific research," "experience in making things" and "confidence in natural science" were affected by "intellectual curiosity about nature/science and technology" and "favorable impression of natural science," whereas "experience in making things" affected "experience in scientific research" and "confidence in natural science." On the other hand, "experience in scientific research" affected "confidence in natural science," while ultimately influencing "experience regarding surrounding nature" and "favorable impression of mathematics." (3) "Experience regarding surrounding nature" and "favorable impression of mathematics" directly affected "awareness to variables."

Concept mapping was proposed by J. D. Novak and D. B. Gowin as a tool of "Learning How to Learn". However, it came to be often used as an evaluation tool of learners' cognitive structures so that it was shown in the research of White et al. This research aims to propose Concept mapping again as a tool of "Learning How to Learn". A teacher conducted a class using a "node compression" technique that simplifies complex concept maps based on a conceptual, hierarchical relation. As a result, we clarified that "node compression" is evaluated not only as a technique that simplifies concept maps, but also as a way of learning to learn conceptually by the learners. And in the process of node compression, it was revealed that meta-cognition and meta-learning was caused by learners' self-monitoring. We were able to propose Concept mapping again as a tool of "Learning How to Learn".

The purpose of this study was to make clear the structural principle of the objects and contents from the first grade to the third grade in the Course of Study-Science (Tentative plan) published in 1947 and to discuss how the lower science education were changed from the prewar period to the postwar period. Through the study of documentary records, it became clear that Genjiro Oka (1901-84) who worked at the bureau of textbook in the Ministry of Education in Japan planed to convert from "Shizen-no-kansatsu (Observation of nature)" published in 1941 and 1942 to this Course of Study, accepting the American information of science education, for example. the Course of Study for Virginia Elementary Schools (1943) in Virginia. the Course of Study in Elementary Science, Spokane Public Schools (1943) in Washington and "Science in General Education" (1938) published by Progressive Education Association which were offered by the American officers of the Civil Information and Education Section (CIE) in the General Headquarters of Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (GHQ/SCAP). With this, G. Oka performed to make up the new framework of science curriculum. The Spokane Course of Study (1943) was regarded as a model of the above-mentioned Course of Study published in 1947 with respect to the construction of science contents. Therefore the Japanese Course of Study (1947) accepted more contents and teaching methods of the Spokane Course of Study (1943) than those of "Shizen-no-kansatsu (Observation of nature)" published before the Second World War and then was realized as the new science curriculum.

The objective of this study is to clarify how idea-externalizing technology should be used in activating, as a whole, the five basic elements of Cooperative Learning proposed by Johnson et al. (1998). We began with a theoretical review by examining previous studies concerning the functions and applications of technology used to support cooperative learning in science education and the adjoining fields, so as to identify the measures considered effective in activating each of the basic elements of Cooperative Learning. We then put together individual measures adopted in respective studies, to generalize them as measures for activating the basic elements of Cooperative Learning. As a result, we identified design principles regarding the use of idea-externalizing technology for activating all of the five basic elements. To verify these hypothetical principles, we conducted an experiment using the concept mapping software "Undo-kun". In the experiment we gave science lessons in the unit of "Understanding Reproduction and Genetics" to 3 classes of 118 third-year junior high school students (14-15 years old), with Undo-kun application devised on the basis of our design principles. Our analysis, mainly of videorecorded classroom episodes of the experiment, led us to conclude that the use of Undo-kun on the basis of these design principles is effective in activating all of the five basic elements of Cooperative Learning. The results therefore constitute demonstrative support of the hypothetical principles proposed in this study.

In this, study, we used a two-dimension matrix to externalize the content of hypothesis, and the level of confidence and evidence to hypothesis. The students operated the hypothesis using Synchronous CSCL. The students were frequently switching table of experiment results to two-dimension matrix. When the successful number of experiments increased, students moved the label following the course of the axis of evidence. The students then moved the label following the course of the confidence axis when a hypothesis was confirmed by experiments. The teacher can understand the advance situation of study from the position of a label, or changes.

Survey research of environmental education on acid rain and its effect on soil was conducted for its practical application to chemistry education in upper secondary schools. In particular, studies were focused on the following three: I. Literature research of acid rain and soil as environmental education materials in Japan to clarify the trend of current studies; II. Survey of description on acid rain and soil in science textbooks for elementary, lower secondary, and upper secondary schools; III. Questionnaire survey on the degree of knowledge and consciousness possessed by upper secondary school students. The results of the above three surveys revealed the following points: (1) Various studies on using acid rain and soil as educational materials have been conducted and there are quite a number of practical activities being conducted in actual school education. However, in most practical activities, only simple measurements of pH or other quantities are conducted. (2) Many textbooks print an article about acid rain and contain many photographs in particular of damages caused by acid rain. Scientific explanation of acid rain according to the development stage is given in elementary and lower secondary school textbooks, but upper secondary school textbooks only have content similar to that of lower secondary school textbooks. (3) Upper secondary school students have rich knowledge about the cause and damage of acid rain, but poor scientific knowledge about pH or dissolved ions. Also, while they care about acid rain but have little motivation to take action to solve the problem.

There were almost no related researches on “How Shadow is made” which has been considered important to understand “Waxing and Waning of the Moon,” as far. Also there has been very few researches dealing with “the differences between Shadow and Shade.” So we made a questionnaire-type research about the understandings of the basic celestial movement to clarify the relationship of the understandings between waxing and waning of the moon, and "shadow and shade" in the fourth graders. The results are the four findings below; (1) There are almost no students who understand the distinction between a shadow which is a shade cast by a body blocking light rays, and a shade which is a partial darkness caused by cutting off light. (2) There are less than half of the students who have a recognition that “the moon is shining by the reflected light of the sun.” (3) Most children, who have a good understanding of “light and shade,” have a recognition that the moon shines by the reflected light of the sun and has the hemispherical reflecting surface. (4) There is a strong relationship between students understanding of shadow and shade, and the waxing and waning of the moon. Many students who recognize the hemispherical shadow on the moon especially have the tendency to recognize the true waxing and waning of the moon.

Recently in the West, it has been a matter of great importance to change their consciousness of making personal life-style more ecological in order to put sustainable society into realization. One of the influential environmental educations aiming to change their consciousness is “Deep Ecology Education.” In this research the authors analyzed the program cases from many sides, and clarified the development and characteristics of environmental education based on the thought of Deep Ecology. There have been practiced environmental education programs to be called “self-openness” of environmental education program, “communion with nature” of project, and the type of environmental education programs that cited the concepts of the thoughts of deep ecology. The main characteristics of the paper are as follows: 1) Their educational goal aims at “self-realization.” 2) They introduced activity-type learning to understand the real identification of students themselves with various types of lives and non-life natural objects. 3) Out-door activities have been done mainly in their regional environment. 4) Environmental education programs have been shifted from the workshop at their community environmental education center, to the form worked with their city schools.

For 16-year-old students at a technical high school who elected not to take biology, cell/genetics/molecular biology lessons were offered during the time allocated for general natural sciences in a trial plan to compensate for their incomplete science curriculum. These lessons were effective in helping students appreciate the inquiring minds and attitudes of scientists. The lessons also helped students acquire basic knowledge and concepts, and they were thought to be effective in cultivating scientific ways of thinking. Additionally, effects on student curiosity were seen, and these lessons were also effective in cultivating skills and attitudes to spontaneously tackle progressively advanced content. However, in lessons specifically designed to help students understand broad comprehensive themes, it was not possible to cover all relevant content from the sub-units in the allotted time. In addition, the need for including lessons related to the social sciences and lessons to foster student respect for life was confirmed. Results of surveys administered in 2005 and 2006 demonstrate that gene regulation and blood type courses were the most frequently reported by students as the most interesting content. As the New Curriculum Guidelines were revised to add gene regulation in the junior-high-school curriculum, practical content such as blood type and sex-linked inheritance could be covered in those courses. It is expected that these lessons can encourage them to recognize the practicality of natural sciences. Based on the New Curriculum Guidelines for Junior High School, further discussion about the organization and the method of lessons to build solid understanding and to facilitate greater understanding through problem solving is necessary.

An event named Science Summer Camp for Lower Secondary School Students was conducted by the Faculty of Education, University of the Ryukyus staffs under a financial support from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) with the intention to motivate the students to study the natural sciences. It was composed of an experiment in the laboratory and a field trip to northern part of Okinawa Island with a one night accommodation at the field station of the university in the area. The following objects were selected for scientific observation in the field trip: 1) An outcrop showing alternation of Paleogene sandstone and mudstone at the bottom of a valley lying deep among the mountains. 2) Wild plants and animals in the mountain forest in nighttime. 3) The Milky Way and some significant constellations seen with the naked eye. 4) Jupiter and some nebulas observed through compact telescopes; and 5) a mangrove forest at low tide in daytime. The experiment in the laboratory, in which the participants manipulated some kind of glassware, was planned on decomposition of protein and fat in an artificial digestive liquid. About twenty students participated in this program. Field activities generally involve the risks of schedule changes induced by the sudden change of the weather, and as such, adequate alternative contents must be planned and prepared previously. As a result, because of the stormy weather, observation of the outcrop was abandoned, and night field observations in the mountain forest and the primitive astronomical observations were also altered to lectures using a slide pictures, preserved specimens and alive individuals of the wild animals and manipulations of celestial globes and compact equatorial telescopes at the experimental station respectively. Each scientific contents of the conducted program were evaluated to be highly intelligible, and the participants had intellectually enjoyed the program. Most of participants evaluated the whole program of this Summer Camp to be attractive and intended to participate the sequel to this event. To hold similar events for students of lower secondary school successively, we need practical and financial support systems inside and/or outside of the university.

There are many books and websites on the Internet with various ideas on the soap-bubble. In Japan, children like making the soap-bubble for fun. It is funny for them to think about making a super-sized-soap-bubble. However children only take pleasure in playing with the bubbles, as they are unable to comprehend why the bubbles become so large. It is important to convert this child's play to scientific inquiry. It is essential to devise teaching materials and simple measurement techniques. This research is about the development of such teaching material for elementary school students. It details simple measurement techniques, using a digital-sensor on super-sized-soap-bubbles. It is easy to make devises and procedures for elementary school students. By using this material, children will be able to further inquire about the super-sized-soap-bubbles.

Starch solutions from potatoes were inadequate for the experiment demonstrating the complete digestion of the stained starch using iodine. Stained color by iodine of the novel dextrin (Cluster dextrin) with high solubility disappeared after a several-minute digestion by saliva, and the digested solution could be used directly for sugar detection. The improved method for the experiment was suggested to lead to the understanding from the students on the function of the saliva through the observation of the successive process of starch. And as a result, students are able to get enough time for discussion with the shortened experiment time.