A developing study of worksheet for advance learning and open learning processes of science lessons and their evaluation study in the elementary schools ―A case study in the teaching of the topic of stomata―

摘要

This paper presents a descriptive study of the following: investigation of materials to be used in the teaching of the topic of stomata to elementary students, the construction of a worksheet to be of use in advanced learning and open learning processes, and the evaluation of this worksheet through practical use in the science classes. In the investigation of materials to be used in the teaching of stomata, 60 plants were evaluated based on the following three criteria: the size of the stomata, brittleness of the surface underneath the leaves, and the availability of the plant. Out of 60 plants, 35 met the desired results. Allium cepa was found to be best for observing the structure of the stomata. 114 kinds of worksheet were constructed with the main objective of using them in advanced and open learning processes in the science classes. A homepage in the internet was created for these worksheets. They can be viewed using the following address: http://www.bio.aichi-edu.ac.jp/wsheet.htm and can be copied using micro computer. The evaluation of the worksheet was conducted in the 6th grade science classes. The result of the first evaluation showed that the use of materials such as cucumbers and oranges creates an impression to the students. The use of fruits which stomata and manicure are almost invisible to the naked eye was found to be interesting.