To develop students' ability in and positive attitude towards making inquiries about nature through observations and experiments as well as to enhance the understanding of matters and phenomena in nature. Thus to have students realize the relationship between nature and human beings.
(1) To make students find problems among matters and phenomena which are related to substances and energy. Also to have students learn in the process of inquiring into nature how to discover regularities in nature and how to interpret natural phenomena.(2) To make students understand, through observations and experiments, that substances are classified into elements and compounds,and further that a substance consists of particles of atoms, molecules and ions, thereby developing their scientific ways of viewing and thinking substances.
(3) To make students understand, through observations and experiments, the features and function of force and electric current, motions of bodies, and work caused by light, heat, and electric current, thereby developing their scientific ways of viewing and thinking natural phenomena in connection with energy.
(4) To make students understand the function of familiar substances and energy, and develop a positive attitude towards effective utilization of substances and energy relevant to human life.
To make students familiar with substances through appearances of substances, changes in substances by heating, combustion, reactions that generate gases, etc., and to have students learn fundamental methods to study substances and their changes.a. Appearances of substances.
a) Substances found in our surroundings have different appearances and natures.b. Heating and combustion.b) As the quantity of a substance there are volume and weight which can be measured by various means.
c) The weight per unit volume of a substance is definite with the kind of substance.
a) Heating can provoke changes in temperature and in the state of a substance, and also combustion of a substance.c. Heating, decomposition and chemical combination.b) Heat is produced vigorously by combustion of substances and combustion produces substances different from those existed before the combustion.
c) Combustion is a chemical change in which a substance combines with oxygen.
a) Heating can decompose some substances.d. Chemical changes that generate gases.b) Heating can combine two or more substances.
a) Some chemical changes generate gases.2) Force.b) The weight and chemical properties of gas differ depending on the kind.
c) The same gas shows identical properties regardless of how it has been generated.
To make students understand the fundamental function of force, conditions of equilibrium of two or three forces acting at a point, and intensity and transmission of pressure, thereby developing the ability to treat forces quantitatively.a. Function of force.
a) A force exerted on a spring changes the form of the spring.b. Equilibrium of forces.b) Two electrified bodies as well as two magnets, which are not in contact, apply forces to each other through space.
c) Gravity acting on a body is the force of the earth's attraction on the body and is proportional to the mass of the body.
d) The magnitude of a force is indicated on the basis of gravity and others.
e) A force can be represented by the length and the direction of an arrow.
a) Two forces acting at a point can be in equilibrium only on certain conditions.c . Pressure.b) Three forces acting at a point can be in equilibrium only on certain conditions.
c) Forces can be added and a force can be broken up into forces.
a) Pressure is expressed by the magnitude of force per unit area.3) Substances and atoms.b) Pressure applied to a point in an enclosed liquid is transmitted to all parts of the liquid in the same intensity.
c) The pressure in water varies in proportion to the depth .
d) Buoyance acts to a body immersed in water.
To make students consider the formation of substances and mechanism of chemical changes on the basis of particle models of atoms and molecules through the studies on pure substances and mixtures, elements and compounds, and relationships between masses of substances involved in a chemical change.a. Pure substances and mixtures.
a) The melting and boiling points of a pure substance are definite with the kind of substance.b. Chemical reactions.b) Substances can be separated by means of distillation, recrystallization, etc.
a) In a chemical reaction, total mass of reacting substances is equal to that of produced substances.c. Atoms and molecules .b) Masses of the substances involved in a chemical reaction are in a fixed ratio.
a) A substance consists of atoms and molecules.4) Electric current.b) An element is represented by a symbol.
c) The composition of a compound is represented by a chemical formula.
d) A chemical reaction can be explained by models of the atom and molecule and can be shown by a chemical equation.
To make students understand, through observations and experiments, the fundamentals of electric circuits, the relationship between the electric current and the electric pressure, and generation of heat by an electric current. Also to have students consider the relationship between the electric current and the electron flow.a. Electric current and electric pressure.
a) The intensity of an electric current flowing into a point in an electric circuit is equal to the intensity of an electric current flowing out of the point.b. Generation of heat by an electric current.b) The sum total of the electric pressure of each portion of a circuit is equal to the voltage of the source terminals of the circuit.
c) The intensity of an electric current flowing in a metal wire is proportional to the voltage of the both ends of the wire.
d) The electric resistance of a metal depends on the kind, length and size of the metal as well as the manner of connection.
a) A change of water temperature is related to the amount of heat given to the water and the mass of the water.c. Electric current and electrons.b) The amount of heat produced by an electric current is related to the intensity of the electric current, electric resistance, and time length of the flow of electricity.
c) The electric power is shown by the product of the voltage by the electric current.
d) There are direct current and alternating current, and both currents are used in our everyday life.
a) Electrical discharge is caused when a high voltage is given to the rarefied gas.5) Substances and ions.b) Cathode rays are flow of negatively charged particles (electrons).
c) An electric current in a metal is a stream of electrons .
To make students consider electrolysis, acids, alkali, and neutralization with the concept of ions through studies on dissolution of substances and properties of aqueous solutions. Also to have students understand that heat is released or absorved in chemical changes.a. Aqueous solutions.
a) Solutes disperse uniformly in an aqueous solution.b. Ion.b) The solute concentration in an aqueous solution can be expressed by a weight percentage.
c) The amount of substances produced by a reaction with an aqueous solution depends on the concentration and volume of the aqueous solution.
a) There are aqueous solutions which allow an electric current to flow and which do not.c. Acids, alkali and salts.b) Electrolytes in aqueous solutions are decomposed by an electric current.
c) Electrolysis can be illustrated by an ion model.
d) An ion is an atom or a group of atoms that has lost or gained electrons.
a) Characteristics of acids and alkali are attributable to hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions.d. Chemical reactions and heat.b) Neutralization reactions between acids and alkali form salts and water.
a) Heat is evolved in neutralization reactions.6) Motion and energy.b) Heat is released or absorbed in chemical reactions.
To make students understand, through observations and experiments, motions of matters and work caused by light, heat, and electric current, and develop an elementary view and thought on transformations of energy.a. Motions.
a) Motions of bodies with which we are familiar in everyday life usually change in their speed and direction .b. Work.b) The way of indicating motions of bodies varies depending on the criteria chosen to observe the motion.
c) The state of the motion of bodies remains the same when no force is acted on them.
d) The distance traveled by bodies in a rectilinear motion at uniform velocity is proportional to the time length.
e) The speed of falling varies with time.
a) Work caused by a force is represented by the magnitude of the force multiplied by the distance traveled in the direction of the force.c. Light, heat and work.b) Work is necessary in order to move bodies against friction .
c) Work done by using tools never exceeds the work given to the tools.
d) Rate of working is represented by the work per unit time.
a) Work can be done by light.d. Electric current and work.b) Work can be done by heat and heat can be produced by work.
a) An electric current induces a magnetic field which is represented by lines of magnetic force.e. Energy.b) A magnetic field exerts a force on an electric current that flows in the magnetic field.
c) Work can be done on bodies by an electric current.
d) An electric current can be induced by work.
a) Energy is determined by the capacity to do external work.b) The potential energy of bodies due to gravity depends on the height of the position of the body and its mass.
c) The kinetic energy of bodies depends on its mass and speed.
d) The potential and kinetic energy can be mutually transformed .
e) Resources and energy have been effectively used in our everyday life.
1) It should be the standard to teach 1) and 2) above in Grade 1, 3) and 4) in Grade 2, and 5) and 6) in Grade 3.2) As for the item 2) under the Contents, the teaching of b.-c) should be made with drawings, not with equations. Concrete examples of resolution and addition of forces with which students are familiar in their everyday life should be taken up. In teaching the Contents 2)-c.-d) , it should be intended to make students understand only to the extent that the mass of a body does not change by immersing it in water, but its wight changes, and an idea of buoyance through observations and experiments.
3) As for the item 3) under the Contents, the teaching of a.-a) should be mainly made through experiments 'Distillation' in a.-b) should be treated briefly. 'Symbols for elements (or symbols for atoms)'which are dealt with in 3)-c.-b) should only be limited in number to the necessary ones for teaching the content concerned. As for 'chemical formula' in 3) -c.-c), it should be sufficient to make students understand chemical formula as symbols representing substances, and the varieties to be taught should as less in number as seems necessary. As for 'chemical equation' in 3)-c.-d) , it should be sufficient if students develop the ability to write the chemical equations of oxidation and reduction in a narrow sense.
4) As for the item 5) under the Contents, the teaching of a.-b) should not go into the detaild calculations of the concentration. Teaching of 'ions' in 5)-b.-d) should not deal with the explanation of the structure of an atom.
5) As for the item 6) under the Contents the teaching of a.-a) should be made through observations and experiments of various motions. For 6)-a.-e), it should be sufficient if the students can find the regularity through experiments, and it is not required to express the time-velocity relation by equations. As for 'kinetic energy' in 6)-e.-e),it should be qualitatively dealt with, and it should not touch upon equations. In 6)-e.-d), the energy conservation should not be dealt with, but the transformation of various energy should be touched upon. In 6)-e.-e), the importance of resources and energy in human life should be touched upon as a summary of the study on substances and energy.
(1) To make students find problems among living things and their surrounding natural matters and phenomena, learn in the process of inquiring into nature how to discover regularities in nature and how to interpret natural phenomena.(2) To make students realize,through observations and experiments, the diversity and unity found in living things and surrounding natural matters and phenomena, analyze causes and mechanism of generation of matters and phenomena, and develop the comprehensive ways of viewing and thinking the natural world.
(3) To make students, through observations and experiments, dynamically grasp matters and phenomena in the natural world, consider the states in the past on the basis of present facts, and develop the way of viewing and thinking the past in relation to the length of time and a vast expanse of space.
(4) To make students consider the relationships between matters and phenomena in the natural world as well as the harmony among them, and realize the influence of the natural environment on the existence of human beings, thereby heightening students' interest in preservation of the natural environment. Also to deepen students' understanding of biological phenomena and to develop a positive attitude towards the appreciation of life.
To make students understand, through observations of major kinds of living things in their surroundings, both the structure of the body and the way of living are related to the environment, and realize, by classifying living things, the fact that close relation is found between some living things.a. Nature and living things.
a) Many different kinds of bio-organisms live adapting themselves to the environment even around the school and in any locality.b. Kinds and the structure of plants.b) The living of bio-organisms is related to the changes in environmental conditions due to the location, weather, time, etc.
a) All kinds of plants have respective features in their structure, the way of propagation, etc., and their living has connection with the environment .c. Kinds and the structure of animals.b) Plants are classified into several groups by the features such as the structure of the body and the way of propagation,etc.
a) All kinds of animals have respective features in their structure, the ways of motion, eating habits, and propagation, etc., and their living has connection with the environment.2) The Earth and the universe.b) Animals are classified into several groups by the features such as the structure of the body, the ways of propagation and growth, etc.
To make students conjecture the motion of the earth through observations of celestial bodies, understand the structure of the solar system, and realize the universe which encompases stars and the earth.a. Motion of the earth.
a) The earth's rotation on its axis can be conjectured from such as the apparent path of the diurnal motion of a celestial body.b. Constitution of the solar system.b) The earth's revolution can be conjectured from such changes in the constellations with the seasons, and the inclination of the earth's axis is conjectured from changes in the altitude of the sun with the seasons.
a) The earth, the moon, and the sun, all are roughly spherical, but each of them has unique surface appearance; the surface temperature of the sun is very high and it radiates a tremendous amount of light .c. Stars and the universe.b) The solar system consists of planets revolving about the sun and each planet has its particular orbit and size.
a) Stars send out light by themselves and varieties in their brightness and colour are connected with their distance from the earth and their temperature.3) Construction of bodies of living things.b) The galaxy consists of the solar system and a great assemblage of stars.
To make students understand, through observations and experiments, that the body of a living thing consists of cells, that it takes in substances necessary for living and excretes waste substances, that it responds to external stimuli, and that these functions are closelyrelated with the body structure.a. Living things and cells.
a) The body of living things consists of cells and all cells have essentially the same structure.b. Construction of the body of multicellular organisms.b) A living thing increases the population of its own kind and grows by cell division.
a) The body of a living thing has the function of taking in nutrients, and enzymes in the animal body play an important role in the digestion.4) Changes in weather.b) The body of a living thing, in some cases, develops the structure which enables the body to transport substances both necessary and unnecessary for the cells. In higher animals blood and its circulation play an important role.
c) A living thing takes in organic nutrients and respires. In higher animals the mechanism which enables the body to exchange the internal and external gases is developed.
d) Higher animals have the mechanism which enables the body to excrete waste substances.
e) A living thing has the mechanism of receiving external stimuli and responding to it. In higher animals the nerve system is developed and it causes motions and other responses.
To make students consider, through observations and experiments, that weather changes are made in relation to the changes in the state of water due to the sun's radiation and motions of the atmosphere, and on the basis of these considerations, to make students understand the mechanism of weather changes and their regularity.a. Water in the atmosphere.
a) The humidity depends on the atmospheric temperature and the water-vapour content of the air.b. Atmospheric pressure and wind.b) Water on the earth's surface evaporates by receiving the sun's radiation and in some cases the water-vapour produces clouds when cooled; then water returns to the earth's surface as rain, etc.
a) The earth's surface is covered by the atmosphere and the atmospheric pressure varies from time to time and place to place.c. Changes in weather.b) Distribution of the atmospheric pressure is shown by isobars, and wind direction and speed on the earth's surface are dependent upon high and low barometric pressure and the state of isobars.
a) Fine weather and bad weather are induced by distribution of high and low barometric pressure.5) Mutual relationship between living things.b) Cold and warm air masses contact at a weather front, and as the front moves. changes in temperature, humidity, wind, clouds and other weather elements take place.
c) Changes in weather can be foreseen from the distribution of atmospheric pressure, weather fronts, etc.
To make students understand, through observations and experiments, that bio-organisms live on the organic compounds which are synthesized by green plants, and plants, animals and microorganisms live in the world of bio-organisms being interrelated to one another.a. Production and consumption in the world of bio-organisms .
a) Green plants produce organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water by using light energy. Also photosynthesis is affected by existing conditions such as the intensity of light and the amount of available carbon dioxide.b. Decomposers in the world of bio-organisms.b) Substances produced by photosynthesis are not only used for growth and living of plants but also converted to other substances. stored in plants in the converted form and consumed even by animals.
a) There are many kinds of bio-organisms living in soil and all of them are interrelated to one another in their ways of taking nutrients.c. Relationships in the world of bio-organisms.b) Dead bodies of bio-organisms and wastes excreted by bio-organisms are decomposed by microorganisms and turn into inorganic substances; and these substances are utilized again by plants for their growth .
a) There are some organisms which can make nutrients by themselves and those which live on the nutrients made by others; and both are interrelated.6) The earth's crust and its changes.b) The kind and number of living things in a finite area are limited and a balance is maintained.
To make students realize, through observations and experiments, that sedimentary and igneous rocks which form the earth's crust have respective characteristics relating to their origins, understand changes in the crust, and further consider changes in the natural environment in the past on the basis of the fact presently seen in the strata.a. Appearance of strata and sedimentary rocks.
a) A comparison between strata can be made based on the characteristics of the composite materials, thickness, and the superposition pattern of the layers.b. Aspect of volcanoes and igneous rocks.b) The origin of strata can be estimated by the characteristics of the superposition pattern of the layers, composite materials, and other features.
c) Sedimentary rocks can be classified by composite materials of the rock, their particle sizes, and other factors.
a) It is believed from the aspect of volcanic activities that magma lies deep beneath the earth's surface, and when it cools and solidified, various igneous rocks are formed.c. Earthquakes and the tremors.b) Igneous rocks can be classified by the rockforming minerals, varieties in the texture of the mineral, etc .
a) There are preliminary weak tremors and main tremors in an earthquake, and the length of time of preliminary weak tremors and the intensity of the trembling depend on the distance from the center of the earthquake shock and the magnitude of the earthquake.d. Changes in the earth's crust.b) Earthquakes show a tendency to occur in particular regions and changes in the ground and disasters can be brought about.
a) Clues to know rising or sinking of the ground can be found on the seashore.7) Human beings and nature.b) Faults folds and discordance seen in strata can be a key to learning the past changes in the earth's crust.
c) The environmental conditions at the time of deposition of each layer can be estimated from fossils in the strata, composite materials and their superposition patterns .
To make students realize the conditions which sustain the existence of human beings on the basis of fundamental understanding of the natural environment, matters, and phenomena. Also to make them consider that when the development or the use of nature should be made. it is important to carry it out on a well-laid plan taking into account the balance in the natural world.a. Substances and energy sustaining human existence.
a) There are air, water, soil, the sun's radiation, etc. on the earth's surface and they compose the life environment of living things.b. Balance in nature and preservation of the natural environment.b) Among the substances utilized by men there are products of plants and resources which are dug out of the ground.
c) The sources of energy utilized by men are products of the sun's radiation in the past and at present, and the atomic power, etc.
a) There are energy transfers and the circulation of substances in the natural world. and thus various kinds of balance are maintained.b) Sometimes development or use of nature changes or breaks the balance in the natural world; therefore it is important to conserve the environment by preserving and regulating nature.
l) It should be the standard to teach 1) and 2) above in Grade 1, 3) and 4) in Grade 2, and 5) through 7) above in Grade 3.2) As for the item 1) under the Contents, 'plants' in 1)-b.-a) should be taught focusing on seed-bearing plants, and ferms, moss plants, and algae should be also dealt with. With regard to 'animals' in 1)-c.-a), vertebrate animals should be mainly taught in addition to insects. When the classification is taught in relation to the items 1)-b.-b) and 1)-c.-b), the fact that living things have been changed should be touched upon citing the close relationship existed among the living things.
3) As for the item 2) under the Contents, facts on which the students can make observations should be mainly dealt with in teaching the item 2)-a. In teaching 'planets' in 2)-b.-b), main planets should be taken up and their general features should be dealt with. In 'brightness of stars' in 2)-c.-a), mainly apparent brightness should be taught.
4) As for the item 3) under the Contents, the fact that the basic units of inheritance are carried by chromosomes should be touched upon in teaching the item 3)-a.-b) , but the mechanism of heredity should not be dealt with. The animal to be taught in 3)-b. should be mainly men. As for 'enzymes' in 3)-b.-a) , only one or two enzymes should be taken up, and emphasis should be placed upon changes in their power depending on temperature conditions.
5) As for the items 4) under the Content, the teaching of the relation between isobars and wind directions in 4)-b.-b) should be made mainly by means of observation data. With regard to the instruction on weather map in 4)-c. emphasis should be placed on its reading.
6) As for the items 6) under the Contents, the definition of the magnitude of earthquakes should not be dealt with in relation to the teaching of 'magnitude of earthquakes' in 6)-c.-a) . With regard to 'fossils' in 6)-d.-c), instruction should be made mainly on facies indicators and index fossils, and eras of geologic time should not be touched on.
l. In preparing the teaching programme, approximately the same number of school hours should be allotted to each Field during a year. In doing so, careful consideration should be given to the correlation between two Fields as well as between teaching items so that studies in different Fields are complementary to one another in nurturing ways of viewing and thinking which are unique to each Field.2. In the teaching of the Contents consideration should be made so that the cultivation of an ability to inquire into nature and the formation of fundamental concepts can be achieved naturally and step by step. by effectively utilizing the local environment and actual situation of the school and emphasizing the students' direct experience of natural matters and phenomena.
3. In undertaking observations, experiments and field work, it is necessary to give thorough guidance on the prevention of accidents and pay due attention to the handling and disposal of chemicals.