A visit and class session was held with fifth- and sixth-year students at Aso Gakuen Elementary School in Fukuoka prefecture.
The theme of this session was "Why doesn't it hurt when you're bitten by a mosquito?" Students used worksheets to help them follow the scientific process, from the original question to the hypothesis, observations, investigations, and new discoveries.
Children came up with their own original hypotheses, then used the teacher's guidance and images from the electron microscope to verify their guesses. They were surprised by the results.
In the second half, children got to observe plant leaves, fruits, insects, and other things they brought in, experiencing the microscopic world inside the things around them.
We will continue to work on new activities to support science education based on classroom needs

Children writing their hypotheses on worksheets

Children focused on images from the electron microscope

Electron microscope image of an Asian tiger mosquito used in class