Development of the Home Economics Curriculum Based on the ESD (I) : Development of the experiment concerning heat transfer characteristics of a variety of fabrics for the elementary school Home Economics Class

In 2006, the Central Council for Education published a report that proposed the direction for which the school education in our country should develop. It suggested that the enhancement of ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) was required as a social mission for the school education. Furthermore, the Home Economics Curriculum was called upon to improve and to enhance the area concerning the "establishment of a lifestyle that considers the resources and the environment" in line with ESD principles. This paper on ESD in the Home Economics Curriculum begins its examination with this aim and its principles on this subject. This resulted in "a more scientific decision making process of problem solving to be used to examine the way in which we could lead life in relation to the self and the environment based upon the theories and principles clarified by the field of research in home economics". This was the basis for our curriculum. This paper, the topic of Home Economics Clothes Lifestyle, an elementary school course (2008 versions), was analyzed from this viewpoint. Results show a problem was found particularly with the topic "A Comfortable Way to Put on Clothes". Therefore, the experiment to which the theory and law were able to be acquired by a scientific method was found to be a part of the methodology of the clothes science curriculum. Furthermore, a new curriculum was developed. The principle of "A Warm and Cool Way to Put on Clothes" was shown. In addition, the characteristic and the method of wearing requested clothes were shown from the aspect of clothes science. Among these, neither study method nor knowledge was shown about the hue of the clothes in the study in the elementary school. Then, the experiment that examined the heat absorption ability of clothes when the hue was different was developed for classes in the elementary schools. In the experiment, simple teaching materials were used. The experiment used the following pieces of colored felt: black, white, gray, blue, green, yellow and red. Three places were chosen to measure the color hues in a sunny place, a shady place, and indoors. Measurements from two seasons - summer and winter - were taken as well. The heat absorption was different depending on the hue. The heat absorption for black and green felts were greater, and for white and yellow, less. On the other hand, in shady places and indoors, no difference was found between the colors. It was shown that the hue of clothes was a critical factor when wearing them in direct sunshine. As for the developed experiment, the principle was clean In this experiment, the difference of the heat absorption of the clothes color can be clarified.