\ l rf : V : a ~ , iHENSIS NADU SYUoY TN PUsSLIC SCHOCLS. =-‘s- Oonternts, Value of Nacire Strniyv. Its Connection with Kiniergarte: work, Vaine of the Kindercarte:. The Fulile and its Atlus. Insleration of Pestulozzio ana oebdel Froeusi Gifcs. Bie “Yourn ba France anid Germoany. Tre Work in keglanid aun America, The Temrecey ot Averica.: Teacners. Tele Resilts of this Tei mency. ITtea or Dervinsisr: avn Lneariselity. Does It give tre rignt Kind of Training A. Aims of the State in FEdication, b, The faculties best cultivated, Ce Observation, i. Pepruey yton, ne Mops wl Ube ?. mo a, v - oe ad 145d ® on 7ersgalPication,. Lack of Maverial ana Aj varatls, Aa. Laboratory ror work, . ACUAPAWI.US. on “ae piak, TEe@acrers AVS HIS Lerslvared ror the Work. A. HIS rood the sibject. b. sirrvcer vacatlorn spent in stuny. Ce 2252 Por stay. A. eins Gymissioners! work for Teachers, e Summer Normal aw County Seat, Tre Stucy cauuct be mace Practical, Ae Opinlons of enlidres and parents. b. mxan-LEs to Aisprove, Cc. The work of tre rcaturalist. Conpart Of Nature Study with Geograyhy ana iistory, p b. teacninz them, —~ eon . a . A Pal ~ \ | ~ c 5 | \ — (2) The Place ror Nature Stvidy. The Time Givea Nature Study. Sugcestions to Teacners. A. Observation of real objects. oP Objects should be in every hand. Cc. Objects should be living. a. Use all the sel.ses, e. Observe in relation to other things. te Comparisons fron these observations. Ke Classification. Ns Study actions, as vell as things. 45 Do not introduce too many objects. as po not make lessons tiresome, Kk. Do not prese:.t facts the child can: ot see. Le Use types not freaks. Tihs Train ia variety of expression. n. Descirptions, oral, written and with drawings. oO. Let the attention come from an interest. De Illustration of the lesson on the Wake Robin. Teaching in Primary Grades. Rs Teach vords from objects. b.* Words which the age and unéerdtarding of —_ chila demand. Cs Use common cranes, Ms Frame sentences from words. e. Sex.tences in form of direct statement, question or ansver. Ss Tlinstration on comparison, g. Learn the use of books and how mate Ne A card to illustrate. as Af_vantage oY cardsover books. Teacnirg in the Fifth Grade. Ae Use of blank cards. 9b. Fislda clubs. Cis Value of flelda work, Lack of System in Work. Scheme of study for Pupils below the High School. “satire ig vmn's bust tencier. She nfolds his treas- mires t- Fis search, weseais his eves, illures his i.tud ana pu Aifies ris neart.- An inflverce breatres from all tre sights r:A sounds of her existerce. She 1s wisdcom's self." Sirest. The valve of Nature stvisy in 21r public schools wo11d be rricnh more epcreclates, iff tts higher aims aré ‘rethors sere detier wuterstool ty texcrers an4 jere:33. ¢ 414 be wit once convinrce tre pecple that tre study of Nature would assist prpils to a tetter urnderstancirg of other studies; that it Aevelyops acute observation; that it teashes tie correct Ldea Of form, orner, teanty ard harmony; that it. tends more than any %ther stiuiy togive a practical knowledge of things; that certain sclentitic miles govern every investigation; and tnat the thing sought atter lg Trth, - the stnucey of this delishte P11 subject would soon takes its place with the subjectsnow taigit in wir public sercols, rith Freebvel care the treaking up teachirg and the opsortimity of Nature study; for not only Aoes theiantcer Polioy the kintersarte: theorattical:y, bus practicaily; in those countries wnere the kindergarten has reached its best fhevelopnent, there we find the study 9f Nasa tire in the schls as chief factor in etication. “ese men with excellent th shts ana brilliant iceas upor the sitject of ediceticr. as is shown ty his scheme of stucy, but re liven too far above tre people wm make trectical applica: tior of his genius, . Ne no «-r:tt saw tre rollcness 9f tre efucation of his tire ané tried ir the Willé- sritten in 1762 = to point ont these errors. Its ains were 1° tercn fects and to help the mira to give birth to new iceas; to teach things not woris; to teach in tre largiege auc ret of the lanszvege, to be,nt to seem, wnidiis the oniy tme edica= tiors; for, “Urless trere are real iceas in the mird, there is nd tmie memory.” Pestalozzi and Froebel vere inspire’ by the book and were able to discard the impracticable carts and still riake cise of its principles, Thvicn Pestalozzi taignt fra trmuly natural way, he left neo us no miles or system; and so 1t is to Froedel that we are Ltidebtei for the real teaching from Nature. His "Gifts" are as truly what the name implles to-nay as trey vers in 1326, when they Pirst aspeare ed, His tases of ecncatior were religion, mature, lenmiaze and art. of the old metrous of Rousseau In France ard Germany Nature study is taugnt in tne pude lis schools anA is siven the sane anviuit of tine in the proe gramme a3 arithmetic and geography. This shovs the importe ance Of its position in tre ninis of the Franen 124 Garian teachers; and it ais? snows how kindergarten in the primary graies isvelopes into aatiral history in tiie gramnar grates, (4) In Engtiand tne establishing of natural history societies in connection with the schocls, was Pirst accomlishea at York im 1834; this vas followeao by Marlborough in 1865; by Harrow in 1864; by Rugby in 18673 and by Wellington in 1868. These schoolds mane field excursions and formed coliections ard mise eyms. Serrcely exy-rnivg nas been done in the United States to make tne sta) 2f Nature systematic and permanent. To be sure Zoology and botany nave beer: studiea for sme time, wit there is no Nature study in the ~rimary schvols; the work belng confined t the high schools and tnere a tendncy exists to- ward a microscopic study of viants and animals with a disre-e gard for the coarsesB auatouical and systematic work. This is especially trie in the colleges and larger high schools; and so in many cases a fruitmil side of Nature is left tntouchnead which might have been, and shola be nsed in the primary scnools, Farther, edicaters in stead of noting this fact, are rmuishing into print througn the pages of our sciexntiric journals as to whetrer biology should consist of plant study or aniinal study. An oojection orrered to the stuay of Nature in the pube lic schools is that it learns to Darvinism, which t the pope lar mind is the "monkey story" and means infidelity. Nov to stury Plants ad asimais is simply to know tnem betier, to know only the trith of their stricture and origin, aua knowe ing them, to "se them as objects with feelings ani maybe in- tellice:ce, Is thay inrédelity ? Is there a:yvthing in tne honest facts obtained fron the study of Nature that would lead tothe overthrow of the ;,rinci:les of reiigion 7 I think not. To me, it has given a deeper, stronzer revere:.ce for that Infinite Power which permeates all thiugs; a better Uniersianaing of the beauty aua rarmony %f the lews governing the Universe; even the tiny cell of ETO}, Lasm, existing free in Nature as a conplete or.anism, receives tne same watcnml CATE AS InANe A seenid oojection is that sid. a stidy of Nature Goes hot caise grortn of riind, tat it is rather a diversion ena pastime and resvit in the accizrilation of a res fusts. Wheat do vo aim to do with the enild in our public school; The vhire t> be dvvesis £9 teach nim t) be a many- a rian in every sense Wric: the term implies,- a man who loves truh for Trith’'s seke, ‘tno loves tne tarinzs of Nature, ano Loves tne everiai justice of every act, action or thouent; one who can be pointe at as a citizen having the reqiisite qualities within him for the d@ities and responsibilities of citizen- snip. Sic. 13 the development thatthe State requires at or hands fr all its chilare:. Can we give it in the study pin Oe eee aie ee } ; 3 brought about by the exercise of the special senses, particilarly that of sight. 5) Tite ree ot ofsecuation is one of the most sefMil racnities, 624 Skorik be Gi tivates, era encovraced from cer lioss estic3.4 G> RAC IrS WII. Nd sidjest tatsnt in oir pnoiic schools can Sive the save arnvwt of Arill treat can te rea iro: the stusy of natal oojects. Dw .ile’e etenent in clants a4 auinals ene gages the ptterntion of children ani urges the. to firther in- QUT se They are ever present, “hetrer at york or at play, at hh 18 Or avroad, on aaiiy wiks or Holitav excursions; imey are are alvays greeting 1s im the sane sweet Lanziage If Nature which s:eaks to ‘1s througn ow seneses, if ve will only listen “rith the rirnd's ear nid see .ith the rird's eye, lia’ £144lne are the Lines of 3ryant's Thanatopstsi- eT) Pim who im the Jeve ¢£ haste noi4ds "Cormmior with rer visitle ferns, "She sceeks & various language; for his gayer novirs "She has a voice or glanness, and a smile "And elonpierce of bewity, and she glides "Into ris cerker rusirgs rith e mila “Ard heelirg synpathy, thet steals away "Their sharpress, ere he 1s avare." a Wron 2bservations percepts are formed, and vier several of trese sre arrarged in orcertrey form corcepts #7 these concept.: - may be so groipea as to pronuce taeas expressed ir words; now crne conclusions froa the objecm stiited viici nay de conpared "1h. corciusions Iyer’ ASer nSsesce “sti te+,. Here ranting in tris field of comparison, Nature stu¢y has no competitor amorg the %ther subjects taught in public schools. The variety in plant a:a animal life, the sivniie sirvcouv re of syria aii trie com plex strvictitre of others is an irnexnastatle source ct cryparie son for atl graiss. Ciassi?icatio: of vlants av.d asimals would naturally follow fron these comarisons; those hevirg Like corresponiiug parts vould be sire t2 oe vlacei in the sane grow this accomplisning the stuny, and Pornisrirg tre requisite ae mint of orderly gr rita. Tre tiird oo ,estvion 23 thas of eccense. Work in Vatuire does not recessarily reqiire a laboratory wrere eacr pull way study and alssect ont the parts cf a specimen. Such work !.av Le aone in the regilar stray room, the pil using his niesk for a dissece ing tatle withont serious resvlts to other work. The 1ecessary avparatis wo1ld be a cyaniie bittle, a cviwle 21 needle points, ant’ a pocket lens, and perhaps a box Of Soll for germinating seeds. Aboit tnres-fourtis of a dollar yould eqiip a vupil mith tools that are to be used for several years. The meterlal for study may be nad by kesying both eves oven shile aoing to and from school; every locality has its plarts ard animals ard specimens are on every rend. Leaves, bremses, Mins, roots, ant flowers; bees, bitverflies, bigs, beeties, worns, snails, and frogs Cross OUYr Lath, tse mey be coliecterc, art preserves by frying or dy Placing alconol. The cillire: nay bs taught t collect material ror a following class ard so, keeping tre mee tre in mind, plenty of atertal may be hai alnost rree of cost. (6) Teachers mot veiling -revared to give the vork 1s cousiGe ered an Ovjection, No:,witn a very little tivie and ata slight exiense teachers may be coreparen if trey choose. Proe cure a rev goon books t.0cn the sudject, stich as Miss Jane Nevell's “Leaves, Buds ana Branches" arnd"From Fiover to Fmiit# Gray's “How Plants Grow" and "How Plants Behave"; French's "Bitrcerflies of the Fastern United States"$3 Apsar's "Trees of the Northern Unite’ States": Mrs.vana's "Hoy to Know the Wild Flowers"; Beal's "Nev Botany"; Korse's "First Book of Zoology™® Cook's "Bird's of Michigan"; Binrey's “Land and Fresn Wate Shells": Hyatt and Arme's “Iinsecta", These books cv11d be "used cy the children and furnished by the school board. Teacners will aiso find that six or eight weeks of the sim- mer vacation stent at some school or coliege will aid them in doing better work in all tranches as well as in the stay of Nature. The Agricilt:iral College has a scnool of this kind opeu every year t» the teachers of the state, in which there are special c»rvirses given in Botany, Zoology and Chen- istry and it is the opinion of ali who take these courses that the vacation is pleasanter as well as promuictive of mich good. The expense is very slight, mich less than at many of the reo sorts, where s9 many teachers £9 for their gsyrmer, Country school teachers, in particular, seldom allow themselves any of these privileges, No7, there is no good reason why they should not, and by showing a keener interest in educate ional matters, be able t> de betver work, and conmand better salaries. The county commissioner might give his teacrers a.six or eight weeks’ normal course in wnich Natire study woul4d be” one of the principal features; This would be a sure way of introaucing this subject lato commtry schools,anni noth- ing could be done by the cormissioners to-day, that would be ore fPriitfil, Snrerintenderts or principals cruld also dle rect tnis work ,or place in the hands of some teacher wno coulda give some time vw directing other teachers how to man- age the work in their several grades, This is being done with good results, Tt is objected that this study will meet no practical end. Pupils say, no doubt at the parents’ instigation, that Nature stuay is of no use, meaning that money cannot be gained #mm it directly. Is that to be the watchword for the next generation 7 Are we to svend all our e.u.ergies in try- ing to eke out a mere existence ? If so, Life is surely not worth the living. The child might a aeal better not be born than to live for the simple eating of food and wearing of clothing. Tnere mist be a higher aim than the paltry dollar to keep us here and at work. Give the child sich training that when 1t comes todile, whetner in childhooa or old age, that it can say that 1% has tmily lived. But, cousiceriug the sndject ina parrowly-economic way, why are our potatoes not destroyed by the beetles, our cadsages ana tomatoes by the larvae of the butterfly and mtn, our berries by the insects and fungi ? ('7) Wno is it that is laboring diligently to-day to discover reme= dies for the dieease of the peach and the grape ? It is the naturalist, who ig net only earning dollars but saving milil- ions of them yearly to the people by his experiements. Let us turn the tables, and ask why we study some otner things. Let us ask, is there avy great anount of practical applicae tion in geogravhy and history ? Is it of more value to us to know the names and incations of the cities of Brazil, ‘whe rivers of Africa,or.the nistory of Chili than to be familiar with the flowers and birds of our own dooryards, 49 with their fooas and habits ? Had I been taught to see ana feel the nature that surrounded my childhood instead of learning page after page of history or geography, whicn vas colleda 1pon tne sirface of my mind in sich a way that I could catch the free end and wnroll it to satisfy my teacher, I conid now look back upon my early school.days with some degree of pleas- ure instead of regret. The printed page is a mine of wealth to the one who knovs how to use it and a desert to him who does not, Tne place for Nature study is in all schools, city or country, and should be taken up in the first grade and contine Ned throighout the grammar school. Upon experiennt it is found that pupils of the 1Ctn grade take a greater interest in Nature study than pupils of the 12th grade and that the ine terest increases the younger the pupil. 4 may be that the 12th grate pupil, having neglected the work wnen his mind was more suspe,tidle, has trrned nis attention to other things, and looks 1p0on the simple stuay of Nature as beneath his dige- nity. XY am convinced that the work in systematic work in botany and zoology now done in the high school woula be be better done in the grades below, whidi would leave tne high school free for higher work, A course in natural history covering the first eight years of school life should take apromine:t place won the programme independent of other sibjects; for sibjects referred to only occasg$ionally are apt to be considered un-importanty and neglected. It readily mingles with other work, hove ever, and is indispersable in reading and language as well as in draving. A rev sivcestions ‘Yon the real york of teaw ing may be og use to teachers wo have not given this subject serinus thougnt:~- tet the pwil study the real object instead of the picture, Living svecimens are mre interesting to chilnre: than dead ones, ard shouia be given them that whey may study actions as well as the object itself, The object shoila be in the nands of each }Wi1 thet he may discover for himsel? and not be dependent Npon another's observations and juagement. Cuitivate not only the seuse of sight but those of feeling, hearing, smelling and touch, Siuny the %bjects vith regard to their food, habdlis, and habitat; also with ref- eteces t> okher specimens SO that tne child may make his own comparisons and classifications, ho u C T L v J > Une L tO Pronice LU: t ” T pa bog Sy > ~ 7 sat y . y43 “= WS te o mals: Or a VO rsh YW Y h © Care 2 t ou. re 5 e Cc 1e so!” + vy. orf 2 if as a tN @- ms a) ee 4 ve ce ~ voy “oye vy . ) rs 4 ott ‘ - & . te ae cd ' . wre fo) - tiv _, @ U me GB". 2 a & Ae w ‘ - YL L .”) 3 ea ‘ }- * a 4 wv Let moo rron 3. rf et wy rAY sv) 'T ¢* 4-3 oe—! 13 9” 406 Sd ww ITLt yeal Prova we ~~ ow ly =} AoG ® ny tre troterest ir CS r~ o 1 w “$ 'e wf he oo ~ yt “uy C = 4 - ) LL . — ota = ams Si rt’ a LWT 8 * re a lo s 3 ve . » oF a we: 8S aEeaorvry « ‘gal yt em oA le wo “ee ao4% t wr - a. ed -~¢ ¢ se & « f- ) ee Yr ¢3 oe (9) ed Sentence making teayvned, the cnilaA is able to sxuvess tie ren. sults of comparisons. I accordingly show in Plata 2 ihe are responding posterior legs or tre roney ana nimble. tees e Ppore. “Rich a lessor in comparison tiaybe drayn for the fifth "rade mivils. Call atzention tos tre relative sizes or she. Legay> their markirgs, munter of joints, hairs, and spin sey Note. the difvereises in fori of the corres,o2iing parts f the Lleg-~ coxae, trocharters etc.- and their relative lereths arn breadiths. Com pare tne nairs as to color andi kind, and the fepressionus and urajections. ‘lark the tnings which ap,rear in either whidi are wanting in the other and at the close of tie convarison, have tre esildren state conplevely ail their corelusions, Fron the results of these comparisors the skillfii teacher can biilad wp litvie stories or descript- for:s for the children 49 read, anda the story nay be -rritven on the boaraA with the other work; the cnildre:: are then ready to sea now books are inads. Take a blank cari ani mace a dadray- ing of the thing stunied at the top with tne words sed in describing it, end the sentences or nescri, tion as in Flate 35. And the result is thepage of a book, the wnole thing constrict ei sv the children thenselves, It is the advantage of the card over the printed page trat itteaches the dilid how books are ‘tate and their tise, vnile tre printed vaze ls liable t» be consiferea by tire child as an eud instead of a means; t7 read is not an emi tl a resus t2 und end, Ir, the 22th er’ 2uoilowiug grades, the blank cards may be given t> the pusils themselves, anid they may be reyiired to make a pege of a reading book under the teechers direction. For piplls fron ie 2itvia graie Up, exctrsions inte the fields for matertal Por sunay, creates an interest and stine lates tiwisnt c~oa tie tdiinzs of Nature. There trey find the fievers tr. treir hoves, on the sumry hrillsié€e or the noist banks of the brook; the birds building their nests, collecte ing their fooa, singirg their songs or feeding treir young, Days oe tris day kinn ere exticipetea ty pupils of the righ school with tre egereatest cf Lieasire, ard are lo.g reme-bered. if re ca seheel pepeliis tira plerare in tris for rs ck ecre shall the pupils of the crates; ir the grates is the occesione al toy of restless tenperarer:t, disiiking oocks ara teecher; cursing the ore acé anieying the ofcer = bit bring int») the class a live butterfly or moth, a beetle or bird, and see how s29n he 13 cayvtired. The rosie knovs and feels that lite within him ané ke soon forgets hinself in releting facivs re- garding the habits, food, and friends of the little object. Sich are exaryles from my orm experience ara they have taught me a lesson, We mist have system if ve exvect tt. acconplish ‘rich in the study of Natire; many teachers are now trying to intro- tice tiis swjecot into their schools, bit have no Aefinite plan, Without a plen éifferent teecners will rereat work over and over again and so destroy interest ani reach no ende this work mist not te aimless; objects stunied mist not be sé-= ectei entirely with reference to the time in which they can best te ovtalired, bit systematically. Accordirgly, I wish to submit the following sehneme of stiiy for the first eight years of school work; this scheme has not yet been tried, but will be next year in some of the schools »f Grand Rapids, Michigan. The year's work is diviaed into two semesters, and the A class represe:te the first half year's work and the 8 class tne seconA half year's work. COURSE OF STUDY CF NATURE, First Grave; A Cle: Study the exverrel cheren vert .o OF inseccss=- insect as a whole, then in parts; as head, body, wings, legs, eyes, and a temnee., NMeke dravings of everything strdied, E. Class. St..dy seedsse pwmypxin, relor, pea, bean, buckwheat and corn. Plant seeds in moist, warm soil or sawdust ana watch tre grove th, stuffy the plantiet in connection with the seed. Name tne parts of the seedling; the root, stems, leaf etc. Choose a variety of seeGs, having the sare general characteristics. Make dravings of parts and compare. ae ey : Second Grane, A Class, Strdy the aivisiors of the insecti- the head, thorax and ab- doen; the apvendeges of the diftere.t varts, the jolats of the legs, the cells and veins of the wings. Conm-are one ine sect ith anotrer, make drawiings snowing like ann wwllike perts, B.Class, ROveseEy Seed) ties ard study kins of roots,- as rieshy, fib= rons and so forth, stemse as creeyins, tvinins ant orancnings buds and tranches. Make Gravings of the differert tyres from natural objects. Cyiwware tnese types, Third Grane, A Cless, Contimie the sinvéy cr drsects, corparing parts and treir are rangement, Study methonis of collecting ana Preserving scece Llene:n.s, a B Class, Strey leaves = their vesation, kinds, base, margin, BLEX, Cole or general oitline and clses. Make fravings and sketch ‘pon the boara «hile describing, i a Fourth Grane A Class. Study creyfisr ere compere with insects; their habits, food, movenents etc. R CLASS. Stvry flowers - infiorescerce, perts of fPiower ard arrani.pze- ments of parts, tne plan 2f flower, and color. Make dravings nd cong Fre. Fifun Grade A Cless. Strey uerun ts carzection sith the larvae of Insects;