THE OTTAWA t(ATURALIST. 



Vol. XVI. OTTAWA, JANUARY, 1903. No. 10. 



THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF NATURE STUDY. 



A. E. Attwood, M.A., Ottawa. - 



" All thing's are artificial ; for Nature is the art of God." 



Sir Thomas Browne. 



" New occasions teach new duties ; 



Time makes ancient good uncouth ; 

 They must upward still aird onward 

 Who would keep abreast of Truth." 



-James Russell Lowell, 



Nature Study is fhe nafural study. Children are naturally 

 naturalists. The earliest educational instrumentalities for both 

 the individual and the race are the objects in their natural environ- 

 ment. When a reason is demanded for introducing another sub- 

 ject into an already crowded school programme, a pertinent 

 question to ask would be : Why stop Nature Study when the 

 child enters our schools ? The onus of proof rests on those who 

 would cease teaching nature when school-life begins. The 

 Kindergarten is intended as a continuation of the natural method 

 into school life, and is now an established feature of our educa- 

 tional system. Again, we might ask, Why stop Nature Study 

 when the child leaves the Kindergarten ? 



In our High Schools natural science has passed the experi- 

 mental stage, and now no serious student can claim to have a 

 liberal education who is ignorant of th-? great principles revealed 

 by scientific research. The most important part of a student's 

 course, that of the Public School, does not yet officially recognize 

 the educational value of first-hand knowledge. Should we not 



