Summary of a Study of Instruction in Agri- 

 culture in Rural Elementary Schools* 



15. Al. Davis, 

 Mia III i University. 



As menihcT of the Committee on "Course of Study in Agri- 

 culture for Rural Elementary and Secondary Schools" appointed 

 by the Department of Rural and Agricultural Education of the 

 National Education Association, I undertook to prepare that 

 part of the report relating to elementary schools. 



An examination of the literature of the subject left me much 

 in doubt as to what would best serve the average school under 

 average conditions. Many of the published courses of study 

 examined were apparently based upon what was considered de- 

 sirable rather than upon what might be reasonablv expected. 

 Several questions arose that seemed important to answer before 

 nnich ])rogress could be made toward outlining a course of 

 >tudy, and to which no satisfactory answers could be found in 

 the various publications consulted. I therefore decided to go to 

 the original sources— to the teachers themselves, who were hav- 

 nig successful experience in teaching agriculture in the rural 

 schools, and to others who were especially interested in the 

 l)roblenis of rural education. 



Through correspondence with state and county departments 

 of education, with agricultural colleges and state normal schools, 

 and from other sources a selected list of about eight hundred 

 names was obtained. From this list five hundred were chosen, 

 accordmg to geographical location, and to each the following 

 questionaire was sent : 



1. Do you regard it desiraljle to cover the whole suhject of agriculture 

 in an elementary way with pupils below high schooP 



2. Or do you regard the plan of .selecting certain units or topics such 

 as corn. milk, poultry, plant enemies, etc., more desirable 



•i. Give list of topics or units that you have found or regard as most 

 successful. ° 



of"'somt'r"r/"t'^^''',''''"'''"'"'^''' apparatus used? If so, give examples 

 ot some used to be&t advantage. 



State natnr!''7f'tf"" ^f °"f,^!"«^<'^'d work been used successfullv? 

 time spci" (subjects), and approximately the amount of 



^.rnu'"'^: ^J'"'"'^''"'- -'"""'■ ''^^""« "f •^'"-i'^^'" NaU,re.Stuay Society, De- 



2 



