BIGELOW ] ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PHYSIOLOGY 67 



THE PLACE OF PHYSIOLOGY IN THE CURRICULUM OF 

 THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 



BY MAURICE A. BIGELOW 

 Teachers College, Columbia University 



In considering the relation of " physiology " to the curriculum of 

 the elementary school it is most convenient to center the whole dis- 

 cussion around an examination of the current text-books; for unlike all 

 other phases of nature or science teaching, " physiology " for public 

 schools is characteristically a "book study. ' 



It is a well known fact that, in conformity with laws requiring 

 " temperance instruction/' " human plv siology ' is commonly in- 

 cluded in several successive years of the elementary-school curriculum — 

 in some states the subject must be taught in at least six years, begin- 

 ning as " hygiene ' : in the primary grades. This arrangement of 

 " physiology " in the elementary curriculum has naturally created a 

 demand for " graded " text-books ; and several publishers issue series 

 of " physiologies " which are supposed to be adapted to the pupils 

 of varying stages of advancement. Some of these series consist of 

 four books, respectively for primary, intermediate, upper grammar 

 and high school ; and in one case an additional fifth book contains 

 oral lessons which teachers are supposed to give to pupils who are too 

 young for reading the primary book on hygiene. 



An examination of the contents of these books raises doubt re- 

 garding the desirability of a "graded" series of ' physiologies.' 

 The primary book is merely a primer of hygiene. Anatomy and 

 physiology are introduced in the " intermediate " volume, and it is 

 attempted to present the general principles of these sciences. The 

 third and fourth volumes deal with anatomy, physiology, and hygiene. 

 Each successive book in such a series is more advanced largely because 

 it is a more detailed and more technical presentation of the anatomical, 

 physiological and hygienic facts ; but as regards the important gen- 

 eral principles which pupils may be expected to appreciate and retain 

 in memory, the differences between the presentations in the three 

 books for intermediate, upper grammar and high school are so unes- 

 sential and the resemblances so great that the reiteration must be 

 wearisome to bright pupils. 



In this connection it is interesting to note that other subjects of 

 the elementary curriculum, for example, geography, history, literature, 



