mcKEKsuN] NATURE- STUDY IX CITY PRIMARY SCHOOLS 99 



culties : (i) the already over-crowded condition of the curriculum ; 

 (2) the lack of training on the part of teachers (because of the im- 

 mensity of the subject and because the subject is so new that oppor- 

 tunities for studying it have not existed in any of the schools or col- 

 leges of the country); and (3) the difficulty and unusualness in teach- 

 ing the subject because it deals not with books but with concrete liv- 

 ing material — material that must be obtained! And as if this were not 

 problem enough, it must in many cases be kept living in what would 

 seem to be the most unnatural place for it, the schoolroom; or more 

 unusual and impracticable still, there must be class field-work or 

 gardening. 



Let us consider for a few moments the claim that nature-study has 

 to a place in public school work. If we find its claim well founded, 

 we may expect that nature-study will eventually, even though slowly, 

 force its way to a regular place beside other subjects ; and we as 

 teachers must in one way or another overcome the difficulties and 

 problems that present themselves in this unusual kind of work. 



Whether or not a given subject shall remain in the curriculum of 

 the schools does not depend on the persons in authority who have 

 put it there, nor on any boom which may make it a fad ; but it will 

 find lasting place in the school only if it rests upon a solid founda- 

 tion in the need of the civilization of the time and promotes in a way 

 impossible to other subjects the development and training of the 

 child. 



Does nature-study stand these tests? 



The primary child has little or no power of logical thought, but he 

 has keen senses, great muscular activity and strong feelings ; there- 

 fore any school work that makes no great demand on the reason, but 

 that tends to the natural use of the senses, encourages muscular ac- 

 tivity, and above all furnishes a proper channel for a child's feelings 

 is work especially fitted for primary grades. Certainly from this 

 standpoint child-study and pedagogy make no mistake when they 

 maintain that nature-study and manual training shall play a large 

 part in the early education of a child, to the exclusion of work that 

 appeals mainly to the reason. 



We agree that nature-study appeals directly to and develops the 

 senses. It brings about free use of the large muscles of the body 

 because it gives an impluse towards out-of-door life, towards trips in- 

 to the country and towards gardening. Further, nature-study gives 

 pleasurable work ; and of all characteristics in the world, primary- 



