1 28 THE NA TURE-STUDY REVIEW [ 2 : 4 -aprii, .906 



ONTARIO PROVINCIAL NORMAL SCHOOL, OTTAWA, CANADA 



Speaking generally, the students at entrance have a minimum aca- 

 demic standing equivalent to that of ordinary university art students 

 at the beginning of second year [college sophomore]. They have 

 had from one to three years of high-school training in chemistry, in 

 botany, and in physics, and have also taken one-half year of pro- 

 fessional training and have taught for at least one year. 



The immediate aim of the Normal School work is to prepare 

 students to teach the course of studies recently prescribed for all 

 grades of Ontario elementary schools. The Normal School course 

 extends over one year. The class-room time devoted to the subject 

 of nature-study is two three-quarter-hour periods per week during the 

 year. 



The students pay a number of visits to the Experimental Farm at 

 Ottawa. They also attend the Ottawa Field Naturalists Club excur- 

 sions every Saturday afternoon during the spring and autumn months 

 and the course of lectures given fortnightly by the Club during the 

 winter months. 



The pupils of the Model School have frequent afternoon field 

 excursions, and Normal School students each take charge of half a 

 dozen. They also teach nature-study lessons under criticism in the 

 Model School. 



Each student makes a somewhat thorough experimental study of 

 the life-history of one plant, one tree, and one insect, procuring, car- 

 ing for, and mounting specimens and making water-color drawings 

 and written observations at respective stages. 



Students are also required to gain a fairly good working knowledge 

 of the more important flora and fauna of the vicinity (thirty-three 

 trees, sixty-five birds and fifty common plants). They also take a 

 course in physics. In manual training they construct their own nature- 

 study apparatus — plant-carriers, etc. They take enough practical 

 work with microscope and electric lantern to enable them to manipulate 

 the instruments without difficulty. 



A genetic functional treatment is adopted throughout. The United 

 States books which most nearly represent the nature of the work clone 

 are Hodge's " Nature- Study and Life," and Coulter's ''Plant 

 Relations." S. B. Sinclair. 



