194 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [ 2 :6-sbft., I9 o6 



space than is available and far greater experience than I can claim. 

 Even if this were done, however, chemistry, as such, would play a 

 very small part. Biological questions have on the whole the greatest 

 native interest for young children and physical questions are far 

 simpler and more commonly encountered than are chemical ones. 

 At the same time, the teacher in the secondary-school, whose view- 

 point we are chiefly considering, has a vital interest in the work of 

 the grades, upon which his instruction is to be superimposed. The 

 high-school teacher of chemistry, in particular, is in fact dependent 

 for the measure of his success largely on the existence in the minds 

 of his pupils of a pre-disposition to experimental inquiry and of a 

 general knowledge of the properties of matter. He can afford to dis- 

 pense with a previous knowledge of chemistry, but the absence of a 

 general appreciation of matters ordinarily classed as scientific and of. 

 some slight capacity to study things inductively must hopelessly 

 impede his progress. While he will not demand the teaching of 

 chemistry in the grades, he will therefore vigorously contend for 

 nature-study on rational lines as an integral part of the instruction in 

 every year of the lower schools and as a preparation for his own 

 work. He will hope also that as much of this as possible will be 

 experimental. 



The nature and function of this nature-study is well described by 

 the Committee on Entrance Requirements of the National Educational 

 Association (1899), as follows: 



" To keep the 'tentacles ofinquirv' functional, if not to develop them, 

 at least two exercises in nature study each week should be provided through- 

 out the entire pre-high-school period. Numerous sciences should be made 

 to contribute a great variety of material, and no science should be presented 

 in an organized form. The most available material should be selected, with- 

 out any reference to scientific sequence. The material should be obviou s 

 (entering into the experience of the pupils), important and interesting. It 

 should be deliberately varied and fragmentary, and should result in that mis- 

 cellaneous collection of impressions which comes to an untrained but interested 

 observer, without any definite organization. The knowledge of the wide- 

 awake country boy who lives out-of-doors is probablv the best illustration of 

 the kind of knowledge nature-study is expected to bring — a magnificent back- 

 ground of experience for the formal organization of the sciences in secondary- 

 school and college courses. 



To preserve alive the " tentacles of inquiry " amid the deadening 

 influence of much book-study of other subjects and to give some first- 



