224 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [i, 5. sept. 1905 



cardinal principles of observation, experiment, and the spirit of 

 inquiry. 



A good way of ensuring that children really do observe is to 

 ask them to make drawings from the specimens before them. 

 Drawings can be corrected more rapidly by the teacher than writ- 

 ten accounts : but written accounts should also be asked for. 

 Whilst the drawing is being done, there ought not to be any 

 sketch on the blackboard which would serve as a guide. 



Several teachers of repute have recently drawn attention to the 

 cycle of the seasons as the best ruling idea for the arrangement 

 of any scheme of nature lessons. There can be no better guar- 

 antee that the teaching really will be based on observation and 

 experiment. In summer there is endless material. In winter it 

 is more difficult to realize the opportunities of the moment ; but 

 the long nights favour astronomy, the bare earth suggests geol- 

 ogy, the weather is always a source of anxiety and interest, the 

 frost without, and fire within suggest lessons on heat and cold. 



For younger children the topic for the object-lesson may very 

 well be chosen from week to week, and may depend simply on 

 what is most available ; for the upper standards will rightly wish 

 to plan some more systematic course. But this plan should re- 

 tain some elasticity in order to fit with the season. 



The study of living things from the experimental side may be 

 regarded as suitable for elementary schools. It satisfies the fol- 

 lowing important requirements : 



(1) It can be made experimental, and most of the experiments 

 are such as can be repeated by the pupils. The experiments are 

 often of a continuous character, and afford some training in 

 measurement and recording. It is wise to emphasize the quanti- 

 tative side of many of the experiments. 



(2) The subject forms a connected series of lessons, the later 

 work developing in right sequence out of the earlier. 



(3) The experimental teaching in school is easily linked to the 

 outdoor life of field and hedgerow with which country children 

 are familiar. Again, it is illustrated readily by practical ex- 

 amples drawn from the work on the garden and on the farm so 

 that the children learn that school work may have a bearing on 

 their after life. 



While plant and animal life form very generally suitable indoor 

 subjects for elementary schools, there should be a good deal of 



