downing] 



AIMS OF NATURE-STUDY 163 



culmination of new powers both physical and mental. Reason 

 and judgment become ascendent and volition must needs be 

 controlled through them. 



The stages through which the individual passes in his mental 

 development are recapitulated in the history of every judgment 

 which we form. Sense percepts form the foundation for all of 

 our mental processes. Upon these we build our judgments by 

 synthesis, correlation and reasoning. It is evident then that 

 accuracy of sense perception, the most efficient power of observa- 

 tion, is important always, since it is so fundamental", but that 

 the appropriate time for its intense cultivation is early childhood, 

 not because its absolute importance decreases in later life but it 

 becomes relativelv less important, since the later mental powers 

 come to occupy a larger place. 



These considerations lead to the conviction that one aim in 

 nature-studv should be the development of the power of observa- 

 tion — not of eve alone but of all the senses. Further, that this 

 work should assume large proportions in early childhood in view 

 of its dominant place in the mental life of that period. During 

 the second period we may continue, in lessening amounts, this 

 fundamental drill and add the accumulation of facts and state- 

 ments of laws. Not until the adolescent period should we 

 expect the child to reason closely on the facts he has in mind. 



We come to understand, in part at least, the tendency to dif- 

 ferentiate science and nature-study when we realize this differ- 

 ence in mental aptitudes with advancing years. Certainly the 

 systematic marshalling of facts and their rational interpretation, 

 which we commonly designate science, will belong to the later 

 school years and we may appropriately apply a different name 

 to that studv which aims simply to train the powers of observa- 

 tion. 



We have neglected too long in our modern school work inces- 

 sant drill upon this fundamental step in all mental operations. 

 The race spent its apprenticeship in savagery sharpening its 

 powers of sense perception. The individual does well to go much 

 and often to the same instructor, nature, to keep keen his powers 

 for the conflict of life. While the struggle for existence has risen 

 to a higher plane and new powers are involved, they are in addi- 

 tion to, not in place of the old. Indeed modern business and 

 professional life demands accuracy of eye, ear and muscle more 



