108 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [12:3— Mch., 1916 



and instructors feel that in the intermediate grades is the place 

 to specially stress the scientific-method and the knowledge aims, 

 and that the supervisors of the state department, the princi- 

 pals of the training schools, and the science teachers in the nor- 

 mal schools would make a strong beginning in the introduction 

 of the economic and vocational elements into Nature-Study in- 

 struction in the intermediate grades. 



In the tabulation of the distinct aims for Nature-study in- 

 struction in the grammer grades the same method was followed 

 as for the intermediate grades, namely, those aims were listed 

 in the instances where they had not already been recorded for 

 either the primary or intermediate grades. The first group of 

 teachers gave, out of a total 28 additional aims, 12 or 43% for 

 the scientific aim, 8 or 29% for the economic or vocational, 5 

 or 18% for the preparatory, 2 or 7% for the ethical, and 1 or 4% 

 for the knowledge; while the second group, out of a total 24 ad- 

 ditional aims, gave 6 or 25% for the scientific-method, 6 or 25% 

 for the knowledge, 5 or 21% for the preparatory, 5 or 21% for 

 the economic or vocational, 1 or 4% for the aesthetic or appre- 

 ciative, and 1 or 4% for the ethical aim. A comparative view 

 of the aims of Nature-Study in the primary grades and the ad- 

 ditional aims in the particular instances in the intermediate and 

 grammar grades warrants the conclusion, namely, Nature-Study 

 in the elementary school should be presented in harmony with 

 the psychological laws of child development. In other words, 

 the consensus of opinion of both groups of educators suggests 

 an appreciation of variation in the dominant instincts and capa- 

 cities and resultant interests of pupils as they continue in school 

 and, therefore, the aim in Nature-study instruction should change 

 correspondingly. Since one of the important purposes of this 

 paper is to discover the effect of vocational training on Nature- 

 Study and there is increasing value attached to the economic 

 or vocational aim of Nature-Study in the upper grades, it may 

 be helpful to find out, if possible, whether in the economic or 

 vocational aim the purpose is to train pupils in the artistic, the 

 theoretical, and the scientific aspects of many occupations, or 

 to prepare for direct participation in an occupation. A study 

 of manual training and domestic science courses in the schools 

 may aid in the formation of a generalization. 



