1906] Nature Study No. 34. 45 



NATURE STUDY No. XXXIV. 



A Cement Sidewalk. 



By S. B. McCreadv, B.A., Professor of Nature Study, McDonald Insti- 

 tute, Guelph, Ontario. 



In glancing over the topics that have been dealt with in 

 this series of Nature Study articles in The Ottawa Naturalist 

 I find that more than half ot them have been of a general 

 pedagogical treatment, while twelve have been practical studies 

 in plants, insects, birds, rocks and school gardens. 



It is to be noted that this series portrays in a general way the 

 history of the adoption of Nature Study in our school courses. At 

 first, concern was about the need, the treatment, the courses, the 

 practical value or the pedagogical value of it ; latterly the tend- 

 ency is towards practical, helpful directions for the teachers who 

 have to work at the subject in our common schools. Nature Study 

 stands to-day, with our progressive teachers, accepted as the leav- 

 ening that will bring large vitality to worn out methods and sub- 

 jects ; what they are asking is for guidance to the recognition and 

 the proper using of the materials, 



With the purpose of emphasizing the proposition that the 

 study is not limited in its field to biological or geological things, 

 an outline of a lesson we had with our summer class is here sub- 

 mitted and worked out. A sidewalk had been in process of build- 

 ing for several days. No one had paid much attention to the 

 work, the workmen or the process. This was, in part, owing to 

 a multitude of other interests chiefly biological and, in part, to 

 an unconcern that familiarity had bred. 



When, however, attention was drawn to the subject, many 

 propositions were orjened up for investigating ; the investigation 

 was made by daily observation and inquiry. An engineer's work 

 had been done in staking out the walk and making it level the 

 stakes were driven firmly in the ground and the top level marked 

 with notches or nails. The top soil had been removed until a firm, 

 gravelly bottom was reached ; for most of the length of the trench 

 a depth of a foot had been sufficient but where the ground was 

 springy a greater depth was excavated. Into this trench, coarse 

 gravel and broken brick was dumped and packed down. A plank 



