perry NATURE-STUDY PROJECTS 103 



ers went away feeling that this is not only a safe and sane method, 

 but one which brings unusual results as well. 



The term project has been used in referring to the building of 

 a bird house, the planting of a garden, etc. But as it was used in 

 this little school, and rightly I think, it had a much broader mean- 

 ing. Everything that was brought to the attention of those chil- 

 dren during the daily three hour session for the six weeks had to 

 do with foods, water, or forestry. Some will call it a scheme of 

 close correlation and such it is. It is obvious that in a training 

 school where several teachers are handling one group the material 

 taught must be considered to a certain extent at least, as reading, 

 writing and arithmetic. But the most advanced form of project 

 work forgets the various subjects of the standaidized curriculum 

 and teaches forestry as an end in itself. To be sure in such a 

 method a goodly amount of arithmetic, language, spelling and 

 reading will be used, but the concious aim of the teacher is not 

 to invent a scheme of correlation or notivation but teach foods, 

 water, forestry or what ever the given project may be. 



Space will not allow a description of each project, but a discussion 

 of the forestry project will illustrate the procedure. There 

 could not be a more delightful place in which to consider forestry 

 and its problems than in the forests of the Sierra The little school 

 itself was in the heart of the woods. Jeffrey pines, sugar pines, 

 red and white firs were at our very door. In the vicinity were 

 Junipers, cedars, white pines, silver pines, lodge-pole pines, Cali- 

 fornia black oaks and the quivering aspens. The interest in 

 forestry did not' have to be developed. These boys and girls 

 weie eager to learn in their favorite class-room under the pines 

 with a rock for a desk or table. 



Because there are some who do not yet understand that all of 

 the traditional subjects of the curriculum, find a place in a project 

 I have separated the material taught by the three teachers and 

 grouped it under nature-study, geography, arithmetic, language, 

 and reading. 



Nature-study was obviously touched by all three teachers every 

 day. The different trees of the region were identified and some 

 sketching was attempted. Then a tree was studied to learn its 

 method of growth and functions of its various parts. Simple 

 experiments in photosynthesis and transpiration and absorption 



