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NA TURE-STUD Y RE VIEW 



NATURE-STUDY 



NATURE-LORE 



I. Nature-study is mainly aquaria, 

 cages, flower-pots, and pictures in the 

 schoolroom. 



For example: In perch study the 

 fish is placed in an aquarium in the 

 school room. Questions to direct the 

 observation of the pupil are written 

 on the board, such as: What is the 

 shape? Describe the tail fin. What 

 is che color along the side? How 

 does this help him? Compare with 

 the picture of the fish from Japan. 

 Perch study in New York City or 

 Toronto is the same. Since it is 

 a schoolroom lesson all the pupils 

 are doing the same thing at the same 

 time. One must either fish or be a 

 "clam" — there is no other opportuni- 

 ty. The project method may alle- 

 viate the situation but how many 

 teachers are there who can use this 

 method successfully in nature-study 

 mja graded room with the hurly- 

 burly of a modern curriculum. Most 

 so-called project lessons are old 

 lessons made over with more attrac- 

 tive bait. 



i. Nature-lore is mainly swim- 

 ming, fishing, foraging, and photo- 

 graphing out-of-doors. 



For example: In the camp dining 

 hall announcement is made that we 

 are going to Gull Pond. Those who 

 want to go fishing may meet " A . B . " on 

 the beach to get bait. As this part 

 of Cape Cod is sandy there are no 

 earthworms except in a few gardens. 

 The bait is, therefore, sandfleas. 

 Right from the beginning perch-lore 

 differs from perch-study. By 9 a. m. 

 the whole camp is "en route," a 

 four mile hike o'er hill and dune. 

 Unlike the school one may fish or not. 

 Those who fish acquire real knowledge 

 of perch. Others may pick blue- 

 berries for the flapjacks or have a 

 shampoo in the lake. In any case 

 one can not be busy around Gull 

 Pond without learning much of nature 

 even though that be not the aim of 

 the expedition. In the group are 

 enthusiastic leaders, chosen because 

 they believe in their work, big sisters 

 but not one "teacher," so-called. 



2. Natufe-study is mainly studying 

 living things or about living things. 



For example: A Nature-study les- 

 son on the red squirrel means a live 

 animal in the cage, a stuffed specimen 

 or a picture. Let us choose the best 

 conditions — a live animal. The pu- 

 pil stands off to one side and observes. 

 The questions may bring out a few 

 isolated facts. Other questions re- 

 quire reading: Has it cheek pouches? 

 When are the young born? Describe 

 the front teeth These answers are 

 artificially produced. The pupil now 

 has generalized statements about red 

 squirrels which are true anywhere. 



2. Nature-lore is mainly living 

 with living things. 



For example: Last summer a pair 

 of red squirrels took possession of the 

 mail box in the pines. Some of the 

 Campers became too enthusiastic 

 in peeking at the "cute" little fellows 

 and the squirrels had a moving day. 

 The mother squirrel carried each 

 wee baby by the nape of the neck to 

 a safer height — a bird house in the 

 top of a pitch pine. The campers 

 looked on in breathless suspense — 

 a nature-lore lesson without words. 

 The observers had been partners in 

 the group. They had had an ex- 



