mcquade CHILDREN'S INTEREST IN NATU2E-STUDY 219 



I had previously made a bargain with the grocer lest he should 

 object to the size and age of the eggs. I felt that this was in no 

 sense cheating the children as I could very truthfully say should 

 anyone ask, that that particular dozen bantam's eggs was worth 

 fully twenty-five cents to me. 



The grocer offered to pay the children in silver or to trade for 

 wheat. It was fully explained that they might take the silver 

 and go elsewhere to purchase what they wished. But for some 

 reason which I could not discover, they chose to trade. 



M — ■ pulled at my dress while we were looking at the wheat 

 and whispered to ask me if I supposed "Dolly Gray" would care 

 if we purchased five cents worth of vegetables for the rabbits, 

 and as I thought that on such an occasion "Dolly Gray's" heart, 

 however selfish, naturally would be moved to generosity, the trade 

 resulted in two bags of wheat and one bunch of carrots. 



The packages of wheat were heavy but all were more than 

 eager to carry them. Each had his chance on the way to the 

 pens and it was a very happy band of children who fed the animals 

 that day. 



This class was not in my charge very long after the trip above 

 described. Though the tangible results of this little study are 

 very meager, the work has seemed to me worth while since it 

 has furnished a little further confirmation of the idea that has 

 grown stronger with every year's experience in teaching young 

 children, the idea that the study of science should have its founda- 

 tion experiences of active and loving contact with nature with- 

 out much attempt at finding the "reasons of things" except in 

 so far as questions come up naturally in the course of the work. 

 That these questions will come up there is no doubt and the 

 teacher must be prepared to meet them and help the child to 

 answer them. 



That the interest of the children was kept active and con- 

 tinuous through their sense of ownership was demonstrated very 



fully. 



I did not experiment so much with songs, stories and games as 

 I should have done had I not from ample previous tests become 

 fully convinced of their service in this work, neither did I feel 

 the necessity of demonstrating how desirable freedom is for the 

 beautiful unfolding of child life. The children were free, the work 

 was carried on with no trace of formalism except such as was 



