CROSBY] RELATJOX OF XA TUKE-STL DY AND AGRICULTURE 



97 



Nature-Study and Agriculture, by Groups. 



Group I. 



Children 6-8 years 

 Grades 1-3. 



old- 



Nature-Study. 



OBSERVATION. Observe 



wild and cultivated plants, 

 trees, insects, wild and do- 

 mestic animals in environ- 

 ment at home and near 

 school. 



School gardens. 



Plantand grow some of the 

 common hardy vegetables, 

 such as radishes, lettuce, 

 beets, and carrots, and one 

 or two quick-growing 

 flowers, such as dwarf 

 nasturtiums. 



Group II 



Children 9-1 1 years old- 

 Grades 4-6. 



Nature-studv 



OBSERVATION and COM- 

 PARISON. Observe wea- 

 ther, soils wild and culti- 

 vated plants, trees, insects, 

 wild and domestic animals 

 in environment of school 

 district and vicinity ; com- 

 pare habits of plants and 

 animals in order to become 

 familiar with their dif- 

 ferent modes of living, 

 their struggles for ex- 

 istence, and their uses to 

 man. 



School and home gardens. 



Plant and grow typical eco- 

 nomic plants of the region, 

 giving some attention to 

 different varieties, and to 

 the relation of crops to 

 different conditions of 

 soil, weather, treatment, 

 etc. 



Group III. 



Children 12-14 years old. 

 Grades 7 and 8. 



Agriculture. 



OBSERVATION.COMPAR- 

 ISON, and JUDGMENT. 

 Study objects as above, 

 within and beyond hori- 

 zon of children's observa- 

 tion; introduce text-books 

 and reference books on 

 elementary agriculture as 

 source',; of information con- 

 cerning objects beyond the 

 limits of personal ob- 

 servation; illustrate pro- 

 cesses by simple experi- 

 ments; study different 

 types of plants and ani- 

 mals; visit typical farms; 

 teach sources and uses of 

 agricultural literature — 

 books, bullerins. an,' farm 

 journals. 



School and home gardens. 



Plant and grow different 

 varieties of crops, e.g., 

 wheat, barley, sugar beets, 

 potatoes; introduce exer- 

 cises in pruning, grafting, 

 making cuttings. Encour- 

 age pupils to grow crops, 

 poultry, and farm animals 

 at home, keeping account 

 of labor, fertilizers, feed, 

 gross and net returns, and 

 have them experiment on 

 different methods of plant- 

 ing, cultivating, harvest- 

 ing, and preparing for 

 market. 



of the pupils for information concerning the affairs of agriculture 

 which do not fall under their observation or cannot be explained 

 from their previous experience or that of their teacher. Intro- 

 duced in this way, the text-book of elementary agriculture comes 

 as the boy's friend, not as an additional subject to be mastered 

 or another obstacle to be overcome. 



Fundamentally then, the teaching of nature-study and agri- 

 culture in the rural elementary schools is an attempt to educate 

 the boy through his environment. Theoretically it might be 



