130 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [sis^^may, 1909 



rather than the material worked with or upon, the subject-matter 

 or the pupils. 



Two or three other statements taken at random, will throw 

 some light upon one or two other factors in this correlation 

 problem. "The two lines are so utterly divergent in manner of 

 presentation that no attempt is made to make connection." 

 "The nature work is still in an experimental stage. It is not to 

 be depended upon as all pupils do not get it." "It is not suffi- 

 ciently developed to be of use." 



In some towns the nature work is actually being eliminated, so 

 unsatisfactory are conditions. Maiden, Mass., reports, "Nature- 

 study in the grades has been given up." Minneapolis writes, 

 "The nature work is not correlated. We try to avoid the topics 

 that may have been presented in the grades." This answer 

 applies to conditions in some New York city schools as well. An 

 Ohio town reports that "there is no correlation and nature-study 

 is being eliminated. 



Teachers of science appear to be very sure that nature work, 

 properly directed and organized, would be of immense value to 

 the pupil who continues science work in the high school. Espec- 

 ally is this true of elementary physiology, which although not 

 strictly nature-study, might be made much more useful if it could 

 be in some manner correlated with the nature work. The follow- 

 ing quotations serve to illustrate the feeling in this regard. "No 

 doubt the nature work aids the pupil in his science work." "If 

 properly taught, nature-study would greatly aid our students in 

 their science work." "The nature work does not aid us greatly. 

 The human physiology is of greater advantage to the pupil in his 

 biological work in the high school." 



Let us now turn to the answers from schools which report 

 correlation in order to see in what this correlation consists and to 

 what extent it is carried out. Worcester, Mass., reports, "Nature 

 study is used as a foundation for the science work which follow^s." 

 New Bedford, Mass., "We make the grade work the starting point 

 and human physiology the goal". Sault St. Marie, Mich., 

 "Grade work is the basis, we build on it a continuous higher 

 course". Concord, N. H., "We try to place and arrange scienti- 

 fically the knowledge already acquired". Several New York 

 schools, two of them of the nature of large private schools report 

 "the work in the elementary school is the foundation on which 



