THE 



NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



DEVOTED PRIMARILY TO ALL SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF NATURE IN 



ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



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 to the Editor. 



Vol. 11 March, 1915 No. 3 



Preface 



It was the unanimous opinion of those present at the December meeting 

 of the American Nature-Study Society at Philadelphia that no other matter 

 is now more important in the nature-study movement than the formulation 

 of proper plans of organization for nature-study materials for school use and 

 the lucid statement of the principles of methods to be used in presenting such 

 materials. 



The normal schools and teachers' colleges are almost universally offering 

 courses designed to prepare for grade instruction in some such nature work 

 (134 out of 141 so far reporting). The editor recently sent out letters of 

 inquiry to the State Superintendents of Public Instruction in all the states 

 and to similar officers in the territories. The replies indicate that nature- 

 study or equivalent elementary science is almost without exception, recom- 

 mended by them, is outlined in a large majority of the state courses of study 

 and is required by law in not a few states. In the survey of a single typical 

 state it was recently found that 70 % of the towns and cities replying to the 

 questionaire have in operation a definite course in nature-study All of which 

 facts seem to indicate educators are agreed that the grade pupil shall have some 

 systematic contact with the physical and biological elements in his environ- 

 ment to the end that he may acquire varied sensory stimulation, conscious 

 ideals of exact scientific thinking, may achieve a reasonable comprehension of 

 commonplace industrial mechanisms and processes and may be subjected to 

 the moral and aesthetic influences of nature. The work must now be organized 

 and taught so as to justify the time given to it and to prepare the way for its 

 largest usefulness. The following fairly full statement of the course in vogue 

 at the Mankato (Minn.), Normal School is offered as a study in the organiza- 

 tion of materials and the embodiment of principles. The editor desires to 

 express his appreciation of the labor that Mr. Trafton and Miss Reynolds 

 have put upon this number of the Review. 



The Editor. 



93 



