18 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [ 4 : x-jan., 1908 



arranged knowledge, worked over from the point of view of 

 logical and exhaustive presentation of subject-matter, so es- 

 sential to college and university courses, has no place in nature- 

 study. Still I also wish to second Professor Mann's position that 

 there is no essential difference between science and nature-study; 

 that science in essence throughout is "problem solving." This 

 is Lessing's definition of science as: "The everlasting struggle of 

 the human mind after truth." To arouse and inspire the child 

 to try to solve problems, to struggle for the truth, not dead 

 Gradgrind, Mr. Choakumchild loading of the memory is the 

 prime factor of good science or nature-study instruction. Here 

 again, as it seems to me, the inspiration to work, the motive force 

 which impels the child to strive, is the feeling that the truth 

 sought is worth the effort. 



Froebel has pointed out the wonderful progress of the child 

 during its first three years of life. Nowhere do we find deeper 

 suggestions for nature-study than here. Even the way a young 

 animal learns is illuminating to our problems. A partridge chick 

 in its first active day tries hundreds, if not thousands, of experi- 

 ments, pecks at all sorts of conspicuous objects, pecks at the eye 

 of a fellow, gets no satisfaction, pecks at a dew-drop, learns how 

 water tastes, pecks at its own toes, and tips itself over, at its 

 fellows' toes and tips them over, is served likewise in its term, 

 learns that toes are not food. It learns that some things taste 

 good and other things bad and by the end of the day has solved 

 the fundamental food problems of the species. If some students 

 of education could give us from this point of view a detailed 

 picture of even this first day in the life of a bird, it might awaken 

 us to appreciate more keenly the possibilities of early education. 



Touching as it does the whole people, and occupying these 

 plastic years of youth, there can be no doubt that nature-study 

 in the public schools is the most fundamental and most vital 

 problem in the whole field of modern science instruction. Here 

 we must answer the question (as Dr. Coulter puts it) ; How may 

 we keep the "tentacles of enquiry" of the young child alive be- 

 tween the kindergarten and high-school or college age? We 

 might say: How can we keep the children alive mentally and 

 morally and prevent them from becoming parasitic word-eaters? 

 If any university specialist in science or education deems this 

 problem too low or easy for his powers, let him join this Society 



