3 6 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW u : 2 _ FEB ., , 90 s 



A large proportion of the college scientists who teach as well as 

 investigate have made their scientist's point of view their teach- 

 ing point of view. In other words, they have organized their 

 courses with the apparent aim of training special investigators 

 and not in the direct interests of the great mass of students who 

 want knowledge of science for liberal culture. 



Likewise in the secondary-school field the scientist's point of 

 view has largely prevailed, chiefly because the college men have 

 through advice, example and entrance requirements controlled, 

 and have attempted to make the high-school science lead directly 

 to the science in the college. 



We see, then, that in both high school and college the scientist's 

 point of view usually controls the science teaching. In other 

 words: Science study and teaching is the close analytical, 

 synthetical study of natural objects and processes primarily for 

 the purpose of knowing and understanding the organized prin- 

 ciples or generalizations which constitute the foundations of 

 modern science. An examination of the majority of text-books, 

 laboratory guides and lecture note-books will show the truth of 

 this statement. 



Contrasting nature-study and science teaching in the light of 

 the above analysis, here are the essential points; (i) the 

 materials for study may be the same; (2) the method of study 

 is the same except in degree of advancement; but (3) the point 

 of view is radically different. Nature-study stands primarily 

 for every-day human interest. Science study, as commonly 

 understood, stands primarily for scientific principles; and while 

 every-day human interest is not necessarily eliminated, as a 

 matter of fact it is certainly not prominent. At any rate, the 

 one important thing in the above contrast is that nature-study 

 cuts loose from the principles, the organization of science, and 

 leaves these for the later work of high school or college. 



At this point I fear my hearers may raise serious objections 

 because I apparently advocate that nature-study should be 

 entirely unorganized, that there should be no continuity of 

 lessons, no building up of larger ideas, no principles. Un- 

 fortunately much of the nature-study of the past has been that 

 and even worse ; but there is something better available. Nature- 

 study may be quite independent of scientific organization, but 

 still have an educational organization. Let me illustrate: In 



