38 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [ 4 : 2 -feb., .908 



question as " how does heat affect our daily life?", and omitting 

 all reference to atoms and molecules and ether wave motion and 

 coefficients of expansion, etc. — a series of generalizations in the 

 common physical science teaching which reminds us of the 

 root-stem-leaf order of study in botany and the head-thorax- 

 abdomen order of zoology. 



One more illustration must suffice. In nature-study we make 

 an educationally organized study of trees, grouping the facts 

 learned around such topics as "Trees in their Relation to Man," 

 or "Elementary Forestry." Here again the every-day interest 

 prevails, and obviously such a study of trees might be no less 

 organized in an elementary way than are the same facts in a 

 "Manual of Trees." The "Forestry" touches the nature-study 

 point of view, the direct human interest in trees; the "Manual," 

 is the science point of view, interest primarily in organized 

 knowledge as such. This illustration suggests that the nature- 

 study point of view might lead, in more advanced work, to 

 application of scientific principles, e. g., in forestry and agriculture. 

 In fact much of the so-called "applied science" of our day seems 

 to be in line with what we have agreed to call the nature-study 

 point of view in contrast to that of pure science. But applied 

 science differs from nature-study in that it depends upon the 

 principles of pure science. It is simply technical, organized 

 science modified by the nature-study point of view. 



Nature-study, then, stands for educational organization based 

 on the direct human interest in nature. Science stands for 

 scientific organisation based on direct interest (1) in organized 

 knowledge for its own sake, and (2) with the hope that possibly 

 such organized knowledge may some day become of direct 

 interest in applied science. 



Thus analyzing science and nature-study, it does not seem 

 probable that anyone with experience in schools will dispute the 

 statement that nature-study, minus the scientific organization 

 adapted to mature minds, is the proper work for elementary schools. 



And now we come to the latest chapter in the science of 

 teaching. In previous paragraphs I have had in mind the science 

 of advanced research, the science of the scientist, which has 

 been and, on the whole, in practice still is the science of high- 

 school and college teaching. From that nature-study for young 

 children should beyond question be sharply differentiated. But 



