182 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW U^-sept., 1908 



study teaching. At present this seems to be the most hopeful 

 plan, for the reason that it is unsatisfactory to give introduction 

 to^all the various phases of subject-matter in one course. More- 

 over, students need for their general education some knowledge of 

 biology, physics, chemistry and geography; and should get part 

 of these in the high school. Hence, all things considered, it 

 seems necessary to make the nature-study course of the training 

 school a pedagogical course which will work over materials 

 gained from science courses and adapt them for nature-study 

 teaching. So far as permanent advance is concerned, we can 

 have little faith in an isolated nature-study course for teachers 

 which tries to give knowledge of subject-matter and of method 

 needed by a teacher in elementary schools. 



In conclusion, it is evident that the future of nature-study 

 teachingjests with the normal schools which will directly prepare 

 the teachers. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that the 

 A. N. S. S. should take every opportunity to encourage and 

 improve preparation of teachers of nature-study in normal 

 schools. That there is a great field for development here is 

 shown by the fact that the large majority of the State normals, 

 and the majority of the city, county and private normals in the 

 United States, are making no effort at training teachers of nature- 

 study; and in most cases these institutions have no members of 

 their staffs interested in the nature-study movement. 



