To THE Teacher : 



This is the first of a proposed series of leaflets designed to suggest 

 methods of presenting nature-study upon common-place subjects. This 

 is a neii> field of effort for the College of Agriculture, and we therefore 

 look upon the methods as largely experimental. We are endeavoring to 

 determine the best xvay of interestijig children in country life. You can 

 give us many suggestions, and u<e should like a free expression of your 

 opinions and experiences. It should be borne in mind that the object of 

 these lessons is >iot to itnpart direct and specific informatiofi, but to train 

 the child in the pozc>ers of seeing and inquiring. The teacher should keep 

 the attention of the pupil closely fixed upon the germinating seed [when the 

 subject of this leaflet is under review), asking him to describe everything 

 which he sees. Require that the pupil sees all that is specified in this 

 leaflet, and endeavor to lead him on to see things which are not here de- 

 scribed. Once the inquiry is started, you will no doubt be able to conduct 

 other similar experiments from time to time. If questions come up 

 7vhich you cannot ansiver, write them to us and zi'e may be able to help 

 you. 



We suggest that you ask your pupils to write short compositions 

 upofi these lessons and to make sketches of the observations, a^nd that you 

 send us some of these from time to time, in order that we may learji 

 how the experiment is working. We do not care for the best essays 

 alone, but simply the average. The suggestions which ive obtaitt from 

 teachers will aid us greatly in the preparation of future leaflets. , 



