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Rural School Leaflet 



PLANT STUDY 



The Editor 



Perhaps no one of the nature-study lessons for this year offers more 

 opportunity for interesting work than the recognition of plants. It sug- 

 gests some informal discussions that often bring 

 about the most valuable nature interest. 



All children enjoy the wild flowers. In 



teaching them to recognize a few each year we 



have opportunity to discuss the preservation of 



our native flora, which is a m.ost important lesson. 



It is surprising how many persons carelessly uproot 



some of our rarest plants, or thoughtlessly 



'^ mutilate shrubs and trees as they walk along 



the highways. Respect for wild life should 



be a part of every child's education. 



It would be a good plan to place on 

 the blackboard a list of plants for study 

 this year, and find how niany the child- 

 ren know. Ask for descriptions, and 

 then proceed to suggest observations 

 that will add to their knowledge of the plants al- 

 ready known. Send them on a quest for the un- 

 familiar ones and ask them to gather but one or 

 two specimens of the flowers that are scarce. 

 The specific differences in plants become very interesting to boys and 

 girls. Send the class out to look for a trillium that is different from the 

 first one brought to school in spring. Have them note differences in the 

 habit of the plant, in the blossom, or in the leaf. Have as many speci- 

 mens as possible of the lily family brought to school. Note any points 

 of similarity in the plants of near kin. 



Probably all of our boys and girls know a willow tree, but very few know 

 what a large number of different kinds can be found in this State. Encour- 

 age the pupils to search for the willows that differ in any way. Learning 

 to note the differences in plants nearly related tends to develop accuracy 

 of observation, so essential in all life work. 



The black medick, one of the plants to be recognized this year, is a familiar 

 weed but is not known to all children by name. Should the teacher find 

 one of the plants near the schoolhouse, it would be well to send the boys 

 and girls to see it; or better still, to describe the plant som^e day before 

 school closes and have the boys and girls search for it and report on their 

 success the following morning. Such a lesson will take but a few minutes, 



Black-eyed Susan 



