Cornell Rural School Leaflet 



VOLUME IX ITHACA. NEW YORK. SEPTEMBER. 1915 NUMBER I 



FOREWORD 



The Editors 



The purpose of this number of the Cornell Rural School Leaflet is to 

 give to the teachers of New York vState subject matter that may be use- 

 ful in teaching nature study and elementary agriculture as outlined in 

 the New York State Syllabus for the year 1915-1916. No teacher is 

 expected to make use of all the material presented in the following pages; 

 but according to the ages of the boys and girls and the amount of interest 

 and inspiration that a teacher has in the subjects, a selection from the 

 articles may be made. The various topics are presented by specialists 

 who, from their knowledge, have given what they consider important 

 in their lines of work in the education of children. 



The leaflet is made up of two parts. In Part I will be found subject 

 matter that Avill be helpful in teaching nature study and elementary 

 agriculture as outlined in the syllabus. In Part II is given some material 

 that will doubtless be suggestive to many of the rural teachers who have 

 special interest in outdoor study. 



In order to make the country-life instruction in the public schools 

 of greatest value, the following should be considered : 



1. Nature study is the study of nature. Every boy and girl should 

 be encouraged to find education and resources in the out-of-doors. They 

 should know the wild life about them — the birds, the trees, the flowers, 

 the weeds, the insects, the animals of field and wood. They should take 

 interest in the soils, the rocks, the brooks, the hills, the woodlot, the forest. 

 They should learn to love the music of the wind, the soughing of the pines, 

 the clear, true starlights, the restfulness of rains, and the magic of the 

 snows. Love of nature is a valuable asset in the lives of farm folk. 



2. Agriculture is a dignified industry that, for its greatest develop- 

 ment, must be founded on science. Boys and girls even in the elementary 

 grades should be taught to seek the truth in all that has to do with farm 

 experiences and practices, and to turn to scientists for information that 

 relates to farm problems. They should know who are investigators 

 along the many lines of scientific agriculture in state and national insti- 

 tutions, and why they have the right to receive help from these persons. 



3. Agriculture should not be taught from a printed page. The boys 

 and girls should enter during each school year some agricultural activity, 

 such as the making of a school or home garden, a farm or home project, 

 an exhibition of farm products, the planting of school groimds, or the 



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