BULLETIIV 



OF 



THE CHARLESTON MUSEUM 



Vol. 10 CHARLESTON, S. C, DECEMBER, 1914 No. 8 



PROGRESS IN SCHOOL WORK 



The Bulletin for December, 1912, printed an article entitled: 

 What the Museum Offers the Schools. In it was outlined the 

 scope of the work which the Museum was then prepared to carry 

 on with the schools of Charleston. This work has grown to such 

 proportions that a report of progress seems desirable. 



Nature study was introduced into the primary grades of the 

 Charleston Public Schools in the autumn of 1912. A course of 

 study had been prepared by the supervisor of primary work and 

 myself, and the Museum began the circulation of a series of 

 traveling school exhibits to illustrate the subject treated. The 

 course itself was designed to correlate largely with the work al- 

 ready done in the schools and to serve as an aid rather than an 

 added burden to the teacher. The success of the new study was 

 assured through the earnest work of the teachers themselves, 

 who during 1912 and 1913 frequently met at the Museum for 

 lectures on the course. There was never any question as to its 

 success with the children; as teachers are constantly telling me 

 ' ' They simply love it. ' ' One teacher reports that a little feeble- 

 minded boy in her room, though utterly uninterested in the reg- 

 ular school work, is continually asking her to "tell about the 

 Redbird" or whatever the nature exhibit for the week may be. 



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