Rural School Leaflet. 68i 



NATURE-STUDY AGRICULTURE. 



By Alice G. McCloskey. 



The purpose of the Leaflets issued by the College of Agriculture at 

 Cornell University has been to awaken an interest in nature-study and 

 elementary agriculture. Effort was made to present the work in a 

 simple, attractive way that the attention of teachers and pupils might 

 be directed toward country life. During the past year the Home Nature- 

 Stud v Course, which took up in detail the subject matter necessary for 

 the nature-study work in the schools as founded on the syllabus of the 

 State Educational Department, was sent to about 3,000 persons. The 

 Junior Naturalist Monthly was sent to 18,966 children in New York 

 State. Hundreds of teachers applied for these Leaflets after the fund 

 which provided them was exhausted. During the year, 20,115 letters 

 or compositions were received from the Junior Naturalists. These com- 

 positions covered a wide range of country life subjects. 



The time has now come for more special work. The Home Nature- 

 Study Course will be continued in order that teachers who are following 

 the Nature-Study Syllabus of the Education Department may be helped 

 in their subject matter and methods for giving instruction. The Junior 

 Naturalist Monthly will be discontinued. The Cornell Rural School 

 Leaflet will be issued for teachers, and a supplement to it for pupils. 

 The new publication will be planned with the fundamental purpose ot 

 reaching the needs of the rural school. This does not mean, however, 

 that it will not be helpful to teachers in village and city schools. 



We shall now discontinue the forming of clubs in the schools as a 

 necessary part of the work, although we shall be glad to continue the 

 clubs as heretofore if the teacher desires.'- Instead, we shall prepare 

 material to be handled in any way that the teacher may consider best 

 adapted to conditions. We hope to be closely in touch with all teachers 

 who take up this work in the grades and to help them by suggestion and 

 personal direction as far as we are able. All lessons will be prepared by 

 experts in the subjects presented. In each issue of the Rural School 

 Leaflet there will be four or five subjects along different lines, from 

 which the teacher may choose one or more best adapted for study in the 

 community. There will be lessons in connection with natural phenomena, 

 earth study, plant study, animal life, insect life, bird life, and the like. 



School-gardens will form one of the most important features of the 

 work in nature-study agriculture. It is in the school-garden that life 

 processes can be studied. One hour spent in actual gardening will put 

 a child more nearly in touch with his environment than many hours 

 spent with specimens brought into the schoolroom. Definite instruc- 



