84 The Ottawa Naturalist. I July 



the work done. With but tew exceptions colour is never referred 

 to, and much of the drawing work is conventional and lifeless. 



All who have observed the results of a sequential course in 

 the study of life forms accompanied by expression in model and 

 colour work from the kindergarten through the entire school 

 course, must be convinced of the great value of such training. 

 So long as the public are content with the notion that the acme of 

 school art is achieved when pupils can draw straight lines to 

 vanishing points, little will be accomplished. 



Such a reform would necessitate the securing of teachers of 

 drawing who are themselves artists and who possess sufficient 

 knowledge and love for Nature to enable them to guide their 

 pupils to artistic expression. This would involve an additional 

 expenditure for teacher's salaries ; but, even from the commercial 

 standpoint, the extra amount would be a good investment. 



What is Nature-Study ? 



Nature-study from the public school teacher's point of view is 

 the maintaining in educative directions of the child's natural 

 interest in its environment. For such work the knowledge of 

 paramount importance to the teacher is the knowledge of child- 

 nature ; the knowledge of plants, animals, earth and sky, though 

 necessary, is secondary. Learning to train the child how to use 

 the materials of knowledge, obtained at first-hand through sense- 

 activity, in the proper development of the intellectual, emotional 

 and volitional phases of its being, is the indispensable preparation 

 of the successful teacher of nature-study. The name is unfortu- 

 nate because it is so liable to be regarded as the equivalent of 

 acquiring knowledge of nature. Even some who are writing 

 books and giving lectures to teachers on nature-study (sic) are 

 substituting information for education. Educationally, the study 

 of nature may be different from nature-study and as inferior to it 

 as a horse-chestnut is different from and inferior to a chestnut- 

 horse. 



John Dearness. 

 Ontario Summer School for Teachers, London, Ont. 



"^"library' 



