PREFACE 



The laboratory outlines licrc presented have been fashionefl 

 out of oxporienco with students in the laboratory, extending over 

 a considerable period of years. An attempt has been made to 

 discover the most serious difficulties encountered l)y elementary 

 students and to outline the procedure accordingly. An attempt 

 has also been made to incorporate the quality of flexibility as 

 regards detail of methods. Even though several instructors are 

 engaged in conducting different laboratory sections in the same 

 course, better results arc obtained when each instructor is free 

 to employ his own details of method, to act upon his own initia- 

 tive, and to give expression to his own personality. Questions 

 have been almost entirely eliminated, in the belief that (jues- 

 tions formulated by the instructor would be more effective in 

 stimulating the student to see and Ihink. 



The order in which the several studies are arranged need not 

 necessarily be followed. The authors have found, however, that 

 a beginning student when studying a series of animals, in what- 

 ever order they may be arranged, fails to grasp the significance 

 of his studies as constituting a connected whole. A beginning 

 study of a higher animal type obviates difficulties of this sort. 

 The introductory study of the frog, it should be emphasized, is 

 not outlined for the purpose of learning about the frog as such. 

 It affords a means of inculcating the principles of bodily organiza- 

 tion, the services rendered by bodily components, the nature of 

 protoplasm, and the nature and importance of the cell as a vital 

 unit ; and finally it affords a means of building up a concept of the 

 organism as a totahty and superior entity. Incidentally, a 

 knowledge of all of the fundamental biological principles which a 

 beginning student can master may be gained in such a study. 

 Following this a study of the animal types may be made more 

 significant. 



Should it appear that too many types and too many details 

 are included, the aims of the teacher may be taken as the best 

 guide in omitting parts or even whole studies. Added interest 

 may be aroused by the display of living animals, demonstrations, 



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