1904] Nature Study — No. 13. 61 



NATURE STUDY— No. XIII. 



Nature Study in the Winnipeg Schools. 

 By J. B. Wallis, Supervisor of Nature Study. Winnipegf. 



For some years there have appeared on the Programme of 

 Studies for Manitoba a number of suggestions as to subjects 

 which might be classed as Nature Study. Such was Agriculture, 

 which took the forms of a small box of chemicals and of colored 

 plates of some common Manitoban flowers and weeds. These 

 had a dehnite value ; but the teachers did not know exactly what 

 was required of them, and too often the Experiments in agricul- 

 tural chemistry were allowed to degenerate into an hour's amuse- 

 ment; and the colored plates were put away in a drawer, or were 

 used to decorate the school walls. It is safe to say that Nature 

 Study as we know it to-day, had then no place in the work of the 

 schools. In a few cases, a teacher, herself enthusiastic, would 

 arouse the enthusiasm of her pupils about Nature ; but, even then, 

 it was usually done with little thought of the curriculum. The 

 trouble was, the work was too indefinite ; and it remained for the 

 committee which completed its labors last year, to place on the 

 Programme of Studies a series of definite topics which covered 

 the whole range of the subject as understood by its most ad- 

 vanced advocates. 



Even then, the troubles had by no means all disappeared. 

 The teachers were frightened of the work. Arithmetic, history, 

 etc., they could teach ; but this new work, which they were not to 

 teach was, even with its assigned topics, something altogether 

 different. 



The Wmnipeg School Board realized this, and appointed a 

 supervisor ot Nature Study for one year. In that time, they con- 

 sidered the subject should be on a firm basis and the teachers all 

 able to continue the work without further sujiervision. 



The plan was inaugurated last September, and a valuable 

 fortnight was taken up in finding what had already been done in 

 the schools and what material was within reach. Programmes 

 were drawn up, meetings of teachers held and the topics and pur- 

 poses of the work explained. The main purposes kept in view 



