NATURAL SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 665 



urchin, or snail. In many of our scliools the lessons on animals 

 begin with the dog, cat, or bird. Ten years ago it was almost a 

 necessity to begin in this way ; it is not so to-day. I once began 

 a course of lessons with these familiar but extremely complex 

 animals, and noted the results with interest. Before the course 

 was finished, I had given up practically the four objects I aimed 

 to accomplish. I was so thoroughly convinced that the habit of 

 accurate observation could not be acquired by children with one 

 specimen in the hand of the teacher, or one picture hung upon the 

 wall, that I never repeated- the experiment. I regret now that I did 

 not preserve some of the written work of this class, but it seemed so 

 worthless, as compared with that done by children of the same age 

 who had begun their lessons with the simpler animals, that I did 

 not keep any of it for future reference. When the class numbers 

 fifty or sixty children, those in the back part of the school-room 

 can not see the bird or kitten distinctly, more or less disorder pre- 

 vails, and disorder always causes the premature death of science 

 work. If the children come to the desk to examine the specimen, 

 time is lost in going to and from the seat, especially by those 

 whose besetting weakness is laziness, while the moments for ob- 

 servation at the desk must be extremely brief. Close, accurate 

 observation of a specimen in the hand of a child develops patience, 

 and cultivates the habit of mental equilibrium or concentration 

 of mind for twenty or thirty minutes, as may seem desirable, 

 which is of incalculable value. 



The second condition of successful science work, namely, a 

 well-governed school, is obviously one condition for all successful 

 school-work. The temptation to whisper and be disorderly, caused, 

 possibly, at first by the use of specimens, will soon be overcome 

 if the children understand that no science lesson can be given till 

 order is preserved. The unruly members of the class are usually 

 the first ones to yield, as these are generally more fond of nature 

 than of books. Many instances could be given, proving most 

 happily the invaluable aid given by science lessons to the teacher 

 in the discipline of lawless children. 



"While the first two conditions depend for their realization 

 upon both teacher and pupils, the third depends wholly upon the 

 teacher. All preparation must be made before, not during the 

 lesson. The questions must be so arranged that each lesson must 

 be a natural growth, a development from the simple to the com- 

 plex. This method of questioning is the peculiar characteristic 

 of the true science lesson, distinguishing it from the commonly 

 accepted oral and language lesson. Furthermore, each lesson 

 should be related, so to speak, to the lessons that precede and fol- 

 low it. It can not exist as an isolated thing, but must form an 

 important part of one complete course. 



