January Nature- Study 



Anna Botford Comstock 



"There isn't any nature-study in January, there is just coasting 

 and skating," asserted a small boy friend of mine stoutly; and the 

 teacher who has to give a nature-study lesson every day during 

 this midwinter month will be constrained to agree with him. It is 

 a pity that the significance of January's reign in the natural world 

 should be fitted only for grown-up comprehension. However, 

 there are some topics in nature-study that belong to winter, suited 

 for even the youngest children. 



SECOND GRADE 



The Canary. — It is quite possible in most 

 places for the teacher to borrow a canary and 

 keep it in the schoolroom for a few days; or 

 she may take her pupils to some home and 

 visit a canary, and through the study of this 

 long-suffering little cage bird, the children 

 may come to understand the nature of the 

 birds and their adaptations for life in the 

 fields.* The obs. i, 2, 3, p. 51 will serve for 

 the first lesson. These questions should be 

 asked and a few days given for answering 

 them. Obs. 4 is sufficient for one lesson if 

 the bird has variegated colors. Obs. 5, 6, 7, 

 8, 9 suggest another lesson which will cover the food habits 

 of the bird. Obs. 10, 11, 12 suggest a lesson on its interest- 

 ing ways. Especial attention should be given to the different 



*The references are to The Handbook of Nature-Study. 



29 



