56 



THE MUSEUM. 



1893. This log rests on its side, and 

 the ends, which are highly polished, 

 are translucent, and the many colors 

 and delicate tints which this chalce- 

 dony assumes are blended into a most 

 beautiful effect. 



Science in the Country School. 



Synopsis of a paper read before 

 THE Ohio State Academy of Sci- 

 ence, BY Elmer E. Master- 

 man of New London, O. 

 I have always claimed that science 

 could be taught in the country schools, 

 in fact any school with profit. For 

 several years I attempted to teach 

 science in the country school so far as 

 opportunities permitted and with 

 marked success. 



We have in the country bojs and 

 girls capable of comprehending and 

 learning science if presented to them 

 in a way that they can understand it. 

 We certainly have enough material 

 with which to work:— Insects, I^ep- 

 tiles. Fish, Birds, Mammals, Plants, 

 local archiology and geology, etc. 



Could the Universities, Colleges, 

 Academies, high and intermediate 

 schools have some of the material that 

 the country can have access to, and 

 could the country pupils only have 

 teachers capable and willing to teach 

 the science in connection with other 

 studies, both would be greatly bene- 

 fitted. There would be less time to 

 study mischief and less desire to do so. 

 Could this be done, I believe there 

 would be less need for jails, reforma- 

 tories, penitentaries. almshouses, asy- 

 lums etc. 



We in the country, and no doubt 

 city schools also, are too often ham- 

 pered for want of^apparatus with which 

 to work. When we can not get these 

 things from school boards, we get 

 them ourselves and make them as best 

 our time and opportunities permits, 

 and it is surprising what can be done 

 by an enthusiastic teacher and a few 

 energetic pupils. I speak personally 



now. We have a small telescope, 2} 

 inch aperture mostly home made, 

 several small microscopes also of our 

 construction, several pieces of electri- 

 cal apparatus, an air pump that will 

 exhaust the mercurial column to two 

 inches We have a B. and L. micro- 

 scope and some accessonics, costing 

 $75: We have a small mixed collec- 

 tion of 2 600 specimens of Minerals, 

 Fossils, Shells, Fish, Birds, Plants, 

 Sea life, archiological specimens, &c., 

 a small library of 700 books and pam- 

 phlets, besides i ,800 photos and half- 

 tone pictures from the world at large, 

 these with some university training 

 and the experience of I94 days of sight 

 seeing at the World's Fair, gives us a 

 little advantage over the most of 

 teachers. 



We do not teach science as a sepa- 

 rate siudy but in connection with 

 mathematics, physiology, geography, 

 etc. By looking ahead at tomorrow s 

 lesson we have something to illustrate 

 the lesson better. 



Let me give you an instant or two. 

 Let children see circulation of blood 

 in a frogs foot, the action of the heart 

 in the snapping turtle just killed, the 

 brain of a cat takes the place of 

 human brains, ox eyes explain the eye 

 better than pictures, the ball and 

 socket joint of the shoulder of a cat is 

 better than drawings, the sutures of 

 the skull of a cat are plainly visible, 

 cS:c indefinitely. The good resulting is 

 very great. Rarely poor lessons, no 

 tardiness, little need for rules usually 

 found in schools, become better ac- 

 quainted with nature, seeing what we 

 knew not of before, making school 

 life a pleasure where to many it was 

 but drudgery. Learn to know the 

 harmful insects, plants, animals, etc., 

 from the harmless, destroy or shun the 

 one and protect the other. When 

 reading we better understand what is 

 meant and respect ourselves the more 

 for it, broadening our intellect and 

 reason. 



Pupils thus trained find less diffiulty 



