24 



are planned with reference to the course of study of the pubhc 

 schools and serve directly to supplement and enrich the regular 

 work of the classroom. 



c. Syllabi for Lectures and Garden Walks. — It is doubtful 

 whether the time and effort expended in bringing classes from 

 their schools to museums and botanic gardens is justified unless 

 the work given at the Garden is definitely followed up afterwards 

 in the school room. The stereopticon-, or motion-picture-lecture, 

 or the field exercise at the Garden should be regarded, not so 

 much as a lesson, but as preparation for a lesson, and everything 

 possible should be done by the institution to insure this follow-up 

 work by the regular teacher. To this end the Brooklyn Botanic 

 Garden, a year or two ago, inaugurated the plan of giving each 

 teacher a Syllabus of the lecture — one copy for each pupil, to 

 be taken back to the school and to serve as the basis of the follow- 

 up lesson. This was mentioned in our preceding report. During 

 the year just passed the plan has been adopted of supplying 

 each pupil with an outline of what he is expected to observe in 

 his garden walk with the instructor. With this outline in hand 

 and the object of his visit clearly stated, he proceeds at once to 

 the particular exhibit he has come to see. The printed outline 

 centers attention, makes the work concrete and definite, facilitates 

 the follow-up work on the return to the school, and also tends 

 to insure this work being done. 



d. Laboratory-Greenhouse, — So far as we are informed, our 

 laboratory-greenhouse for children of high school age or younger 

 is still unique. Pupils come here voluntarily on Saturdays and 

 on other days for courses of instruction in botany and nature 

 study with plants. So strong is the appeal that many boys and 

 girls have come for four, five, and even se\-en consecutive years. 

 Many ha\e disco^■ered here their major interest in life, and have 

 either gone to college to specialize in botany, agriculture, or 

 horticulture, or have gone into the nursery or florist's business. 



A more detailed statement of this work is given in the appended 

 report of the curator of elementary instruction. 



Cooperation with Schools 



a. Public Schools. — The bringing of classes to the Botanic 

 Garden has now become an established part of the program in 

 most of the Public Schools of Brooklyn. We could hardly 



