90 



early moniini;" ]ierio(l, and fcnir fc^r tlie second period. Each 

 group met witli a different teacher for four consecutive Saturdays, 

 h^ach teacher represented a subject, for exani])le, greenhouse, out- 

 door work, classroom experiments, and cluliroom investigation. 

 In order that each teacher's work should not stand out as a 

 separate entity, hut ap])car as a ])art of the whole, a common 

 theme was chosen, namelw nature's ])lans for winter. 



This grou]) ])lan has worked well and was much enjoyed by 

 tlie children. At the end of four weeks a (juestionnaire was given 

 in order to hud out the children's reaction to the ])lan. (Ine hun- 

 dred children received this ([Ucstioiuiaire. ^"otniger children were 

 not asked to fill it out for various reasons. The result was as 

 follows : 



60 per cent, of the chiklrcn enjoyed most tlieir gTecnhousc work. 

 20 per cent, preferred classroom experiments. 

 II per cent, voted for ontdoor study. 



per cent, liked best the work in connection with tlie chibrooni and the 

 reference hooks kept in that room. 



Children's Outdoor Garden 



One hundred seventy-six children \\ere in the outdoor garden. 

 On account of the season's drottglit, it was a very ])oor season for 

 work, and the lack of fertilil\' in our soil was ])lainl\' demonstrated, 

 so that toward the end of the siuumer, the gardens were gi\-cn 

 U]), manure ]:ilowed in, and winter rye ])lanted. 



Because of the poor season more work than tisual \vas done 

 on allied garden subjects, such as insect ])ests, anim.al study, etc. 

 Terraria of woody plants and mosses were set up, the grounds 

 stiulied, and a specirtl feat tire made of the Shakespeare (lardcn. 

 In midsummer an exhibit was set U]) in tlie house of all the dif- 

 ferent ])hases of this work. It was entirel\- an exhil)it of the 

 children's own ])lanning and consisted of collections, models, in- 

 sect mounts, and intensive sttidy of s])ecial feattires, stich as the 

 Shakes])eare (iarden and perenm'al border. 



The ISoys Cu]) for i()2() was presented bv the Garden Teachers 

 Association to J,olm_pegcn, and the Girls Gu]) ])resented l)y Mrs. 

 Glentwcjrtb ]\. lUitler to Mary McPikc of Barnard College. 

 Silver and bronze luedals were L'i\en as usual. 



