REPORT OF THE CURATOR OF ELEMENTARY 

 INSTRUCTION FOR 1927 



Dr. C. Stuart Gager, Director. 



Sir: I hereby present the fifteenth annual report from the De- 

 partment of Elementary Instruction. 



Garden Classes 



The registration in our regular classes has increased from 3,792 

 in 1926 to 4,405 for 1927, with an attendance of 38,196 this >' ear 

 against 23,909 of last year. These classes include adult classes 

 in greenhouse work, nature study, and garden practice ; children's 

 I ..,,. I.rlrl ,n Saturday morning dii.ni! :\u '• 1 .,,«-1 sen and 

 every week day during the summer vacation time ; visiting classes ; 

 and classes for periods of five weeks' duration. Some of our local 

 public and private schools for a number of years have requested 

 such short courses during school hours. These requests have 

 been increased this year, encroaching somewhat upon time given to 

 the visiting classes; but the educational value of the short course 

 against the single visiting-class-period, would seem far greater. 

 A group of seventh year students from the Brooklyn Ethical Cul- 

 ture School has come once a week for the entire year. This class 

 is doing intensive work in nature study. Two classes of senior 

 students from the Maxwell Training School for Teachers, in 

 nature study, an elective course, have been with us once a week 

 for the school term. 



A request, similar to the one made last year by Public School 

 48, Brooklyn, was entered by Public School 36, Brooklyn (Mr. 

 Mark Barth, Principal and Miss Johanna Becker, Head of De- 

 partment) that we help with the following educational problem: 

 300 children and their teachers of the fifth year, representing 

 seven classes, assembled for one period of fifty minutes in the 

 school auditorium to receive instruction in nature study. The 

 Curator went every other week (eight times, in all), alternating 

 with the school Head of Department. The plan of work was 

 based on the city syllabus for nature study. The enthusiasm of 

 the children made work easy and results possible. 



