76 ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



carrying over these biological generalizations into life 

 situations. A few such general laws well selected for 

 their social values, well mastered and applied, are of 

 real value. A mass of unorganized biological detail is 

 useless. 



Many of these units should be organized in problem 

 or project form to give drill in accurate methods of 

 scientific thinking, for such ability is more important 

 than the acquisition of knowledge. Some units should 

 be organized with a view to giving an aesthetic apprecia- 

 tion of one's environment, others to give an appreciation 

 of the value of science and of the devoted labors of 

 scientists; some to develop a sense of the lawfulness of 

 nature, and the moral obligation of the student to obey 

 her laws. 



The recent experiments of Cunningham, Cooprider, 

 Anibal, and others have shown that as far as the ac- 

 quisition of knowledge is concerned, the lecture demon- 

 stration is more efficient than the laboratory method of 

 instruction, and much more economical of time and 

 material. Science instruction is neglected in the small 

 High Schools because of the unjustified notion that ex- 

 pensive laboratory equipment is essential. The cost of 

 instruction per pupil in the sciences is well toward the 

 top of the list in high school subjects. The writer is 

 convinced that we waste a large amount of time of stu- 

 dents in muddling around in the laboratory. Teach them 

 by the lecture demonstration method. Reduce labora- 

 tory work to a minimum. Bar the compound miscros- 

 cope from the High School biology course, and replace 

 it with the demonstration projection microscope. Omit 

 all dissections by students; such a dissection is rarely 

 instructive — it is futile hash. Use prepared dissections 

 when structure is to be studied, remembering that such 

 studies are to be made only when structure is essential 

 to a comprehension of activities. Omit from the note- 

 books all detailed sketches and replace them with dia- 

 grammatic drawings. Ayers investigation has shown 

 that such drawings are much more efficient in fixing in 

 mind the essential points. 



