PAPERS OX HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE 419 



describing the process of manufacturing, properties, and 

 uses of various commercial articles. Our bulletin board 

 is usually pretty well loaded with newspaper and maga- 

 zine clippings brought in by the pupils. "The Science 

 News-Letter" is a reliable source of material covering 

 the latest development in chemistry as well as in other 

 sciences. Material of the sort mentioned above may be 

 assigned as topics and the presentation of these topics 

 may be followed by a discussion of the principles in- 

 volved. 



Experiments should furnish data and information to 

 be used in recitation. The best results will be obtained 

 when the pupil is seeking an answer because he is inter- 

 ested in doing so. As an illustration take the "Determi- 

 nation of the concentration of a solution by titration". 

 When done according to the directions given in most 

 laboratory manuals the results are discouraging and the 

 pupil loses interest. Let the object of the experiment be 

 stated as "What is the most economical brand of house- 

 hold ammonia to purchase?" and have the pupils bring 

 samples from home. From the standpoint of the pupil 

 there is an entirely different problem — one in which he 

 is vitally interested. Whenever time permits, the pupils 

 should be encouraged to bring in materials to test in vari- 

 ous ways, and the results should be reported to the class. 

 In connection with tests for food adulterations, etc., the 

 results cover a wider range if each pupil brings samples 

 to be tested from home. 



"The practice of topping out a course in chemistry 

 with a large unit of work, either on the individual or the 

 co-operation basis, is suggested." 6 Some weeks before 

 the close of a year's course, the pupils may be given a 

 choice of problems such as wood-products, soils, photog- 

 raphy, etc., and the laboratory periods given over to ex- 

 perimental work on these problems. The pupils may be 

 required to make a report each week to the teacher show- 

 ing the progress made. A pupil usually finds it neces- 

 sary to understand the generalizations of chemistry and 

 to apply these in the development of his project. The 

 results may be exhibited to the public at the close of the 



•Miller "Directed Study" pp. 164, 165. 



