422 ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



gation of the race so as to eliminate inherent weakness, 

 both physical and mental; of how, in other words, to 

 produce and preserve a super man, in the true sense, to 

 deal with super power for human weal. 



The moral element enters here, for morals and health 

 are closely related at many points. But in all our teach- 

 ing let us emphasize the doing of the things that need to 

 be done rather than the don'ts with their vicious suggest- 

 iveness and their appeal to the daring of youth. The 

 common, everyday conditions of living seem here to de- 

 mand a new stating in terms of what biology has taught 

 us. This applies to both the moral and the health as- 

 pects of our problem. 



It seems needless to enumerate here all the elements 

 which center around this particular phase of science 

 teaching. They are well known to us all. What we should 

 strive for is to give to our pupils a consciousness of real 

 objectives to be attained if they are to live their lives to 

 the greatest advantage for themselves and for posterity. 

 Where we have been failing in this particular is in not 

 making any clear and definite use of what science has al- 

 ready taught us. To quote from the same source as 

 above : ' ' Hardly a trace of this scientific knowledge has 

 been applied, positively or negatively, to the betterment 

 of the human stock. How long a scientific civilization, 

 making ever increasing demands upon the ability of the 

 people, can be maintained under such conditions is be- 

 coming a pressing issue." 



That is another way of saying that it is the mission of 

 the school, as far as the teaching of science is concerned, 

 not only to instruct youth in the principles of biology and 

 physics, but to introduce them, as far as possible, to the 

 practical applications of these principles in the home, 

 in the community, in business and in industry. And 

 the more nearly such scientific attitudes become habitual 

 the more successful will be our teaching. Sanderson of 

 Oundel had the right idea when he set out to teach his 

 boys science by attacking the problems of daily life in 

 his school community. As a result, and also as an acid 

 test of the sanity of his method, when the world war 

 came on, his boys thus trained were able at once to as- 



