SYiirOSIUM ox SCIENCE AND RECONSTRUCTION 10 



Following the adoption of this resolution, a motion was 

 made and carried, providing for the appointment of a com- 

 mittee of ten, whose dntr it is to attempt to draft an out- 

 line for a suitable content for these two year courses, in 

 fundamental science, which should be required of all high 

 school students. 



One week after this High School Conference meeting, 

 the Xorth Central Association held its meeting in Chicago 

 and among other things, appointed a committee of seven 

 with Dr. E, R. Downing as its chairman, and called the 

 Committee on Reorganization. Later, the following reso- 

 lutions were adopted for the guidance of this committee 

 on reorganization: 



1. Instruction in science for the first two high school 

 years should be such as to put the child in an understand- 

 ing and appreciation of his environment, that he may 

 become a better social being and better citizen. 



2. That this instruction should be such as will con- 

 tribute to the further development of any science he may 

 choose to pursue. 



3. These aims and principles should be incorporated 

 within the material content of the course in general or 

 fundamental science. 



Xow, you may be asking, why I can say that the adop- 

 tion of these two sets of resolutions and the appointment 

 of these two committees means the end of the war over 

 general science. First of all. this is because both of these 

 meetings were pervaded by a splendid spirit of compro- 

 mise and a seeking for common ground, and second be- 

 cause so much common ground was revealed in the discus- 

 sions of the two meetings. 



It is clear now, for example, that general science is not 

 a new science; it is not a different subject matter, neces- 

 sarily ; it is merely a different method. It is a method 

 which seeks to place the emphasis on application, to 

 appeal to a child's native interests, and to present the 

 work in problem form as much as possible. These are 

 things which have been too much neglected in some science 

 teaching. The main common ground, however, which 

 these meetings brought out, is found in the fact that all of 

 us seem to be convinced and united in the belief tlmt the 



