SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS 155 



BOTANY. 



LABORATORY AND FIELD COURSE, ib. (First Semester.) 



(In use SepL, 1912) 



Topics. Suggested Subtopics. 



Fall flowers Princioal types of common wild and garden flowers, 



especially the composit^e. Insect pollination. 



Leaves Work of leaves. Light relation of leaves. 



Identification of trees by their leaves. 



\^eeds Types of weeds and their characteristics. 



The struggle for possession. Collection of common 

 weeds. 



Seeds and fruits Types of seeds and fruits; methods of distribution. 



Collecting seeds; planting tree seeds. 

 Preparation of plants for winter. Trees, perennials, biennials and annuals considered in 



this relation. Bulb culture. 



Forestry Identification of trees in winter conditions. 



Planting and caring for trees; forestry. Enemies of 

 trees. ^ 



Algsc The cell ; plasmolysis. 



Types of algae showing development of plant body. 

 Types of reproduction; establishing home aquaria. 



Fungi Life history of a fungus. 



Types of fungi from an economic standpoint. Bac- 

 teria. 



Liverwort, moss, fern, pine Evolution of the plant body. 



Spore reproduction; the seed. 

 I a. (Second Semester.) 



Seeds and seedlings Germination; the seedling. Respiration; response to 



stimuli. 

 Seed testing; food storage; uses to man. 



Roots Types, modifications. 



Food storage; uses of roots to man. 

 Functions of roots: soils and fertilizers. 



Stems Types, structure and modification. Work of steme; 



u»ee to man. 

 Woods; identification and collection. 



Leaves Structure, modifications. Work of leaves; economic 



uses. 

 Gardening, window and outdoor. Planting rules, planning garden and homeyard. 



Garden accessories, hot beds, cold frames, etc. 

 Types of garden plants: propagation of plants, cut- 

 tings, grafts, offsets, etc 



The flower Structure and function by means of a typical flower. 



Local flora Types of flowers, flower families. 



\\ lid flower collection, flower calendar. 

 L'se of keys; how to make an herbarium. 



fall flowers, preparation of plants for winter, forestry, gardening, 

 local flora, etc. 



Another very interesting and significant feature is the com- 

 parative flexibility of the two courses. In the old course the 

 amount of time to be given to each subject is stated in hours. 

 No such Statement is to be found in the new course. The types 

 in the old course are all stated positively, while in the new course 

 the heading reads "suggested subtopics." Again, in the statement 

 accompanying the new course, the teacher is given entire liberty 

 with respect to the order in which the topics shall be taken up. 

 The first course is arbitrary and inelastic. The new course is 

 flexible and easily adjusted to any teacher's special needs. 



The trend has been away from a strictly scientific development 

 of botany which did not recognize the pupil and his interests to 

 a flexible course, where the purely scientific development of the 

 subject has been subordinated to the development of the pupil's 

 interest in botany. The scientific aspects are not lost by any 

 means, but they are not the sole thing now. 



