12 THE NATURE-STUDY IDEA 



exhibition of the results was made. The work 

 secured such a good hold that the committee was 

 finally discontinued. In the same year the sub- 

 ject was taught in the institutes, held each fall 

 and spring throughout the State under the 

 auspices of the State Board of Education, and then 

 for ten years Mr. Boyden taught and lectured 

 in these institutes from one end of the State to 

 the other. Printed outlines and illustrated lessons 

 were given. In 1889, also, a department of 

 nature-study was established in the summer school 

 at Cottage City, and Mr. Boyden carried it on 

 till 1 90 1. The definite beginning of the 

 movement, as such, in Massachusetts seems to 

 have been in 1889. At first the work was 

 called "elementary science,'' but this seemed 

 to be inappropriate, and "nature-study" was 

 suggested. This term seemed to be a good 

 equivalent of the German "Naturkunde'' — nature 

 knowledge. On all programmes it was thus printed 

 and quickly secured standing. Shortly after the 

 movement began, the "Conference of Educational 

 Workers'' was established. One of the commit- 

 tees had charge of nature-study and met monthly 

 in Boston. Mr. G. H. Martin, Agent of the 

 Board of Education, was chairman, and Mr. 

 Boyden was secretary. They worked out courses 

 of study for distribution, and one year they had 

 a large exhibit from the whole State of the results 

 of the work. These exhibits were common in 

 cities between 1890 and 1895. 



About 1889 the term nature-study was used 



