IV 



THE INTEGUMENT-MAN 



I WROTE a nature-Study leaflet on " How a 

 Squash Plant Gets Out of the Seed/' A botanist 

 wrote me that it were a pity to place such an 

 error of statement before the child : it should 

 have read, " How the Squash Plant Gets Out of 

 the Integument/' 



Of course my friend was correct : the squash 

 plant gets out of an integument. But I was 

 anxious to teach the essence of the squash plant's 

 behavior, not a mere verbal fact — and what child 

 was ever interested in an integument ? 



It is the old question over again — the question 

 of the point of view and what one is driving at. 

 The method of presentation must first be adapted 

 to the person to be instructed, else the instruction 

 will be of little consequence. A person may be 

 so intent on mere literal accuracy that he 

 overlooks the matters that are really important and 

 even vital. 



It is the fear of the Integument-Man that keeps 

 many a good teacher from teaching nature-study. 

 He is afraid that he will make a mistake in 

 statements of mere fact. Now, the person who 

 is afraid of making a mistake is the very person 

 to trust, because he will be careful. Of course 

 he will make mistakes — every one does who really 



(37) 



