136 THE NATURE-STUDY IDEA 



and are adapted to the conditions. No, if they do 

 not meet these requirements. In other words, I 

 should not choose them merely because they are 

 *^ practical" or ^'useful to man." I should want 

 the child to have a wider horizon and a truer view 

 of nature. The prime requisite is that the child 

 become interested in the being itself, whether that 

 being chance to be '^injurious" or "beneficial." 

 Many of the "useful" and "harmful" things are 

 eminently adapted to nature-study work, however, 

 from the fact that they are common ; but we must 

 be careful not to dwarf the sympathies by purposely 

 confiningour work to those things that have "use. " 



Would you teach objects that the child cannot see 

 and determine for itself ? 



No ! Right here is where much of our nature- 

 study effort shoots wide of the mark. The child 

 should be set at those things that are within its own 

 sphere and within the range of its powers. Much 

 so-called nature-study teaching is merely telling 

 the child what some man has found out. Bacteria, 

 sheep's brains, life-histories of difficult insects, 

 chemical changes in germination, pollination, 

 yeast, fermentation — these and a hundred others 

 are beyond the child's realm. 



How much apparatus do I need? 



Perhaps none; possibly some. The apparatus 

 and the teaching may easily be made too perfect. 

 Any elaborate scheme or equipment is likely to 

 be depressing to those who are less fortunately 

 situated. A laboratory in a teacher's training- 

 school may be so extensive and complete that the 



