76 The Nature-Study Exhibition 



creases their vocabularies by teaching them the names of familiar animals, 

 insects, &c., and their habits, food, and environment in fact their life- 

 history, flowers, plants, stones, shells, anything and everything that 

 comes under their notice, are treated as subjects of conversation and 

 object-lessons, &c. , and the teacher is not satisfied until the pupils 

 know all about the object before them, and are able to converse and 

 write about it in an intelligent manner. 



" We lead the children, by taking them out in the open air or by intro- 

 ducing nature into our school-rooms, to notice and converse about the 

 things they see. 



" The nature of our teaching and the necessities of our children tend 

 rather to the use of ordinary everyday language than to scientific or 

 strictly botanical terms. 



"All the specimens exhibited have been collected by the pupils them- 

 selves, who take a great interest in Nature-study. 



" We much prefer to carry on this study out-of-doors with our children, 

 making excursions to different parts for this purpose, but circumstances 

 do not always permit of this end, and so we are often forced to do the 

 next best thing, and bring the materials for Nature-study into our 

 school-rooms. 



" We follow the intuitive method, taking as our lesson the subject in 

 our children's minds at the time. For example, a boy or girl brings a 

 butterfly to school, and, interest being aroused, the butterfly is taken as 

 the subject for the day's lesson in Nature-study. 



"All the lessons are given orally by the teacher and lip-read by the 

 pupils. 



" Lessons are always, if possible, illustrated by a real specimen, 

 pictures being only used when really necessary. 



"Flowers, leaves, &c., are put into the pupils' hands and picked to 

 pieces by them, as each part is touched on in the lesson. Seeds are 

 germinated and plants grown in the class-rooms, so that the pupils may 

 note changes and converse about them. 



" An aquarium has been formed, so that the habits of the inhabitants 

 of a pond may be watched and studied. 



"Earth-worms, caterpillars, beetles, &c. &c., all have their places in 

 the class-room, and form the topic of many a half-hour's discussion and 

 conversation. 



" A note-book is kept in which each and all are expected to put down 

 anything they may notice either in their daily walks to and from school, 

 or on Saturday during any country expeditions they may make from home. 

 Some of these entries are very simple and faulty ; but we find they are 

 helpful in encouraging our pupils to observe their surroundings. 



