2 1 8 Graphic Methods in Teaching. [26 



eccentric line seems to possess an absorbing interest to 

 both young and old and it was often found more difficult 

 to prevent the Club members . from making too many 

 diagrams than to induce them to make one. Many mem- 

 bers sent in reports month after month, though one only 

 was required each year, and several members made reports 

 every month for over two years, so greatly interested were 

 they in the work. 



The making of such graphic records of nature has, be- 

 sides these advantages by way of discipline, another and 

 most important advantage. Such records as these are 

 both descriptive and comparative. Miss Stone's record 

 shows that in Kansas City in February the temperature 

 advanced through the month. This accords with a well- 

 known fact in nature that with the lengthening days the 

 average temperature rises. In this way the record is 

 interesting, as it accords with the result of many previous 

 observations made by trained observers in the Signal Ser- 

 vice. In fact, our young student is herself a scientific 

 observer and in a certain way this work has inspired her 

 with the scientific spirit. Miss Higgins' record is quite as 

 interesting, as it shows a more even temperature, result- 

 ing, in part, from her nearness to the sea and in part from 

 a relatively more equable month. In like manner the 

 nearness to the sea and the more rainy month has made 

 her diagram of the clouds more eccentric. These compar- 

 isons between the two diagrams could not of course be 

 made by the pupils, as each saw only her own. There 

 is, however, in each diagram something to be learned by 

 the pupil by a comparison of the three records, and this 

 feature of these graphic records was shown to the pupils by 

 means of the required books of instruction. 



Taking Miss Higgins' record let us see how the child 

 may be taught to make comparative observations. On 

 the fourth day she records a high temperature with a south, 

 south-west wind. Again, on the nth, there is a high 



