26 NATURE STUDY BY GRADES 



Spirit of the School. School work in the primary grades, 

 and particularly in the first year, should not be very formal. 

 A proper familiarity among pupils, and between them and 

 the teacher, should be established, similar to the feeling in 

 a well-ordered home, that the greatest freedom for school 

 work may be given. No unnecessary restraint should im- 

 pede *the flow of school activity, or prevent the best thought 

 work or hand work of which the pupils are capable. 



In the lesson outlines which follow, the question method 

 predominates, and savors, perhaps, of formality. But this 

 method of presenting the thoughts is used only for the sake 

 of brevity, and to impress the teacher with the necessity of 

 appealing constantly to the child's experiences and observa- 

 tions. This appeal is the best, if not the only, way to organ- 

 ize, stimulate, extend, and give meaning to the child's expe- 

 riences and observations, i.e. to educate him. 



If the same thoughts can be brought out in the form of a 

 story, instead of by questions, and in such a way as to in- 

 volve the aid and experience of the child, the story form will 

 be better than the question method, since stories appeal so 

 strongly to the young. A combination of both methods, how- 

 ever, may be as good for the child and easier for the teacher. 



Sample Lessons. To illustrate how the following out- 

 lines may be used as a basis of a lesson story, two samples 

 of such lessons are given here in full. 



I. THE CAT 

 (See Lesson XXH, First Grade.) 



Points to be brought out. Its use ; its teeth, claws, eyes, 

 foot pads, "whiskers," and their adaptation to the needs of 

 the cat; its covering; its voice; its methods of defense; 



