HISTORY OF NATURE-STUDY 9 



was a strong Pestalozzian influence in this institu- 

 tion, under the leadership of the late Dr. 

 Sheldon. Professor H. H. Straight went to 

 Oswego in 1876. He had come under the 

 influence of Agassiz and Shaler. He was a 

 student of science, but his views of science 

 teaching in the elementary school underwent 

 gradual but decided change, under the Pestalozzian 

 influence in which he was placed. He saw 

 the insufficiency of "object teaching" as an edu- 

 cational process. The defects he sought to over- 

 come by " correlation of the subjects of study." 

 As director of the practice school, he worked out 

 his ideas of correlation in " nature " subjects and 

 geography subjects. His work included the study 

 of the common things in the neighborhood. In 

 1883 Professor Straight went to the Cook County 

 (Ills.) Normal School and taught there until 

 his death, in 1886. He had great influence in 

 developing the ideals of this institution, and was 

 given credit therefor by Colonel Parker, the 

 distinguished head of the school. So far as I 

 know, however, Professor Straight did not use the 

 term " nature-study." 



The introduction of elementary science as an 

 organic part of school work, ranking with arith- 

 metic and grammar, was made in the Cook 

 County (Ills.) Normal School as early as 1889, 

 under the presidency of Francis W. Parker. 

 This introduction was made by Wilbur S. 

 Jackman, whose teaching and writing in nature- 

 study lines are well known. In 1884 Mr. 



