294 BIOLOGIC TEACHING OF SEX 



topics are of use mainly to lead the way to a consideration of 

 the social relations of the sexes, and to show the need of applied 

 hygiene. Courtship, marriage, home-keeping, dress, women's 

 work, and the rights of children are touched upon. This last, 

 the rights and education of the child, is, obviously, the one topic 

 which makes the course of interest to a "Society for the Pre- 

 vention of Infant Mortality/' For, although we do not say 

 much in regard to the dressing and feeding of babies, we do 

 teach certain things of primary importance to their well-being, 

 namely, the choice of fit fathers, the making of good and glad 

 mothers, and the training of civic-minded teachers. In this con- 

 nection methods of instructing children in the fundaments of sex 

 life are suggested. We advocate, first of of all, telling a few 

 of the facts of reproduction at a very early age the earlier the 

 better; certainly as soon as the child asks concerning the mys- 

 tery of mysteries. And those children who never ask, we advise 

 to be so environed (and here the school can play an important 

 part) that they will be stimulated to ask, or seeing for them- 

 selves, will not need to ask. In any event, we hold that modern 

 parents have as one of the chief duties the giving of such in- 

 struction ; and that if up-to-date, functioning parents be lacking, 

 the child has a right to demand teachers who will "make good." 

 Nature study in the schools offers a wonderful opportunity for 

 instruction in sex, and vacation outings and recreation studies 

 may be utilized easily and naturally. Parents and teachers need 

 only be frank and willing to learn with the child. There is no 

 reason why 5 and 6 year old children should not have charge, 

 either at home or in the school, of pets, or some domestic animals 

 which breed readily, such as rabbits, chickens, guinea pigs and 

 canaries. Observational hives of bees are a source of great in- 

 terest and information to the children in the fifth or sixth grades. 

 The egg laying and the care of the young can be directly seen, 

 and the marriage flight of the queen and the method of internal 

 fertilization can be discussed in a perfectly impersonal way. 

 Much other work of a similar nature is suggested to the stu- 

 dents in special physiology, not forgetting, of course, the work 

 with plants. Plant raising and breeding are urged, and lessons 

 on heredity therewith emphasized. Much of such material can 

 be utilized for composition work through the grades, even though 

 regular nature study is not installed ; in fact there is scarcely any 

 material that the composition teacher can use which calls out so 

 much original work, is so stimulating to interest and so easily 

 checked as this. Our own Normal students have good prep- 

 aration for conducting such work, if they have had the courses 

 offered in nature study and the biological sciences. It goes with- 

 out saying that all this work should be presented without excuse 



