INTRODUCTION. 



The teaching of Science in the grades has been 

 attempted many times and in various ways, with- dif- 

 ferent degrees of success. Several of the difficulties 

 have arisen from the fact that only a narrow field of 

 science has been presented and that field has usually 

 been too highly specialized. The temptation to elab- 

 orate a single course produces a result, which while 

 complex with details, remains narrow in its field. The 

 child requires the simpler parts of all the branches of 

 science. 



All children of the grades have many common 

 experiences. The youngest child bathes, eats, turns 

 on the electric lights, uses an electric car and experi- 

 ences all of the changes in the weather alike with the 

 eldest child. To confine the younger child to a study 

 of any one thing or group of things, is to deprive him 

 of natural opportunities of learning. The beginnings 

 of all branches of science should be given in order that 

 the child may, as soon as possible, obtain a bird's-eye 

 view of the field of general knowledge. He then can 

 see the interrelations of the different facts and begin 

 really to think and to reason. 



The science which is the most valuable to the 

 child is that which explains the phenomena of the en- 

 vironment the science of common things the sci- 

 ence of evervlay life. Therefore science, even in the 

 grades, shouH deal with its common and simpler appli- 

 cations. Science will lose none of its cultural value 

 but will become a living- thing. 



