educational considerations. The work should be given in such a 

 way as to : 



1. Develop in pupils initiative and the power to think in- 

 dependently. 



2. (iuide pupils that their thoughts and acts are truly 

 social and not narrowly selfish. 



3. Develop the spirit of cooperation. 



4. Lead pupils to have the problem-solving attitude. 



The project method is one that is particularly well adapted to 

 the realization of the aim stated for the following reasons : 



1. It offers opportunity for individual purposing and plan- 

 ning. 



2. It enlists, at the outset, the pupil's interest in the thing 

 to be done, or act to be performed. 



3. It gives opportunity for, and in many cases requires co- 

 operation ; it involves the opposite of the "stay at your 

 bench and do as you are told" method. 



4. The method is pedagogically superior to the exercise 

 method of shop instruction in that the psychological 

 rather than the so-called logical order (as conceived 

 by trained adult minds), is followed. 



5. It emphasizes immediate as distinguished from deferred 

 values. To put it tersely: it involves a minimum of 

 "cold storage" process. 



The project method in farm shop work is analagous to the 

 same method in technical agriculture. It requires the pupil, under 

 guidance, to take the initiative in purposing a given piece of work 

 that he later plans and executes. The pupil keeps records of time 

 and material and seeks to develop general truths from the specific 

 work undertaken. 



Projects in farm shop work cannot be as large in terms of time 

 or labor required as can projects in a major enterprise in farming, 

 such as crop or animal production. They must be limited to the 

 time allowed for such work in the general plan of agricultural edu- 

 cation. 



Organization of the Project Basis. If instruction is to be given 

 in the kind- of work successful farmers do, as revealed in this 



71 



