18 SCHOOL COURSES. 



COUBSE I. For pupils of ages seven to eight. 



I. PLANT STUDIES : 



Make the children familiar with from fifteen to twenty 

 Flowers which grow wild in their neighbourhood. At each 

 lesson on the flower, the children to learn its name, to 

 write its name out, to decide its colour, if scented to note 

 this, to remark on its shape, and to say if they have ever 

 seen bees, flies, or other insects visit it. The teacher to 

 draw and colour the flower. The teacher must exercise 

 judgment in the selection of flowers for these lessons, and 

 in particular plants of the order Compositae should be 

 avoided at this stage, as also any showing peculiarities of 

 structure. Some examples may be given : 



Snowdrop, Wood Anemone, Periwinkle, Marsh Marigold, 

 Primrose, Sweet Yiolet, Hawthorn, Germander Speedwell, 

 Dog Eose, Harebell, Eagged Eobin, Forget-me-not, Butter- 

 cup, Wild Hyacinth, Queen of the Meadow, Wood Sorrel, 

 Silverweed, Apple Blossom, Poppy, Meadow Crane's Bill. 



In the course of the year the children to become familiar 

 with the fact that, besides Flowers, plants have Seeds, 

 Leaves, Stems, Eoots. The teacher must in these lessons 

 educe by showing relations that 



(a) The flower yields the seed and fades away. 



(6) The leaves are flattened parts spread out to the 

 light ; they make food for the plant, getting it in the air 

 when the light is shining on them. 



(c) The stem is a part to hold up the leaves to the sun- 

 light and also to support the flowers. 



(d) The root takes food from the earth ; water is neces- 

 sary for this. 



Simple experiments might be devised to show that light 

 and moisture are necessary for plant life. For pupils at 

 this stage these must be of the simplest possible nature. 



