PREFACE 



The immediate aim of OUR SURROUNDINGS is to place the 

 pupil in tune with the common things about him, giving him 

 an understanding and appreciation of, and an interest in, his 

 environment. 



OUR SURROUNDINGS draws upon many sciences to bring about 

 this contact and understanding. With the help of these sciences 

 it opens the door through which the pupil sees the true importance 

 of the familiar and common things about him. It does more. 

 It fires the pupil's interest, awakening the desire to go farther 

 afield and to explore in more detail the territory of some par- 

 ticular science. It gives the preliminary view and contact that 

 make possible an intelligent choice of the sciences for more 

 extensive and intensive study in later school years. 



In this connection the Fifth Year Book of the Department of 

 Superintendence of the National Education Association says: 

 "It is difficult to understand how many pupils in the junior high 

 school can be guided intelligently in their choice of differentiated 

 curriculums unless the field of science is revealed to them and 

 their aptitudes are determined for the science electives." 



General Science, as a subject, has developed during the last 

 twenty years. It has largely been introduced into the ninth year. 

 Undoubtedly it is destined to become a major course for the three 

 years of the junior high school. Of such a course the Fifth Year 

 Book says : "... the dominating idea for. the seventh year may 

 well be the study of plant and animal life, going somewhat beyond 

 mere observational nature study, as is appropriate in view of the 

 increased maturity of the pupils. For the eighth year the deter- 

 mining theme might well be health, comprising in the subject- 

 matter of instruction the manifold topics relating directly or 

 indirectly to the maintenance and upbuilding of individual and 

 community health. For the ninth year, the dominating theme 

 might be man's control of his environment, including in the subject- 

 matter of instruction studies of the sources of material and energy, 

 and the transformations and uses of both." 



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