l8 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [i, i, jan. 1905 



I fail to see any sound foundation for distinction between 

 nature-study and natural science except on the basis of general- 

 izations, as above discussed. With regard to methods of study, 

 it is generally agreed that in nature-study, as in natural science of 

 the high schools and college, actual study of the natural objects 

 and processes is the one sure basis for the teaching. Of course, 

 there must be some limitations of the scientific method as applied 

 to nature-study ; but, as will be pointed out later, these are of 

 minor significance. And with regard to materials for study, it 

 must be obvious that this offers no good ground for attempting 

 to draw general boundary lines. 



In conclusion, it should be said that the above emphasis upon 

 organization and generalizations as the fundamental distinction 

 between nature-study and natural science must not be misunder- 

 stood as meaning that the writer is taking a stand for unsys- 

 tematic nature-study, or for nature-study which is utterly un- 

 scientific. On the contrary, it seems certain that a very complete 

 organization of the studies in the schools must soon be made in 

 order to make nature-study most efficient in education. But such 

 educational organization is quite independent of scientific or- 

 ganization upon which modern sciences are founded. Systema- 

 tized nature-study may well pave the way for true science study, 

 but this is an incidental result. 



PHYSICAL NATURE-STUDY 



BY JOHN F. WOODHULL 

 Teachers College, Columbia University 



No one supposes that nature comprises only plants and ani- 

 mals, yet the term nature-study has been quite generally used in 

 that exclusive sense. It is certain that botanical and zoological 

 nature-study are much more common than physical nature-study. 

 The reason for this probably lies not in the nature of the subject 

 nor in the nature of children, but rather in the fact that persons 

 interested in botany and zoology have been more zealous than the 

 teachers of physics and chemistry in the performance of their 

 duty toward the elementary-school pupils. 



Certain it is that children are greatly interested in mechanical 

 toys, in wind-mills, water-wheels, air-guns, sail-boats, steam-en- 



