„owMN<;j NATURE-STUDY COURSE 193 



achievement. Distraction of thought may easily result from 

 obtrusive sense impressions. This danger may be eliminated 

 however, and the training in observation be given its most valuable 

 form if, — and here is enunciated the second principle — we select 

 subject-matter , in the higher grades, that readily leads itself to 

 problem form, thus compelling the child to observe for a purpose. 

 This insures concentration and gives a practical turn to the train- 

 ing, for it is thus that we apply our sense training in e very-day 

 affairs to the solution of the difficulties that confront us. 



Our second general aim was stated to be a drill in the complete 

 thought process. It behooves us in the formulation of any new 

 course of study to carefully inspect the old. The classical course 

 was weakest where nature-study claims exceptional strength. 

 Still constant attention to inflections, terminations, accents, etc., 

 certainly made eye and ear alert in a measure, and there can be 

 no doubt of the prime value of the classical course in intellectual 

 and moral training, for the pedagogical skill of centuries is con- 

 centrated in this course. The ennobling thought, the holy am- 

 bitions, the high ideals, the mighty deeds of two unrivalled 

 civilizations are encompassed in it. 



The classical course has dependent continuity, increasing com- 

 plexity, corresponding to the increasing capacity of the student, 

 and a consequent unity; all of which are essential characters 

 in any course that pretends to develop intellectual power. The 

 first lesson in Latin consists of a few rules of grammar, a small vo- 

 cabulary. The second adds more of each, built upon the founda- 

 tion of the first. So each lesson, each term's work presupposes a 

 knowledge of all that preceded. One might not think of enter- 

 ing a Virgil class without the preparatory work. But the average 

 high-school and even college course in science has been and still, 

 too often, is characterized by an entire lack of such dependent 

 continuity. It consists of a term or two of work in physical 

 geography, physics, chemistry, botany, physiology, zoology, 

 geology, and perhaps a few other "ologies" that are taught as 

 independent subjects. A pupil may enter any class without 

 question as to his successful completion of preliminary subjects 

 and the studies are taught so as to permit of their successful 

 completion without demanding proficiency in the logical pre- 

 requisites. As a result science has been stigmatized as ineffi- 

 cient for educational purposes when the weakness lies in the man- 



