METHODS IN NATURE-STUDY 



By ELLIOT R. DOWNING, Ph.D. 

 Northern State Normal School, Marquette, Mich. 



"Enough of science and of art! 

 Close up those barren leaves. 

 Come forth and bring with you 

 A heait that watches and receives." 



Nature-study is not so much a new study in the curriculum as it 

 is a new method in pedagogy. The child comes to school with 

 his own interests, generated by the stimulating contact with his 

 environment, during a series of very impressionable years. He 

 has been living out of doors and the great busy world has been 

 crowding varied experiences upon him. He is filled with wonder 

 and question. All time has been playtime — a fascinating com- 

 panionship with "Nature the dear old nurse." From these very 

 real and delightful experiences the child comes to school, and 

 immediately all preconceived notions of values are discredited. 

 The outside world, so full of delights, is ignored, and the scope of 

 his development is limited by the covers of books. Nature-study 

 attempts to obviate this hiatus in methods. It demands that 

 books shall supplement not supplant experience. 



"Books, 'tis a duU and endless strife, 

 Come, hear the woodland linnet. 

 How sweet his music! On my life, 

 There's more of wisdom in it. 



"And hark! how blithe the throstle sings. 

 He, too, is no mere preacher. 

 Come forth into the light of things. 

 Let nature be your teacher." 



First, then, the teacher must get out with the children into 

 their normal habitat. She must needs renew her interests and 

 rejuvenate her dulled senses. Often she must confess her ignor- 

 ance, for pupils may know more of the objects encountered than 

 the teacher. This is a consideration that deters many a teacher 

 from making a beginning, because she fears to endanger her pres- 

 tige. It will, however, establish much more intimate relations 

 between pupil and teacher if the latter will take this opportunity 

 to let the children instruct her. We have grown so accustomed 



