2 6 THE NA TUKE-STUD Y RE VIE IV [5 = '-Jan., , 9 o 9 



From a harmless acquiescence in the work of plants the children 

 became positive factors in their production. The work was to 

 function in doing something. The servant, nature-study, then 

 became free and had from that time an existence of its own. 



It was, and is, no longer a servant of science, but has a dis- 

 tinctive aim of its own. Science aims at knowing, nature-study, 

 at doing. Knowing in science is the end, in nature-study, a 

 means. A botanist studies flowers in order to know them, the 

 children study them in order to grow them — and the most valu- 

 able part of the study is in the growing of them. The scientist 

 studies the lever in order to determine the mathematical relation 

 between power and load; the nature-study pupil studies the 

 lever in order to use it and see it working in the construction of 

 buildings, etc. The scientist studies the electro-magnet in order 

 to understand it, the pupil in nature-study, in order to use it. 

 Science seeks the material cause of material effects, nature-study, 

 the production of these effects. 



The studied production of material effects necessitates careful 

 investigation, a close adherence to facts, conclusions freely open 

 to revision — all of which come naturally in the production of the 

 effects. For example, a group of children wish to grow the best 

 possible specimen of a plant. They will learn in the growing of it 

 that the plant requires water — more than that — something of the 

 quantity needed from time to time. They will probably con- 

 clude from their experience that all plants need a like amount of 

 water. This conclusion, while based on experienced facts, may 

 need revision when applied in the growing of some other plants. 

 If so, the revision would be a most valuable one for it brings the 

 children face to face with themselves in a contradiction. Such 

 experiences would help them form the habit of carefully weigh- 

 ing facts, of forming conclusions from all the facts in hand, of 

 willingly changing conclusions — but only in the light of new facts. 

 This form of thinking, this spirit of investigation is native in both 

 science and nature-study, and is scientific. Therefore, while 

 nature-study is not science, it is scientific. 



II. Children should provide material and use it. Nature- 

 study in our schools should furnish children with an opportunity 

 and a desire to do, in which doing the children work with material. 

 It is the function of the teacher to see that the opportunity and 

 desire are furnished, Not only that, but she should see to it that 



