, rHY ] CHILD STUD Y IX X.l Tt WE-ST&J) Y 151 



tion, "'Is there any air in the tumbler " They would admit that 

 there was air in the tumbler only when it was held mouth down. 

 Holding the tumbler, mouth down, the teacher fitted the cork 

 with it^ funnel and tubes to the mouth of the tumbler. He showed 

 them that it was tight, and if anything was in there is could not 

 get out. He then held the tumbler mouth upward, allowing the 

 delivery tube to pass over into the jar of water. The children 

 admitted now that there was air in that tumbler. He poured 

 some water into the funnel and the children noticed and exclaimed, 

 that there were air bubbles coining up from the water in the jar! 



A test-tube filled with water and inverted was held under the 

 water over the mouth of the delivery tube in the glass jar. and 

 the children saw that the water disappeared from the test-tube 

 and went down into the jar. When the teacher poured some 

 more water in the funnel they noticed that the bubbles would 

 come up and the water left the test-tube. The children noticed 

 that water poured through the funnel into the tumbler was rilling 

 up the tumbler and as they said was pushing the air nut of the 

 tumbler through the delivery tube into the test-tube. He then 

 commenced the experiment again. Holding the tumbler mouth 

 downward, he fitted the cork (calling their attention to the fact 

 particularly and went through the same process of pouring the 

 water through the funnel and they saw the bubbles rise in the jar 

 and force the v. ater out of the delivery tube into the test-tube, 

 and, in fact, saw the effects as they did in the previous exhibit. 

 They were no longer able to find any objection to what the\ 

 and admitted that there must have been air in the tumbler when 

 it was held mouth upward. And again, he commenced by hand- 

 ling the tumbler in any way. and fitted the cork, and went through 

 the same processes and they saw the same effects. 



We repeated this in the fourth and fifth grades. The fourth 

 grade children fought a little harder over their opinions, but 

 finally agreed that there must be air in the tumbler held in any 

 position. They further agreed that a hole in the ground ten feet 

 deep would contain air. When further questioned, they admitted 

 that all animals needed air in order to live and that those animals 

 that live in the ground must have air, and. therefore, that air must 

 get to them through the cracks and holes in the ground. 



The children of the fifth grade more readily admitted the 

 results of the experiment. They were questioned as to why a 



