156 7//£ NA TURESTUD Y RE VIE W [5:6— sept.. 1909 



whether it be in the making of a loaf of bread or in the life of a 

 plant. Simple experiments may readily be devised to show 

 capillary action in soil, also the working of acids. 



To illustrate how forces may group themselves around a lesson 

 in nature-study let us take a part of our fall work, the harvesting 

 of our sugar beets. The beets are taken up and the tops cut off 

 an inch or so below the leaves (to avoid minerals which collect 

 there) . The roots are then shredded with graters. This material 

 is placed in a sack and the juice is pressed out. To prevent 

 fermentation, lime is stirred into the liquid. Carbon dioxide is 

 now made and passed through the juice to cause impurities to 

 settle to the bottom. The process is completed by siphoning the 

 juice into another dish by filtering, and by boiling down to sugar. 

 It is not necessary to point out the botanical, physical and chemi- 

 cal phenomena which are studied in the above process. 



After the class method has been well studied, we aim to visit a 

 sugar factory and compare the business man's process with that 

 of the school. 



"To name an object is to control it" in many ways at least, we 

 might add that to name a thing is to give it personality. The 

 name of a new friend is our first interest. Working from this 

 viewpoint, we teach the children the names of our common trees, 

 flowers and weeds. 



In the fall term a weather bureau is organized. The following 

 pieces of apparatus are used; barometer, maximum and mini- 

 mum thermometer, magnetic needle, hygrometer, small windmill, 

 weather vane, centigrade thermometer, and rain guage. Most 

 of the material is made by the boys and girls. After the appara- 

 tus is in place, a letter is written to the State Observer asking for a 

 set of observational blanks and requesting that the daily state 

 weather charts be mailed us. In addition to the readings desired 

 by the State, the children make individual and class charts noting 

 the following: Date, clear or cloudy, kind of clouds, amount of 

 precipitation, air pressure, temperature of atmosphere and soil, 

 dew or frost, direction of wind, size of raindrops, and conditions 

 of plant growth. 



The children elect a weather prophet whose duty is to predict 

 the approaching changes in the weather. The predictions are 

 posted in the schoolroom daily.- By studying the relation be 

 tween clouds, pressure of air, winds, and by observing the State 



