NATURE-STUDY IN RURAL SCHOOLS 



By E C. BISHOP 

 State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Lincoln, Nebr. 



The teaching of nature-study in rural communities often 

 results in failure because of the difference of view-point on the 

 part of the teacher and that of the pupils and parents. Too 

 many parents and pupils have thought that nature-study means 

 the collection of old birds' nests, insects and other material for 

 the purpose of giving the children something to do. This faulty 

 idea comes doubtless from the acts of misguided teachers who at- 

 tempt to teach nature-study without knowing well their field of 

 operation. To many good people, the work of nature-study 

 suggests "baby talk" and the wasting of good time in gathering 

 materials and talking about matters of interest to children's 

 minds only. Nature-study is as large as the combined sciences. 

 In order to get away from the prejudices against nature-study 

 which have come from wrong presentation of the subject, it is 

 necessary, in many communities, to enlist interest in the subject 

 under a different name. So it is with home science and agri- 

 culture in many communities. 



A community which refuses to sanction the establishment of 

 agriculture as a part of the regular course of study in the school 

 will encourage the study of agricultural subjects if introduced in a 

 differenc manner. To cultivate an interest in some phase of the 

 subject is the first step necessary to successful work. With the 

 interest once awakened in some particular line of study it is easy 

 to turn to other phases of the work. 



In Nebraska the object was first to create proper interest in the 

 study of agriculture and subjects related to home life. As an 

 entering wedge, corn was chosen. The movement was not 

 called a study of agriculture, of nature-study or of field crops. 

 In fact, it was not given any name. Announcement was made 

 through the county superintendents that the first 500 boys who 

 sent their names and addresses to the State department of public 

 instruction would each receive 500 kernels of pure Ried's yellow 

 dent seed corn. The letters soon came. When a boy received 

 his envelope containing the 500 kernels of corn he also received 

 instruction to study the best methods of planting and cultivating, 



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