208 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [5:8— nov.. 1909 



JV. Erosion — Mud swept from streets by heavy rains. Tur- 

 bid little streams, leading to knowledge of greater streams. What 

 becomes of the soil? 



V. Frost — bursts pitcher or glass — why? The water-soaked 

 stone. The shelling of the Obelisk in Central Park — why? The 

 "carving power" of rain and frost. The deposits of soil, etc., in 

 the lowlands fertile valleys, etc. The geographical location of 

 certain treasures ; the adaptation of certain climates to the suc- 

 cessful transplanting of certain plants from their original homes — 

 staples like coffee, sugar, tea, cotton, grains, fruits, etc. The 

 resulting effects on man's comfort, the wealth of nations ; agricul- 

 ture, manufacturing, commerce. 



Suggestions for Improving the Course 



(1) Divide the present work in each grade into : I. Required ; 

 II. Optional. Under I, inchide a few important topics — 

 examples of which could readily be obtained and which have some 

 point of contact with the children's lives and interests. Under 

 II— place the extra work. 



Under I, for example, teach cat, dog, canary, common fruits, 

 vegetables, flowers, etc. Under II, rabbit, squirrel, etc. This 

 may be open to criticism to be sure, but at least it possesses this 

 advantage that all pupils will receive some definite training, 

 while the enthusiastic teacher would find ample scope for addi- 

 tional work under II. 



(2) Omit, in all cases, birds, flowers, etc., which are, com- 

 paratively speaking, rare. The course almost covers this at 

 present. In the Introductory note we find, "The common rather 

 than the rare," but in congested districts, many seemingly com- 

 mon things are almost unknown. 



(3) Omit classification of animals in Grade 5A. Children 

 lack sufficient knowledge to serve as a basis. 



(4) Carry work through 6th year. 



(5) The topics selected for study should be definitely stated 

 for each grade, i. e., the topics to be studied as types. I include 

 this, because it was included in so many of the reports received. 



(6) Study the sky for its beauty — make more of clouds, cloud 

 forms, storms, etc. More attention on the whole, to the so-called 

 inorganic nature-study. 



