90 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [7:4— Apr., 1911 



tion, organization and coherence of a group of facts about a 

 single topic or problem is now most important. The topic or prob- 

 lem in which interest lies or may be aimed is often one of the 

 home, or school, farm, or neighboring industry. Electrical phen- 

 omena and appliances are universally interesting and may be made 

 universally educative, as well as the elementary principles of 

 machines, heat and cold and their applications, the history, domes- 

 tication and utilization of farm and forest plants and animals, 

 and study of their natural enemies. In short, the elementary sci- 

 ence of home, farm, industry and community are now matters 

 of greatest nature interest. Obviously not many topics may be 

 used in these upper grades, but those used should be studied ex- 

 perimentally and observationally to the end that accuracy and 

 care in study and interpretation may be developed. The particular 

 topic studied should be determined by the local interests and 

 possibilities, but the point of view and ends to be secured are 

 general. 



In this skeletal outline of the bases of organization of the 

 course, it perhaps needs to be said that the dominant feature of 

 each group of pupils has been emphasized, but that all these in- 

 terests are found in some degree in each group. If these are 

 dominant, however, it seems clear that we should recognize them 

 as at least prominent factors in determining procedure in study 

 of nature. They will help greatly to unify and give more definite 

 purpose to our rather diversified practices. 



The teachers of Hamilton, Ohio, who are interested in na- 

 ture-study met at the Central High School assembly room, Mon- 

 day, March 27, for the purpose of taking preliminary steps 

 toward organizing a local branch of the American Nature-Study 

 Society. About twenty-five were present and most of them 

 signified their intention to become members of the Society. The 

 meeting was addressed by B. M. Davis, president of the 

 A.N.-S.S. 



The properly prepared rural teacher is expected to be able 

 to organize the school, to harmonize the board, to socialize the 

 community, to vitalize the course of study, to ruralize the city 

 children, to urbanize the country children, to Americanize the 

 foreigner, to spiritualize the girls, to civilize the boys, to agricul- 

 turalize them all, and to immortalize herself. 

 — Mertis B. Whitaker, 



President III. Country Teachers' Association. 



