l6o HOW NATURE STUDY SHOULD BE TAUGHT 



My aim is to give the pupils something which is related to 

 their own lives and the lives of others, and thus make them 

 more useful men and women in after years. 



Since I have changed my plan of teaching botany from 

 that of knowledge for the sake of knowledge, to knowledge 

 for the purpose of becoming better and more useful in the 

 world, I find that the pupils have a new interest in the sub- 

 ject. It is a subject now with meaning and purpose, closely 

 related to the lives of the pupils. Formerly, it was a subject 

 to be memorized for the sole purpose of passing the examina- 

 tion. 



I have not worked out my ideas fully in our course as yet, 

 but have progressed far enough to satisfy myself that it is 

 better than the old. 



Assuring you that I appreciate your interest in our work, 

 and hoping to hear from you again, I am, with kindest 

 regards, 



Very respectfully, 



V. A. Suydam, 

 Principal Public Schools, Ripon, Wis. 



I like this method of avoiding repetition, but to 

 accomplish the object it is not necessary to avoid 

 using the same subject. Some one has said in 

 substance that truth is like an ocean, in which a 

 child may play or an elephant easily get drowned. 

 It is all in the manner of using it. 



The director of the zoological department of 

 one of our leading universities, once had a student 

 who said of a requirement for the dissection of a 

 grasshopper, " I don't want to do that. I had 

 that in the kindergarten ! " That is what one may 

 call dilute science in the place of nature stu^y. 



