Summary of a Study of Instruction in Agri- 

 culture in Rural Elementary Schools^ 



B. M. Davis, 

 Miami University. 



As member of the Committee on ''Course of Study in Agri- 

 culture for Rural Elementary and Secondary Schools" appointed 

 by the Department of Rural and Agricultural Education of the 

 National Education Association, I undertook to prepare that 

 part of the report relating to elementary schools. 



An examination of the literature of the subject left me much 

 in doubt as to what would best serve the average school under 

 average conditions. Many of the published courses of study 

 examined were apparently based upon what was considered de- 

 sirable rather than upon what might be reasonably expected. 

 Several questions arose that seemed important to answer before 

 much progress could be made toward outlining a course of 

 study, and to which no satisfactory answers could be found in 

 the various publications consulted. I therefore decided to go to 

 the original sources — to the teachers themselves, who were hav- 

 ing successful experience in teaching agriculture in the rural 

 schools, and to others who were especially interested in the 

 problems of rural education. 



Through correspondence with state and county departments 

 of education, with agricultural colleges and state normal schools, 

 and from other sources a selected list of about eight hundred 

 names was obtained. From this list five hundred were chosen, 

 according to geographical location, and to each the following 

 questionaire was sent: 



1. Do you regard it desirable to cover the whole subject of agriculture 

 in an elementary way with pupils below high school? 



2. Or do you regard the plan of selecting certain units or topics such 

 as corn, milk, poultry, plant enemies, etc., more desirable. 



3. Give list of topics or units that you have found or regard as most 

 successful. 



4. Is home-made or school-made apparatus used? If so, give examples 

 of some used to best advantage. 



5. To what extent has outdoor field work been used successfully? 

 State nature of the work (subjects), and approximately the amount of 

 time spent. 



lAddress of President, Annual Meeting of American Nature-Study Society, De- 

 cember 30, 1912. 



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