84 . NATURE STUDY REVIEW [10:3— Mar., 1914 



gave the name of the twins, Castor and Pollux. These were two 

 beautiful twin boys who loved each other so much that after they 

 were dead they were placed in the skies where they could always 

 be near each other. Pollux is the brighter of the two and is the 

 more southward in situation. It is a yellow star and supposed to 

 be in the same stage of development as our sun, while Castor is 

 white and, therefore, according to the ages of stars is young. The 

 following question should be answered by the pupils from obser- 

 vation : 



How can you tell the Heavenly Twins from the Little Dog Star 

 and its companion? Which pair are brightest in the sky? Which 

 of the twins is the brightest star? 



For further study of the constellations use "Whittaker' 

 Planisphere"; to find the Stars see "The Friendly Stars" — ^by 

 Martin; for description see "The Hand Book of Nature Study"; 

 Comstock. 



Preparing Normal Students to Teach 

 Children About Birds 



Gilbert H. Trafton 



The Normal School, in pursuance of its function to prepare 

 teachers, should give its students a knowledge of four factors 

 essential to good teaching: first, of the subject matter to be taught; 

 second, of the child; third, of the method by which this subject 

 matter is to be made a part of the child's experience; and fourth a 

 knowledge of a much broader field of the subject matter than just 

 that which is to be taught the child. In sympathy with these 

 general aims of the Normal School, each department of the school 

 will naturall}^ seek to accomplish as niany of these aims as circum- 

 stances permit. In the course in Agricultural Nature-Study, 

 with a part of which this article is to deal, little opportunity is 

 offered for the direct study of children, but a conscious effort is 

 made to present something of each of the other three fields. 



The work with birds as carried on here at the Mankato Normal 

 School may be divided into the following groups: 



I. Laboratory work. 



II. Field trips. 



