REYNOLDS] OUT-OF-DOORS INDOORS 229 



of flowers being written beneath the pictures. Blue-prints are 

 valuable here, also. The gathering and careful arrangement of 

 flowers in the rooms is most important. From the standpoint of 

 Nature-Study as well as from that of art, children should be taught 

 to treat plucked flowers carefully, to study their needs, to place 

 them in bowl or vase so that they will seem to be growing. 



There seems to be little excuse for giving time for a lesson on a 

 familiar garden plant unless some new knowledge, or new apprecia- 

 tion of use or beauty is to come from it. Most of our lessons 

 in the past have been so isolated, the observation so per- 

 functory, the interest so temporary that no further pursuit of 

 the subject followed. How shall I work out a lesson on the Nas- 

 turtium so that the children will really study? What in the cycle 

 of growth of this plant can children really see, — see for themselves? 

 What questions can be asked that will help them see farther than 

 their ow^n unguided observations would lead them. Last spring 

 we planted the seed ourselves all along the edge of the terrace. 

 We saw the row of tiny green plants a few inches above the ground 

 when we left the first week in June. We return in September to a 

 mass of glowing, pungent flowers which lend brilliant color to our 

 brown toned rooms till late October. The vines show buds in all 

 stages, opening flowers, full blown blossoms of every tone of yellow 

 and orange, decaying blossoms with half -formed seed pods and 

 ripened seed vessels. Few plants show so well the whole life story. 

 Shall we make a nice little lecture and deliver it, holding up a spray 

 to illustrate each part and be sure that the children listen ? Rather 

 let us so select our material that the steps in the plant's growth can 

 be seen and then leave the children to do the "seeing' ' for themselves. 

 The Japanese say, "We all talk too much" and that is certainly 

 true of the average Nature-Study lesson where the enthusiastic 

 teacher does most of the learning and talking. Study with the 

 teacher which is not the starting point for individual, unconscious 

 intensified interest is not worth much. "What has happened to 

 our Nasturtiums since last spring?" will bring a medley of answers. 

 "Vines grew, flowers blossomed, seeds have come." "What hap- 

 Xoened first after we went away?" "The plants grew into vines. 

 I know for we had some at home." What happened next ? What 

 next? Look at your spray. We will lay the sprays on the table 

 so that we can have the whole story of the Nasturtium's growing. 

 Whose spray must come first? Whose second? There will be 

 necessity for much comparison and study. "Now let us have the 

 story drawn on the blackboard. Who must draw first?" 



