360 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [10:9— Dec, 1914 



the ability and habit of securing solutions to nature inquiries, and 

 give a usable fund of concrete nature experiences. 



In the following condensed synopsis, the "Projects" are types of 

 those which are expected to cover all the work. The lists of topics 

 are not intended to show order of treatment, but the content of the 

 course. 



First Grade 



Purposes 



Keep interest alive and extend it; give acquaintance with as 



many common things as possible, attempting little extended work 



with any one topic. Keep living materials in class-room. Develop 



keen observation and thoughtful inquiry. 



Projects 

 Care of one or two pets; care of an aquarium; window boxes 

 and outdoor gardens for entire grade; boxes of earth for earth- 

 worms and toads; keep insect-cage; begin an "outdoor book" to 

 be continued in second grade ; cooking as it relates to elementary 

 science. 



Materials 



Plants — Collection of leaves of common trees — elms, oaks, 

 maples, willow, sycamore, pine, spruce, poplar; collect leaves show- 

 ing different colors and forms . Learn names of above trees . Plants 

 of window boxes — geranium, coleus, sweet alyssum, etc. Garden 

 plants — cabbage, lettuce, tomato, etc. Wild sunflower, goldenrod, 

 aster, trillium, hepatica, dandelion, violet, buttercup, plantain, 

 milkweed, burdock, other common plants. 



Animals — Earthworms, toads, home animals (cats, dog, pigeon, 

 horse), ants, bees, crickets, grasshoppers, goldfish. Common 

 birds — robin, bluebird, blue jay, flicker, crow, sparrows, grackle, 

 woodpecker, tanager, oriole; keep canaries or ring doves in room 

 if possible during nesting period. 



Physical Materials — Collect stones of various forms and appear- 

 ance: help fix boxes and aquaria for animals and plants; make 

 toys — ^pinwheel, figures from paper and clay; place arrow and vane 

 in wind and test strength and direction of wind; make kite and 

 learn to fly it; make balloon, compare with purchased balloon; 



