trafton] outline OF NATURE-STUDY loi 



as ferns, geraniums, and bulbs can be kept permanently in the 

 room. 



Preserved Specimens — In the group of preserved specimens life 

 and environment are both missing and only the form is left, but 

 for some topics this kind of material serves the purpose well. 

 Children can be set to work making collections, and thus while 

 looking for material they will find objects in their natural environ- 

 ment. Some of these materials may be collected and kept in the 

 schoolroom without any preparation to preserve them; such as 

 bird's nests, galls, cocoons, wasp's nests, tree-fruits, specimens of 

 woods, woody mushrooms, weed seeds, ears of com, plants of 

 wheat and other cereal crops. Some materials may be preserved 

 by pressing them between the leaves of books with weights placed 

 upon them; such as flowers, ferns, weeds, leaves of trees, shrubs, 

 and vines. Insects may be kept in glass mounts made of old 

 negatives. This collecting may be done in the fall so that the 

 material may be available for winter use. 



Pictures — In the picture not only are hfe and environment gone 

 but the thing itself as well, and we are dealing with only a represen- 

 tation of the real thing; but for some objects pictures form very 

 desirable material, as in the case of birds. Good bird pictures 

 may be obtained of The National Audubon Society, 1974 Broad- 

 way, New York City. On application circulars will be sent giving 

 lists and prices. 



Apparatus for Demonstration and Experiments — For much of the 

 work in physical nature-study and for some work in hygiene and 

 with plants, simple apparatus will be needed for demonstrations 

 and experiments. 



Methods of Teaching Nature-Study 



The teacher finds two problems constantly confronting her; 

 what to teach and how to teach. The following outline is an 

 attempt to answer the first problem of what to teach in nature- 

 study, and a few suggestions will here be given relating to the 

 problem of how to teach nature-study. 



As previously mentioned the teacher needs to consider the mat- 

 ter of materials, and it is also suggested that a consideration of the 

 three following points for each lesson or topic taught may prove 

 helpful : I , the child's problem ; 2d, the development of the lesson 



