256 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW {11:5— May, 1915 



fall months. On this question 30.2 per cent, made no reply. 

 Fifty-one and eight-tenths per cent, report Nature-Study taught in 

 each grade in the elementary school in contrast with 10.8 per 

 cent, which limit the work to grades one to six, and 16.8 per cent, 

 which carry the work only in the first four grades. 



Little uniformity, was shown by the reports, in the amount of 

 time given to the Nature-Study work. From fifteen to one hundred 

 minutes a week are allowed. An average of fifty minutes a week is 

 given to this work. This is broken into from two to five recitation 

 periods. 



Charts III and IV show the situation regarding the courses of 

 study used. Forty-nine and eight-tenths per cent, of the schools 

 are following their own individual outlines. The Illinois State 

 course of study, the plan used by the elementary school of the 

 School of Education, the University of Chicago, and the course 

 made by Miss Jean Patterson of the Illinois State Normal 

 University, Normal, Illinois seem to greatly influence the Nature- 

 Study work throughout the state. From a careful examination 

 of the courses, it is evident there is much uniformity. In the 

 primary grades, the work is largely confined to identification of 

 nature materials. In the intermediate grades, attention is turned 

 to the life histories and habits of plants and animals. A somewhat 

 different type of work is taken up in the grammar grades. The 

 physical side of the work is brought out and the study of plants and 

 animals from the economic point of view is emphasized. Much 

 time is given to gardening and experimentation. Thirty-one and 

 eight- tenths per cent, of the schools having organized courses in 

 Nature-Study include Physiology as a part of the work. This is 

 outlined for the winter months. 



Charts V and VI show the amount of correlation of Nature-Study 

 with other subjects. Thirty-one and thirty-three hundredths per 

 cent, of the schools teach it in connection with other work. 



From this study it can be concluded, in so far as the ninety-nine 

 schools furnishing the data are representative of the work done 

 in Illinois, that nature-study has a definite place in the curricula 

 of the elementary schools of Illinois, that there is uniformity in the 

 courses of study used, and that Physiology is considered a part of 

 the Nature-Studv course. 



