needham] progress IN NATURE-STUDY 



409 



courses. 



It does not trespass upon the work of other agricultural 

 It is elementary work in natural history— such as should be done 

 by every youth before he reaches college age. We are giving this 

 work in college only because we find it has not been given earlier, 

 and because we believe it is much needed. 



In giving this course we encountered two difficulties to which 

 we believe that previous training in the public schools gives rise. 



1. It is all field work; and some high school graduates seem to 

 be imbued with the notion that a field trip is a picnic. This 

 atittude of mind is quickly cured by having a definite program of 

 work to be done in the field — as definite as any laboratory program 

 — and by requiring a definite record in a stated time. 



2 . The records of the work done must be largely written records 

 and there is great danger that the resulting table, annotated list, 

 diagram, or what not, may, like the examination paper, be con- 

 sidered an end in itself. This is not easily cured. It is hard to 

 divert the attention of some pupils — ^especially of some New York 

 State pupils, trained under the system of Regent's Examinations — 

 away from the final paper. It is common even in the field for 

 students to overwork their notebooks and pencils, putting down 

 whatever is told them about things, without inquiring verv dili- 

 gently of the things themselves. 



These difficulties are becoming less pronounced. I am happy 

 to be able to report progress. The leaven of the nature-study 

 movement is working. More pupils are coming year by year, who 

 know things out of doors, who are interested in the world they live 

 in and in all their fellow^ creatures, and who want more ])er.soRal 

 first-hand knowledge of them : more who want to handle the raw 

 materials and build up from them. Fewer come who are s:itisfied 

 with the shadow of knowledge, not knowing its substancw 



Another difficulty, less widespread, growing out of a too narrow 

 training that is often mistakenly called "practical" is the desire 

 of pupils to avoid "wasting any time" on things of no comnicrcnal 

 value. The pupil of college age whose mind will react readily 

 only to the stimulus of monetary values is already spoiled for 

 scholarship. 



