The Beech Tree 



Cleora M. DeCoster. 



Nature-Study in the Kindergarten. 



If nature-study is merely observation and does not lead the child to think, 

 it fails in its greatest essential as an educational factor. The seeing of things 

 should lead to thought and should foster greater interest. With the small 

 child in kindergarten or in first grade this can best be accomplished by sup- 

 plementing the observations with a story. During the summer sessions at 

 Cornell University there is conducted, in connection with the nature-study 

 courses, a kindergarten seminar. The members of the seminar are mostly 

 experienced kindergarten or primary teachers or those who are fitting them- 

 selves for this work. A part of their training consists of outlining plans for 

 presenting various nature-study topics and in writing the supplementary 

 stories. Miss DeCoster gave to the class the following presentation of 

 the beech tree, which, as a type method, will, I am sure, prove helpful to any 

 teacher of little children. 



It is Dr. Downing 's plan to have in each number of the Review this year, 

 some work of this kind for the help of the primary teachers.— A. B. Comstock. 



F possible the children should visit a 

 beech tree several times during the 

 year, once in the fall to see the nuts, 

 burs, and falling leaves; again in the 

 late fall or winter to see the bark, 

 limbs, twigs, buds and general shape 

 of the tree; and in the spring and 

 early summer to- see the unfolding leaves, the blossoms, and the 

 full-grown leaves. 



Observations to precede the story of the beech nut — The children 

 should note : The rough outside of the bur and its smooth inside 

 lining ; its four open doors to let the nut drop out ; the way the 

 two sister nuts are cuddled together in the bur, — the two flat sides 

 together; the shell of shining brown; the place where the nut is 

 attached to the bur; how many sides the beechnut has; open a 

 nut and note that its meat is enveloped in a silken cover; the 

 sprout at the tip while the remainder of the meat is the lunch 

 put up by the mother beech tree for the baby nut when it starts 

 to grow. 



INDOOR LESSON ON THE BEECHNUT, WHICH TELLS ITS OWN STORY 



"I am a beechnut. See my smooth, brown three-cornered shell. 

 Do you know what is inside of the shell? Yes I am very good to 

 eat after my shell is taken off. My meat is so sweet that both 

 people and animals like it and use it for food, so you see I am some 

 good in the world. Would you like to know where I grew? John 

 brought me to school . Perhaps he will tell you where he found me . ' ' 



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