34 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [14:1— Jan., 1918 



dream. But, you must bring the realization of this to the teacher, 

 who possibly in her busy life, may not have glimpsed it. Visit 

 your superintendent of schools, calling his attention to the statute, 

 and seek his co-operation. Through him reach the school princi- 

 pals and the teachers, and call to their attention the great possi- 

 bilities of this subject. Co-operation should be the keynote of 

 your efforts. No teacher will fail to appreciate a sincere desire to 

 help, and an intelligent co-operation with her to secure the greatest 

 benefit to the child. 



The law reads: "Such instruction shall be for such period of 

 time during each school year as the Board of Regents may pre- 

 scribe and may be joined with work in literature, reading, language, 

 nature-study or ethnology. Such weekly instruction may be 

 divided into two or more periods." 



What a broad scope this gives the teacher — First consider litera- 

 ture — how many stories and poems there are, that by their charac- 

 ter develop the sense of sympathy and justice. The same may be 

 said of reading and language — what a choice there is in reading to 

 select from, stories which teach breadth of interest and sympathy 

 toward all creation, both human and dumb, and in language — 

 what a variety of subjects for story-telling, composition or essay 

 writing, subjects that will bring out all the broader vision of a 

 child's mind, and a breadth of sympathy ranging from the lowest to 

 the highest form of life. Then comes the correlation with nature- 

 study and ethnology — studies of animal life and human life. 

 Many educators feel that humane education is applied nature- 

 study, and it is true, that in nature-study there are many oppor 

 tunities for its application. It is because animals make up a large 

 part of the child's every day environment, that teaching kindness 

 to animals seems the most natural and simple method of developing 

 the character of the child. It fosters the spirit of protection toward 

 something helpless and weak. While studying the nature and 

 habits of the animal creation, the teacher may specialize upon the 

 uses, the sufferings, and the rights of those same animals; not 

 simply confine herself to the antennae or vertebrae of the subject. 

 "This may require a change of heart greater than a change of 

 program. ' ' Ethnology — a subject for advanced pupils — the science 

 of the races and families of man — here may come a practical 

 application of the Golden Rule; one's duty toward one's neighbor, 

 and the large economic problems which are engrossing the world. 



