The Nature-Study Situation in Kansas for 1917-18 



Florence G. Billig 

 Supervisor of Elementary Science, State Normal School Emporia, Kansas 



To secure some definite information concerning the nature- 

 study situation in the state of Kansas, a questionaire was sent to 

 each superintendent of schools in cities with a population of 

 fifteen hundred or more and to the persons in charge of the nature- 

 study work in the three state normal schools. 



From the one hundred letters sent out, seventy-one replies 

 were received. The replies were from towns ranging in size as 

 follows : 



Thirteen replies from towns with a population of over 10,000. 



Twelve replies from towns with a population ranging from 

 4,000 to 10,000. 



Twelve replies from towns with a population ranging from 2,500 

 to 4,000. 



Thirty-one replies from towns with a population ranging from 

 1,500 to 2,500. 



Three replies from state normal schools. 



It is obvious, then, that approximately sixty per cent of the 

 data from this investigation was furnished by superintendents of 

 schools with a population ranging from fifteen hundred to four 

 thousand. 



Chart I gives the data received from the seventy-one replies. 

 Chart II shows the same information in graphic form. 83.09 

 per cent of the schools reporting, teach nature-study while 16.91 

 per cent do not teach it. 28.81 per cent of those schools teaching 

 nature-study use an organized course of study. 67.79 P er cent 

 of the schools teaching nature-study have no organized course or 

 leave the work to the individuality of the teacher. Two schools 

 are organizing courses of study. 



Charts III and IV show the extent to which nature-study is 

 correlated with the other studies taught. 25.42 per cent of the 

 schools teaching nature-study do not teach it as a separate subject 

 with a definite place on the program but teach it in connection 

 with other school work. Sixty-four schools report physiology 

 taught as a separate study. 



By a study of charts V and VI, it is noted that about 81.35 per 

 cent of the schools reporting the teaching of nature-study teach 



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