348 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [14:8— Nov., 1918 



fully again. Whenever it is possible, we learn from observation. 

 The other day while talking about the robin, the question arose 

 as to whether both birds or just the mother bird sat on the eggs. 

 Some already knew, but those who did not are going to try to 

 find out from observing the robin. In this same way we take up 

 many topics." 



"The people had an idea that nature-study was all humbug, 

 and were rather skeptical about it, last year especially. But when 

 we began the study of rations and weeds, they changed their 

 minds. I must tell you of an incident that happened this fall. 

 We were in my father's meadow identifying weeds, and the children 

 were writing about them in their tablets. An old gentleman drove 

 along the road, stopped, and cried, "Hey, kids, where's your 

 teacher?" I went down to see what he wanted, and he asked me 

 what nonsense we were up to. I explained to him, and he said 

 that I couldn't fool him, he knew very well that the kids didn't 

 care about the weeds, but only waited till my back was turned to 

 play with each other. Well my back was turned, but the children 

 kept on with their work, and soon moved to another weed. We 

 could hear their excited chorus of "Here's some chickweed!" 

 "What are you talking about! That's purslane!" and so on. 

 The old gentleman was very much surprised, but said that he 

 guessed that children had changed some since he was a boy. 1 

 don't think they have, do you?" 



"I realize now that pupils will not learn nature-study unless they 

 are interested and have the object at hand or are acquainted with 

 it in some way or other. I used to teach it as I did other lessons 

 and at stated periods, but found that my pupils never seemed 

 to know anything about what I taught. Now I find that they 

 usually know more than I do. Nature-study does not become 

 monotonous if it is varied by drawing and writing in place of 

 talking. 



Books used after the child has found out what he can by him- 

 self about the subject, prove most interesting to him and tell him 

 many things to which he would pay little attention if read before. 

 I do not think that we can give a lesson from a book on nature- 

 study and expect a child to remember as he would learn and 

 remember from nature specimens, nor is it so broadening." 



