palmer] conservation THROUGH NATURE-STUDY 67 



preting tracks found in the field and also in interpreting the four 

 "Problem Pages." These record experiences of different animals 

 and birds by showing the tracks they would make in going through 

 these experiences. The first of these pages is a simple exercise 

 which children in the lower two grades can solve. The others are 

 increasingly difficult. These exercises have been tried out by the 

 Editor with children in the schools of Iowa and are not graded 

 entirely by theory. 



Aside from the "Problem Pages," directions are given whereby 

 the child may interpret the movements of these animals by thought- 

 ful imitation, not by guess work. Once these imitations are solved 

 games are given where the perfection attained may be demon- 

 strated. Further evidence that the children have mastered this 

 part of the work may be gained by following directions for black- 

 board and seat work. In some of these the children write exper- 

 iences told by a member of the class but instead of writing by the 

 orthodox "Palmer method" this "Palmer method" requires that 

 pictures of the tracks be drawn to tell the story. 

 . Another feature in the January number consists in four pages 

 which when cut out and pasted together make a landscape showing 

 many types of environment. Two additional pages give outline 

 drawings of common winter mammals. These are all on paper 

 which will take watercolor. Proportion between the size of ani- 

 mals and the landscape cannot be conveniently preserved. If the 

 children follow the directions and adopt the practice of placing the 

 cut out animals only in those parts of the landscape where the 

 animals themsleves or their tracks have been seen the desired end 

 will be attained. This practice is bound to lead to a realization 

 that each part of the landscape has a particular form dependent 

 upon it or vice versa each part of the landscape is dependent upon 

 a definite form to control its enemies. This principle influences all 

 agricultural practice, and conservation. 



A story for the little children about the "Three Friends" — (the 

 downy woodpecker, chickadee and nuthatch) also creates the 

 same idea. The names of the birds are not mentioned in the story 

 but descriptions of their antics and the part of the landscape to 

 which each bird attends emphasizes that in Nature-Study the 

 important thing is not the name of individual forms of life but an 

 understanding of their relation to other forms of life. With 

 the story worded as it is no child can help but get the name of the 

 birds with a little assistance. 



