60 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [17:2— Feb., 1921 



the studies both as regards material and method to the special 

 needs of children in the various stages of their development. 



In the lower grades especially but to considerable extent in all 

 the classes a greater use of the muscular activity of the children is 

 employed. This has its manifestation in some places in a greater 

 amount of time given to the care of plants and animals at school and 

 at home. In the other places certain studies reach their climax in a 

 definite piece of hand work in which the children take the initiative, 

 plan the work, meet problems and solve them, in short, express 

 their ideas in a concrete tangible piece of work. 



The larger use of the home gardens is another phase of the work 

 that has made rapid progress the last few years. No doubt the 

 war gave an impetus toward increasing the nimiber of children's 

 gardens. But they would have increased any way, because of the 

 greater interest on the part of nature-study leaders. Twenty 

 years ago the courses where gardens were mentioned at all advo- 

 cated the school garden. Now individual gardens at home are 

 recommended wherever this is possible. The school garden in 

 many places has become a sort of laboratory where the pupils study 

 the underlying principles and the art of gardening which they put 

 into practice at home. 



The term "nature-study project" is coming into use in many 

 localities to designate nature-study exercises of various kinds, as 

 garden projects, poultry, rabbit, etc. This is without question due 

 to the use of the term by the advocates and teachers of general 

 science. The project itself may have been used by nature-study 

 teachers for years simply as nature-study lessons and exercises. 

 Now some of the general science people are suggesting precisely the 

 same thing under a new title,and acting as if the whole thing had 

 been thought of for the first time. It is a question whether or not 

 the term may not become as prevalent in nature-study circles as it 

 is in general science. 



Indeed, I find that a well planned series of nature-study lessons 

 with the accompanying field and hand work mean much more to 

 school superintendents if it is called a project instead of a nature- 

 study lesson. So much is there in a name. 



Another noticeable addition is health study, hygiene and sanita- 

 tion. Eight years ago only three of the courses studied included 

 hygiene in their outlines. Now a large number recognize that this 

 must be considered a part of the nature-study program. In the 



