BROWN A NATURE-STUDY PROJECT 375 



thome's "Tanglewood Tales," adapt the stories to the need of 

 the grade, take his "Fire Worship, "and other bits of exotic de- 

 scription, weaving all into the foreign background. Then begin 

 with the Greek and Roman hero and legend material. There 

 is no need to go into the detail of sculpture which would be in 

 place here. The ''Wrestlers," the "Discus Thrower," and 

 many others will illustrate the life and games of the people who 

 created the myths, as well as illustrating the games in which the 

 heroes themselves indulged. There is a wealth of material 

 such as is too great to present in such a broad outline as this. 

 Everyone knows Greek and Roman sculpture and would have 

 no difficulty in picking out the things which are most worth 

 presenting as illustrations of the stories. 



Then come back once more from this wonderland, and close 

 the legend project with a glimpse of what our writers have done 

 to our little characters of this country. That is, take up the 

 modification of the folk-tale in the "Legend of vSleepy Hollow," 

 "Rip Van Winkle," etc. 



The conservation project which I should next include would come 

 in the Spring. The hero and legendary material will have occupied 

 the winter months. Then, when the sap begins to mount in the 

 tree branches, and the flowers waken and the birds come, strike 

 hard, hard as ever you have done, and then harder still, on the 

 theme of conservation. Teach this by any method you please, 

 save the old wishy-washy one of sen tim.en tali ty. The boy doesn't 

 care whether it is nice to kill a bird or not, but if he can see that 

 the bird is the farmer's helper, if he can see that the bird is a 

 living, feeling, thing, then he will not be so wantonh^ cruel. Be 

 certain to extend the work to the protection of hawks for they 

 are among our most abused and our m.ost noble of bird helpers. 

 Good poems always help in the nature work. Markham's. "A 

 Blossoming Bough" is good in having caught the quick, eager 

 spirit of Spring. Saintaine's "Picciola'' will make the wonder 

 of plant life greater. The "Song of the Cardinal" In' Gone 

 Stratton-Porter teaches bird protection without the usual moral- 

 istic accompaniment. Let the children make notebooks in wliich 

 bird poems are kept. Emerson's "The Titmouse." and many 

 other simple, beautiful things will find place lierc. 'Hie teacher 

 may do well to use frequently such works as Mat old Baynes, 



