VINAL 



THE SUMMER CAMP 



115 



The knowledge is pigeonholed with 

 other daily collections from History, 

 Grammar, etc. More interesting than 

 these? Yes, but pigeonholed nature- 

 knowledge is not what we want. 



perience with a living animal under 

 a natural setting. Not learned all 

 about red squirrels ? No, for a nature- 

 lore lesson is never complete, but pos- 

 sibly a keener enjoyment and one to 

 be remembered longer. 



3. Nature-study is mainly an 

 outer urge. The teacher says: Next 

 week we will study the frog. Who 

 will catch one for me? / will put a 

 list of questions on the board which 

 I want you to answer. You may 

 have to read some of the library books 

 on frogs in order to find some of the 

 answers. Do not remove the wire 

 screen as the frog may get away. 

 / will put this sign "Please give me a 

 fly!" on the side of the jar so that 

 you will not forget to feed it. Such a 

 lesson is full of devices and persua- 

 sions. It is a teacher-made plan. 



3. Nature-lore is mainly an inner 

 ufge."^' The camper says: Why can 

 we not catch a frog and watch it 

 swim? The swimming councilor has 

 previously told them that the frog 

 does the breast stroke perfectly How- 

 ever this was not bait for a lesson on 

 frogs. They discovered that the 

 frog executed his strokes so rapidly 

 that they couldn't see how he did it. 

 A toad was then suggested. Soon 

 some one wished to see the circula- 

 tion in the foot and finally the inner 

 organs. Only those staid who wanted 

 to see the dissection. In fact those 

 who thought that they might squeal 

 or have hysteria were asked to go 

 away. 



Knowledge sought by the pupil 

 is more lasting. It is a self-assigned 

 learning and is carried to a purpose- 

 ful conclusion by the initiative of 

 the learner. 



4. Nature-study in the traditional 

 school is individualized. 



By a traditional school is meant the 

 formal, arbitrary school that has been 

 in vogue since the colonial Dame 

 School. 90% of our nature-study 

 lessons are taught on this plan. The 

 criticism is of the method of nature- 

 study rather than of nature-study. 

 The procedure is as follows: To- 

 morrow, John will bring his cat to 

 school. For thirty minutes each one 

 of us will think about the cat. For 

 one or two minutes each one 

 will be thinking, — what is the advan- 



4. Nature-lore in the summer Camp 

 and a few schools is socialized. 



The summer camp is a small 

 democracy. Its life is one of spon- 

 taneity, — free but orderly. If John 

 is fishing there is no class to fold 

 their hands and watch him. One 

 may fish or not as he chooses. If 

 someone else decides to prepare 

 the fish for dinner all well and good. 

 There is team work but not class 

 work. Someone remembers having 

 rolled a fish in clay and baking it. 

 Volunteers want to hunt for clay. 

 Others like the fish broiled. A 



