56 THE THIRD YEARBOOK 



V. READING AND WRITJNG. 



It is needless to dwell upon the fact that the chief reasons why 

 reading and writing become irksome tasks are that the form side has 

 been emphasized at the expense of interesting content. The ordinary 

 school-work does not furnish a great demand for the use of these 

 particular tools. In order to illustrate the part that these subjects 

 may play in nature-study from the earliest steps in observation, the 

 following lesson is given with a summary showing the way in which 

 it was prepared and something of its educational value : 



READING LESSON ON THE FARM. 



November 2 we went to visit a farm. 



It was a beautiful day. 



Deep-blue sky above us. 



Not a cloud in it. 



Cool fresh air around us. 



Bright warm sunshine all day long. 



" The nicest day of all the year ! " said Fritz. 



The farm we visited is fifteen miles from our school. 



It is on Halsted Street. 



We might have gone all the way out in wagons. 



That was too slow for us. 



It took us forty-two minutes to go to Thornton, on the train. 



Then we were only one mile and a half from the farm. 



Big hay-wagons were waiting for us at the station. 



Oh, what fun we had going to the farm! 



We passed a big limestone quarry. 



We wanted to see it. 



But we could not stop for that. 



We passed some beautiful oak woods. 



We wanted to gather leaves. 



But we could not stop for that. 



We passed a great yard full of horses and colts. 



We wanted to watch them. ' 



But we could not stop for that. 



We passed cows and calves, goats and little pigs. 



We saw old hens and chickens, and a big, proud peacock. 



But we could not stop for any of these things. 



They needed our horses at the farm, you see. 



After a while we came to more beautiful woods. 



