45 



At this point in the present chapter it is desirable that the 

 possible working out of the project method of instruction should 

 be illustrated by details of a subject which would be suitable 

 for use with students of the first or second year. 



In the list of major projects above given, the second, " Keep- 

 ing a Pen of Poultry," will, perhaps, best serve this purpose. 

 This project permits of clear analysis. It is sufficiently familiar 

 to make intelligible such technical terms as it may be necessary 

 to use. It deals with a branch of agricultural production found 

 on every farm and at many village homes ; yet a branch from 

 which, when conducted on a strictly business basis, it is very 

 difficult to make a profit. It has to do with farm products which 

 are of very great economic importance for the advancement of 

 agriculture in this State; since Massachusetts, while admirably 

 suited for poultry keeping, imports $25,000,000 of poultry and 

 eggs annually, and produces less than $6,000,000 worth per 

 year. (See " Agriculture of Massachusetts," the report of the 

 Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, 1909, page 119.) 



Owing to the attention now being given poultry keeping by 

 the agricultural colleges and experiment stations, materials for 

 teaching the subject scientifically and practically are increasing, 

 and make this one of the most promising lines of project in- 

 struction for school use. Poultry keeping affords one of the 

 best projects for transition from the boy's treatment of animals 

 as pet stock to his treatment of them as vital factors in economic 

 agricultural production. 



Important as this poultry project is, however, it will, of 

 course, be understood that there are many other projects suitable 

 for first and second year use. This project is but a single 

 example of the many which might have been given. 



Minor Projects. Suppose the major project in preparation 

 for purposes of instruction be ~No. 2, above given, " Keeping a 

 Pen of Poultry." Then certain minor projects necessary for 

 carrying out this major project might be: - 



1. The building of a poultry house (if necessary), according 

 to plans and specifications worked out at the schoolhouse. This 

 minor project in turn could be broken up into a number of 



