THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF NATURE-STUDY n 



to pets. Boys are interested in hunting, fishing, and 

 outdoor sports, and like to play Indians. Children also 

 like birds and plants. Their nature-love seems to be in- 

 stinctive, and is probably an inheritance from their savage, 

 nature-loving ancestry. 



Then let us give the child opportunity to taste nature as 

 much as possible, and use this inherent interest to teach him 

 about his natural environment. Repeat the old story. 

 Teach him the good things he can use and enjoy and the 

 bad things that he should avoid. 



Mathematics gives the mind excellent training in abstract 

 thinking and familiarizes the mind with logical processes. 

 But nature-study also trains the reasoning powers. The 

 reasoning afforded by science in general is not abstract, but 

 more concrete and more like the reasoning of every-day life. 

 In nature-study a child observes a number of facts, or a 

 series of phenomena, and from them makes a generalization 

 or conclusion. He learns the principle of cause and effect. 

 He sees that things are not left to chance, but that the rule 

 of cause and effect governs all action. He learns to apply 

 this rule in other fields of thought, in literature, history, civics, 

 politics, and personal conduct. The comparison and classi- 

 fication of natural objects give an excellent training in 

 systematic thought. The derivation of laws from experi- 

 ments or observations affords the best of practice in induc- 

 tive reasoning, . while deduction is employed in every 

 application of these laws. 



By imagination the facts once learned are recalled and 

 brought into new relations. In this new relation they com- 

 bine to form new ideas or to suggest new thoughts. By un- 

 restricted exercise of the power of imagination mental prod- 



