146 NATURE STUDY. 







Subordinate to the general aims enumerated are others 

 relating to the material. Each series of lessons and 

 each lesson in nature study has as its immediate aim 

 the presentation of certain matter, and the developing 

 of certain ideas and relations. The teacher is planning 

 to study with her pupils the robin. The immediate 

 aim may be to discover all they can about the robin. 

 Back of that may be the emphasizing and clinching of 

 those points of structure which will help the children 

 to compare the robin with other birds. Back of this is 

 the putting of the robin in its proper group or order of 

 birds, relating this group to other orders of birds, com- 

 paring birds with other backboned animals, and finally 

 finding their place in the animal kingdom. Above all 

 these aims is the development of the powers of the child, 

 the powers of discrimination, judgment, and classi- 

 fication, and of reducing to unity. Highest of all is the 

 training of the child to use these powers for the good 

 of himself and of the universe of which he is a part. 

 Each lesson should have an immediate aim or point, 

 subordinate and well related to the aim of the series of 

 lessons, and all planned and conducted with reference 

 to the ultimate aim. 



The relation of aim to method and of subordinate 

 aims to general aim has been illustrated in the lessons 

 on the rabbit, Chapter II. 



The method of each individual teacher in presenting 

 material to her pupils, or in selecting and arranging or 

 relating topics for study, will be mainly determined by 

 her power or habit of looking from and through imme- 



