210 NATURE STUDY. 



" why " should not be asked until pupils have gained 

 clear definite knowledge of the facts necessary to an- 

 swer the question. Mere guessing at " why " is worse 

 than useless. 



If the study of structure is to prepare for comparison 

 and classification, we must particularly emphasize those 

 structural features which are most important in classifi- 

 cation, the peculiarities of the flowers and florets in 

 the dandelion and of the teeth in the rabbit. 



With younger pupils in the first or second grade of 

 the school, for whom structure has little meaning or in- 

 terest, and whose power of relating or unifying struc- 

 tural features is but slightly developed, the study may 

 stop with the observation of function and story, the 

 growth of plants and habits of animals, and what 

 structure may naturally be brought out in connection 

 with these. As the children grow older, structure be- 

 comes more and more important as a means of review- 

 ing function and preparing for generalization ; as a step 

 in the sequence by which they should relate their ideas, 

 reduce them to unity, or to some approach to unity. 



The question often arises, u How far is it wise to 

 take up with the children details of structure or prop- 

 erties obscure or difficult to understand ? " In general, 

 in the work with children of any grade, only those fea- 

 tures of structure or those properties should be studied 

 or emphasized which either throw light on function (in- 

 cluding use to man) or aid in comparison and class- 

 ification, so far as the children of that grade study 

 or can understand these. For instance, in the study 



