METHOD OF STUDYING MATERIAL. 233 



grades, much, but not all, of the earlier work can be 

 done there, and in the upper grades the work can be 

 built upon these foundations. 



Where living animals or growing plants can be easily 

 procured, the study of relation to environment and 

 habits can and should be strongly emphasized even 

 with older pupils. When only mounted specimens or 

 pictures can be obtained, then comparatively little at- 

 tention can be given to habits. 



Closely related is the question as to the time to be 

 devoted to the different steps, or to the whole work in 

 the study of any topic. This must also be determined 

 by the age of the children arid by conditions. Children 

 in primary grades may devote from one to four or five 

 lessons to a plant or animal. It takes a very strong 

 teacher to keep little folks interested in one thing 

 longer than that. In the upper grades ten or fifteen or 

 more lessons may be profitably devoted to the intensive 

 study of such topics as corn, the rabbit and the family 

 of " gnawers," the cat and the cat family, the pine and 

 its relatives and their economic uses, coal, iron, etc. 



The order of study as outlined is very generally ap- 

 plicable in the study of living or organic nature, plants 

 and animals. Much the same line of thought can and 

 should be followed in the study with children of inor- 

 ganic nature, of minerals and rocks, and of physics and 

 chemistry. 



In studying such a rock as limestone, the first step 

 after the children know what they are studying, and 

 have noted the distinctive properties by which they can 



