294 . NATURE STUDY. 



turn red, the percentage which, turn yellow, the propor- 

 tion which fall or remain on the trees, the ratio between 

 the weight of leaves and the weight of loam or of ash 

 they will form. But we cannot strongly emphasize this 

 kind of work without sacrificing higher work, or losing 

 sight of higher aims. When we reduce nature to ratio 

 and proportion, we have made nature study of little 

 value. 



The arithmetic, as well as the nature study, will suf- 

 fer from too close correlation between the two. Expe- 

 rience has shown that when this is attempted there is 

 not, usually, adequate provision for the definite, thor- 

 ough, systematic drill so essential in arithmetic. 



Some correlation between nature study and arithme- 

 tic is helpful, particularly in primary grades. Nature 

 study furnishes the material for the concrete work 

 which is so necessary. All kinds of problems can be 

 grouped about the seeds and buds and fruits and grains, 

 the birds and other animals, the rocks and snow and 

 water, the levers and pulleys and thermometers. 



While arithmetic and nature study cannot be closely 

 correlated directly, indirectly they may greatly aid each 

 other. The special object, educationally, of arithmetic 

 is to develop exactness in thinking and reasoning. One 

 object of science work is to make pupils exact in ob- 

 servation, expression, and thought. The more we em- 

 phasize in our nature study exactness in the study of 

 essentials, exact seeing, truthful telling, careful gen- 

 eralizing and thinking, the more closely will nature 

 study and arithmetic co-operate, rather than correlate, 



