316 NATURE STUDY. 



approaching them from a different standpoint, if pos- 

 sible, and studying them more thoroughly. 



For these and other reasons to be discussed later, it 

 seems wise to arrange much of the work in nature study 

 in two cycles. During the first cycle, covering the first 

 four years of the elementary school-course, the children 

 can study nature extensively, plants, animals, mine- 

 rals, physics, whatever seems most essential and is within 

 the comprehension of the children. During the second 

 cycle, covering the remaining years of the elementary 

 school-course, much of the same ground can be covered, 

 but studied intensively, with much new work and more 

 attention to structure and classification. The founda- 

 tions already laid, and the greater maturity and better 

 developed powers of the children, will make this work 

 intelligible and helpful. 



We come now to the third element affecting the 

 selection and arrangement of material, the influence of 

 physical and local conditions. Probably the physical 

 conditions having the greatest and widest influence are 

 the seasons and climate. This determines very largely 

 the general character of the material which can be ob- 

 tained for study. During part of the year spring, sum- 

 mer, and autumn plant and animal life is abundant. 

 During the winter, late autumn, and early spring, in 

 large sections of our country, organic nature is largely 

 dormant. It seems wise and necessary to emphasize 

 the study of living or organic nature, plants, and ani- 



