SELECTION AND SEQUENCE OF MATERIAL. 327 



they at first imagine. The back yards and stable yards 

 and unused lots will furnish plants and animals in great 

 profusion. Much can be raised in the schoolroom or 

 school-yard. The study of the germination of seeds, of 

 peas, beans, and corn, can be carried on anywhere where 

 there is air and a fair amount of light. This is partic- 

 ularly good for city schools. When the children are 

 interested and enlisted in the work of getting material, 

 they will bring specimens almost without limit, min- 

 erals and corals and shells and fruits from cabinets and 

 garrets. In these days of rapid transportation, the elec- 

 tric cars carry teachers or pupils far out into the coun- 

 try in a few minutes, and enable them to bring the 

 country into the city. The difficulty of getting mate- 

 rial will be greatly lessened as we go to work and gain 

 experience. 



The experience of the writer in getting material for 

 classes organized for the instruction of teachers in the 

 nature-study work is probably typical. For such 

 classes, where much work had to be brought into a 

 short period of time, it was necessary to have a large 

 supply enough for each teacher of the best illustra- 

 tive material. For a year or two he thought it neces- 

 sary to make long trips into the country. Gradually 

 his trips were shortened. After two or three years' ex- 

 perience, he found material in the neighboring streets 

 and yards, within a few blocks (although teaching in 

 the heart of a city of 140,000 inhabitants) to meet 

 nearly all the demands of his classes for plant study. 

 It was somewhat more difficult to obtain material for 



