330 NATURE STUDY. 



on educational theories, but has been gradually evolved 

 from eight or nine years of experience with nature study 

 in the elementary schools, and of study, both in a 

 great public-school system and in a normal school, of 

 the needs and conditions of such schools. Practically 

 all of the work outlined for the first six or seven years 

 has been done, most of it again and again, by practice- 

 or pupil-teachers in the practice school of the Oswego 

 Normal School. Most of the work outlined in the first 

 cycle for the first four grades, and much of that for 

 upper grades, was done by the teachers of* St. Paul. 



The principles and ideas on which the selection, ar- 

 rangement, and sequence of matter are based, have been 

 discussed in Chapters XII. and XIII. In the practice 

 school, nature study and its related work in expression 

 (language, drawing, painting, and moulding) and liter- 

 ature are allotted throughout the year about one hour 

 daily during years one to six, and one hour three times 

 a week during years seven to nine. All the work is 

 done by pupil-teachers. 



The course, as outlined, covering so much ground, 

 doubtless seems formidable for most schools. It must 

 be remembered, however, that in the school for which 

 the course is planned, much of the expressive work of 

 the school is based on nature study, and that during the 

 time devoted to nature study, work in writing, reading, 

 drawing, painting, and moulding is done. 



Where any systematic work is attempted, an hour 

 a week, at the very least, should be devoted to observa- 

 tion work or presentation of matter, the related work 



