344 NATURE STUDY. 



them. Wash off the dirt from two or three, by moving the 

 plant, with the dirt about its roots, back and forth in a pail 

 of water. These plants, with the fine rootlets preserved, 

 will often grow for weeks in water in the schoolroom. If 

 kept in glass jars, the children can easily study the root 

 system. When plants are merely pulled from the ground, 

 most of the roots and all of the working-roots are left 

 in the ground. Small plants will thrive in the schoolroom 

 much better than large ones. 



THE COMMON OB ROUND-LEAVED MALLOW. 



Occurrence. A common weed in and about door-yards, in 

 rather good soil. Recognized by its roundish or kidney- 

 shaped leaves (see Fig. 28), and by its small cheese-shaped 

 fruit, called " cheeses " by the children. The mallow is 

 excellent for the first study, because the children are fa- 

 miliar with it, and because it has many interesting habits, 

 such as the turning of its leaves toward the sun and the 

 closing of its flowers at night. 



Order of Study. 



1. Name. 



2. Relation to natural environment. Habits. 



3. Function and structure, or work and adaptation to 



work, emphasizing protection, development, and 

 mutual dependence. 



4. Comparison. The mallow as a type of plants. 



Preparatory Work Lead . the children to talk about 

 work they do at home, to tell how they help. Tell them 

 that the mallow, like everything else, has a work to do, 

 and that they are to find out about the work of the plant 

 and of each of its parts. 



To give direction to the thoughts of the children and the 

 right spirit or tone to their work, read to them frequently, 



