402 NATURE STUDY. 



fruit in its relation to its natural environment, or study its 

 relation to rnan and the use man makes of it, the fruit study 

 leads easily and logically to the great thought so natural at 

 the time of the ingathering of the fruits, and prepares for 

 the Thanksgiving Day which our forefathers established at 

 this season. The fruit study should not merely interest the 

 child, develop his powers of seeing and telling and think- 

 ing, give him a better knowledge of his surroundings, and a 

 broader view of his relations, but, most important of all, 

 should lift him up, lead to a better appreciation of his 

 higher relations. 



Special care will be necessary, in following out any of 

 these lines of thought, to base the work, as far as possible, 

 on individual observation by the children ; and to draw out 

 the little folks, lead them to give their thoughts, rather 

 than merely listen to and absorb from the teacher. There 

 is danger of such work degenerating into mere " talk," with 

 little foundation in actual observation. 



THE APPLE. 



Material. An apple for every two pupils, or at least 

 for every four pupils. Select apples which are regular in 

 form, have a stem, and show most clearly the five pointed 

 divisions of the calyx (forming a star at the " eye " end of 

 the fruit) and many shrivelled threads (the remains of the 

 stamens). 



LESSON I. OBSERVATION AND MOULDING OF APPLE. 



Step I. Form and Color. 



The children will say " Round." G-et a more exact state- 

 ment, "Round like a ball." Is it exactly round like a ball ? 

 " Has a hole or hollow in one side/' some little one will say. 

 " Only one hollow ? " " Has a hole or hollow in two sides/ 5 

 or, better, in the top and bottom. 



