470 NATURE STUDY. 



The important fact, the making of water dust, may be 

 impressed by the teacher drawing on the blackboard, as di- 

 rected by the children, the cup, funnel, and water dust, and 

 then having the children draw it from the apparatus " at 

 work/' not from her drawing. Some analysis with the 

 children of the direction and length of the lines used to 

 represent cup and funnel will bring better results. 



Step IV. Summary and expressive work. After the chil- 

 dren have observed for themselves, and not before, it is 

 helpful to call on the imagination to help clothe the facts 

 of observation with life and additional interest. We may 

 have them play at housekeeping, and tel] how and for what 

 they use water. Children are so made, and we cannot 

 and do not want to make them over, that they delight 

 in personification and in the life of the fire sprites and the 

 water fairies. After personal observation by the boys and 

 girls the fairies are helpful ; they serve to impress and to 

 relate what the senses have shown the children, and to give 

 a larger content and a more attractive aspect to the world 

 of sense. But if we call in the fairies before asking and 

 directing the children to see and think for themselves, they 

 are likely to interfere with the self activity of the children. 

 The fairies are good helpers or companions in their place, 

 but are poor guides or leaders. The following " story " 

 illustrates how the sprites and fairies may help. 



How THE TEA-KETTLE BOILED. 



" 'Jane, put some water in the tea-kettle.' 



"Then Jane poked up the fire-sprites; and very soon the water- 

 drops bubbled, and the little fire-sprites said that there was water in 

 the tea-kettle, and they put their arms around it. 



" The water drops began to sing and dance; and the little drops at 

 the top wondered what was the matter, and they went down to see. 

 The drops at the bottom went up to the top singing, 'Ring turn, ring 



