478 NATURE STUDY. 



how, after the water fairies had helped mother, the heat 

 helped them start on a journey ; how they let go of one 

 another's hands, grew lighter and lighter, and flew away 

 from the water ; how some of them flew against the cold 

 windows and against the cool ceiling, and what happened 

 to them there ; how others flew out-doors and went up, up, 

 up, toward the blue sky and the bright sun we will dis- 

 cover later where they went and what they did. Or the 

 teacher can tell a story about " What We Saw on Wash- 

 Day," bringing in as many applications as possible of evap- 

 oration and condensation, and often calling on the children 

 to complete or supplement or explain the story. 



FORMS OF WATER. 



Order of study. The study of the forms of water will 

 mean little unless preceded by the observational study of 

 evaporation and condensation. There are three sequences 

 in the work, water dust, "steam," fog, mist, cloud, or the 

 water-dust forms of water ; water dust, frost, snow, ice, or 

 the solid forms of water; water dust, dew, rain, or the 

 liquid forms of water. So far as possible, it is best to take 

 up the topics in the order given above, but the order will 

 be modified by weather conditions. If we have a foggy or 

 misty morning, we must take advantage of it to impress 

 on the children, perhaps by an out-door lesson, the charac- 

 teristics of fog, dropping other water study for a time. 

 Then when we come regularly, to the study of fog, the 

 children will have ideas to build upon, even if there is no 

 opportunity to observe fog at the time. When the snow 

 crystals, or the frost work on the windows, are particularly 

 good, stop and study them. A wise, tactful teacher will so 

 interest her children, that even little " first-graders " will 

 be on the lookout when out of school, and will observe fog 

 and rain and clouds and snow and ice, 



