578 NATURE STUDY. 



How Baby Bean gets its own food. As the baby at home 

 gets older it begins to reach out, and tries to get things to eat 

 and drink. So the plant baby, as its " foot " (shall we call 

 it "hand" now?) grows and forms branches, or " fingers," 

 begins to get food for itself. Its food is in the ground. 

 Its root always grows first (Why ?). It grows down (Why 

 always down ?) and branches out and forms many thread- 

 like " fingers " spreading in all directions. Why ? By the 

 time the two lunch boxes are empty the baby plant can get 

 its own food and take care of itself. Emphasize fact that 

 we must help the plant by giving it water and good soil, 



soil with plenty of plant food in it. 







Summary. A baby that is old enough to get its own 

 food is old enough to talk, and tell its own story. Cannot 

 the teacher, with the help of the children, draw from the 

 plants " The Story Our Bean Babies Told," have a bean tell 

 how much Mother Bean and Mother Nature did for her, 

 and how she is learning to do and work for herself ? 



LESSON V. THE BEAN BABIES IN THEIR CRADLE. 



Now the children are ready to study the bean itself, 

 from which the babies came. If they begin with beans be- 

 fore observing their germination they will not understand 

 them. They have now seen each part, coat, caulicle, 

 cotyledons, plumule, develop, and have learned by obser- 

 vation what each does. Now each part means something 

 to them. 



By the latter part of April beans in the pod can usually 

 be obtained at the market. Show one or two to the chil- 

 dren, open and show the beans in their green cradle, noting 

 how they are fastened and arranged, each in its place. 



Give children large beans, Lima beans are best, soaked 

 over night, and have them find coat (and micropyle if pos- 



