596 NATURE STUDY. 



GERMINATION OF BEAN. 



( Continued -from April. Planned for First Grade. ) 



LESSON VI. THE LEAVES IN THE BEAN GETTING READY. 



Preparation. Beginning with the two pale little leaves 

 folded between the cotyledons lead children to watch : how 

 they increase in size ; how they push apart from one an- 

 other, and push out from between the cotyledons, tip first; 

 how their color changes to a deeper and deeper green ; how 

 the plant stem lengthens pushing them up, and the leaf 

 stems lengthen pushing them apart, until they turn their 

 faces to the sky ; how between the bases of the two leaf 

 stems a little knob appears, which slowly shows itself to be 

 a bud. 



When this stage is reached have a lesson. It will be 

 much more successful if the children can have before them, 

 during the lesson, beans (large Lima beans are best) just 

 beginning their development, and others showing one or two 

 stages in the emergence of the leaves. 



Presentation. The lesson may be in four steps : first, the 

 baby leaves in their seed cradle ; second, the leaves climbing 

 out of their cradle; third, looking up toward the sun; 

 fourth, the parts of the leaf and what they do. The parts 

 are : the leaf stem, to lift up and hold up the leaf; the leaf 

 blade ; the flat, thin green part (compare with a knife-blade); 

 and the veins, to hold up the parts of the blade. (See Fig. 

 67.) Three blackboard sketches, showing these stages, 

 and strongly emphasizing leaf development, drawn by the 

 teacher as directed by the children, will lead the little folks 

 to observe carefully, and will help to impress the main 

 facts on their eyes and minds. It may be helpful to have 

 the children cut the leaves in paper, or take an impress of 

 them in clay. 



