HOW DO WE GET ACQUAINTED WITH THINGS? 5 



studies science. His observations may be good, but, 

 unless he relates his observations to something that he 

 wants to know, he will not get very far with his study. 



Sense Impressions Are Not Always Reliable. If you 

 look carefully at the picture on page 4, you are quite 

 sure that the man in the picture is taller than the little 

 girl shown in the foreground. But if you draw lines 

 touching the tops of the heads of the three figures and 

 the bottoms of the feet of the three, you will be surprised 

 at what you find. Try it and see for yourself. This 

 shows us that sense impressions, even when carefully 

 made, cannot always be relied upon. 



We Need to Know Where We Are Going. Uncas, in 

 his -wanderings through the forest, made his observations 

 with some object in mind. If he was stalking deer, it 

 was signs of deer that he looked for. If going through 

 a hostile country, it was signs of enemy that he sought. 

 So it is with any one who studies science or indeed 

 any school subject. He must know where he is going and 

 what he is after. Our observations must be directed 

 toward one goal and we must know just what this goal is. 

 In science we call it a problem and we say we are trying to 

 solve a problem. This interesting old world in which we 

 live has so many interesting problems for us to solve - 

 secrets which can only be discovered when the observa- 

 tions we make are directed to a goal in which we are 

 interested. Remember this in your science work and it 

 will always seem worth while. 



Life Is a Continual Solving of Problems. But, you say, 

 this isn't true. We are not solving problems when we 

 are at play. Think a moment tag, or swimming, 

 or football. In tag, you must dodge ; but does quick 

 dodging just happen or do we learn to dodge skillfully ? 

 Did we ever have to learn to swim? Ask the football 

 player about the successful plays that win the game. 



