OF NATURE [STUD V. '— tg 



upon her pupils universals which have not resulted from active mental process in 

 1he pupil's mind. 



In nature study the order of mental process is, therefore, as follows: 



(i.) Undefined notions of individual wholes. 



(2.) Learning- their names, uses, and important characteristics. Animate 

 nature is first of interest, while, later, inanimate nature becomes interesting- by 

 the same process. 



(3.) Recognition of likenesses and differences. 



(4.) Grouping objects according- to these likenesses and differences. 



(5.) Summarization of facts learned into a connected life history. Unimportant 

 details are here omitted. 



(6.) Study of embryonic development. 



(7.) Relation of object to whole kingdom. This is classification on a scientific 

 basis. 



Kach step, as here stated, is an advance in the discovery oi relations, ending 

 in an ideal sVaW — a knowledge of all relations, A fully rounded course in nature 

 .study is not complete without classification, but this is necessarily preceded by years 

 o'i observing and comparing in preparation for this classification. 



1. The child should upon entering school continue that course which he has 

 been following in his previous experience. He should extend his acquaintance 

 with nature, but under more ideal conditions than have hitherto obtained. 

 Distracting influences will be removed, and the material for stimulation will be 

 .selected and adapted to a systematic course of development. The study of 

 individual wholes will be followed immediately by analysis, and this in turn must 

 be tollowed by synthesis. As stated under the general principles of psychology, 

 analysis and synthesis must go hand in hand, and the extent of the analysis will 

 be determined by the power of synthesis. Since the principal mode of synthesis 

 in this stage is modelling, we should not demand minute analysis of objects, nor 

 should we attempt to analyse very complex objects. 



2. This study of individuals as wholes will be followed by the study of parts, 

 the uses of the whole and of the parts and the prominent characteristics which 

 will attract the attention of all young pupils. As soon as a clear notion of each 

 part is obtained, the name should be given and the pupil should discover the use 

 of each part by observing the object in its natural surroundings. Naturally a 

 child is first interested in moving things, because his attention is compelled to 

 change from point to point by the external object moving over the field of vision ; 

 just as later active attention is secured by moving the eye from point to point of the 

 object. The child delights in activity, but the teacher must see that the child's 

 own activitv is developed and not merely his observation of others' activity. The 

 former means development ; the latter arrested development. The child viust 

 express itself by the mode best fitted to its stage of mental power. 



3. Some claim that differences are first noticed by children ; others that 

 i-esemblances are. The fact seems to be that both are phases of one mental process. 

 Two things would not be recognized as two unless they differed, at least, in 

 position, in time, or in space ; hence, in recognizing anything we have two 

 judgments, implicit or explicit, i. e., this is not the same object as that ; this object 

 is like that. Since the notions of space and time are necessary judgments, we 



