4 NATURE STUDY 



That the study of nature rests primarily on observa- 

 tion, and that this rests on accurate sense perception, no 

 one will deny; but that this is the end is a supposition 

 fatal to successfully extracting from such a course results 

 more precious to the child, — the cultivation of the judg- 

 ment and the imagination. Indeed, if a choice must be 

 made, let us cultivate these rather than the senses, for, 

 without imagination, the acutest seeing, hearing, touch, 

 taste, or smell will not help us to an intelligent observation. 



Those, therefore, who see only its more limited possi- 

 bilities will teach the letter, — teach it well, perhaps, — but 

 will probably miss altogether the spirit. Facts are neces- 

 sary things. A teacher cannot have too many of them. 

 In truth, the larger her stock of facts, the better will be 

 her perspective ; the less imperative her desire to make 

 every one of her facts a part of the mental equipment of 

 the child, the greater the chance of escape for the eager 

 mind of the child from being stultified and deadened. 

 Let her therefore gather for herself her facts, and then, 

 guided by her intelligence and her heart, direct her aim 

 toward putting herself and the child in loving touch with 

 whatever of nature there is about them. 



In short, then, the teacher of science should 

 First : Prepare herself thoroughly, arranging her know- 

 ledge from the perspective of the child ; endeavoring to 

 foresee and to answer the questions which he will prob- 

 ably ask. 



In this work she will doubtless find that the class 

 know more than she gave them credit for. This is likely 

 to be particularly true of the boys. Why this is so, I do 

 not know, unless they investigate nature while their sis- 

 ters are trying to keep their dresses spotless. With the 



