22 NATURE STUDY AND AGRICULTURE 



being taught, by the teacher, or by adults who are searching 

 for the most helpful contact with nature. However, this 

 is not all, for some teachers are able to interest children in 

 anything, or the interest may be spasmodic. The interest 

 must be shown in important things; that is in things worthy 

 of interest, knowledge in reference to which is a valuable 

 asset in one's equipment. Much of the material suggested 

 for nature study is trivial. It may or may not be made 

 interesting, but in any event it is valueless, and to study it 

 means going through the motions rather than doing some- 

 thing. Merely to observe the many differences in the 

 forms of leaves or in the colors of birds or butterflies is the 

 I observation of certain facts of nature truly enough, but 

 / such facts alone are as barren as a sand bank. It is like 

 taking bricks and putting them into a meaningless pile 

 rather than into a building that means something and 

 abides. The test of interest, therefore, must mean inter- 

 est in important things. 



Continuity. Another quality which must be apparent 

 in the interest is continuity. Occasional interest is not the 

 real thing, for it disappears as difficulties or even incon- 

 veniences are met. The interest that counts is willing to 

 contribute time and labor and patience for the sake of 

 what they bring. This is the difference between interest 

 and entertainment; the former is willing to endure drudgery 

 which would spoil the latter. The full statement of the 

 test, therefore, is continuity of interest in important things. 

 It is almost instinctive among teachers with formal 

 training in methodology to demand continuity of subject 

 matter. They are very strenuous about one thing leading 

 to another in logical sequence, so that the subject as a 



