NATURE STUDY MADE EASY 



131 



I. PARTS 



FERNS 



CLASS 40 pupils. 

 AGE 9 to 11. 

 TIME 30 minutes. 



{to cultivate child's power of observation, 

 to interest in nature study, 

 to give simple knowledge of ferns. 



MATTER 



Fronds, or outspread leaves. 



Spores, on underside of 

 leaves. 



Rhizome, or underground 

 stem. 



Rootlets, attached to rhi- 

 zome. 



II. COLOR 



ROOT OF FERN 



When young light green. 

 When older darker green. 

 Sometimes variegated. 

 Midrib glossy brown. 



METHOD AND ILLUSTRATION 



I. Let teacher bring, or have brought to 

 room, several growing ferns in pots. Let 

 children notice long spreading leaves 

 brown stem holding tiny leaflets ; teach 

 name a frond. 



Let class note full-grown frond. Let 

 them notice unrolled frond. Notice tiny 

 hairs on each when in roll. Why ? (To 

 protect from cold.) Turn over leaf and 

 notice brown spots below. What are 

 they? Notice fern has no flower, hence 

 fronds must produce seeds. Tell class 

 they are not real seeds, but will by and 

 by make a sort of seed. They are there- 

 fore inferior to flowering plants. 



Now show a bracken fern the whole 

 plant. Let class notice the strong under- 

 ground stem or rhizome. Explain how 

 it pushes its way underground. Show 

 little root hairs. 



II. Compare color of fern with flower- 

 ing plant; frond always green. Some, 

 like maidenhair, are of a delicate green. 

 All become darker green after attaining 

 full growth. Show midrib. 



