PREFACE 



THIS work is the result of a course of lectures deliv- 

 ered by the author on Methods of Science-teaching. 

 It owes its form and content, first, to impressions con- 

 cerning the scope and character of current nature- 

 study literature; and second, to impressions regarding 

 the general scientific preparation of teachers who have 

 been under his instruction and supervision in institute, 

 normal school, and normal training-school work. 



Current nature-study literature, dealing chiefly with 

 the facts of nature study, fails to aid the teacher in 

 two important difficulties where help seems to be most 

 needed, namely: (i) many teachers fail to grasp the 

 real significance and importance of the subject; (2) 

 they do not know how to handle the subject, how to 

 begin, how to continue, and how to end the study of 

 an object. This book is an attempt to remove those 

 difficulties. 



The facts of natural science are so numerous that 

 they cannot be condensed into a small volume. Be- 

 sides, even a complete catalogue of all the facts of nature 

 cannot be substituted for a proper study of nature 

 itself. Nature study in book form is a contradiction 

 in terms. The "book of nature" has its own message 

 to give to the inquiring mind; and this message can 

 be communicated only by nature itself. Interpreters 

 have thus far been rather unsuccessfully employed, 

 because we have not been able to become as little 



