64 Education through Nature 



tion. Much of the nature-study work in the lower 

 grades must be of this nature. Observation must 

 here predominate. Indeed it is doubtful if any con- 

 siderable effort should here be made by the teacher 

 to lead the pupil to generalize. The history of the 

 human race, so far as we have any record of that his- 

 tory, suggests that a period of unconscious induction 

 preceded the age of generalization the philosophical 

 and theological age and that the latter ages pre- 

 ceded, in the history of western peoples at least, the 

 period of conscious systematic study of nature our 

 present scientific age. The same stages properly 

 belong to the individual; (i) the period of uncon- 

 scious induction by a varied experience with natural 

 things; (2) the period of generalization and specula- 

 tion; (?.) the scientific period, in which the individual, 

 doubtful of his previous generalizations, yet impressed 

 by their imporlance, proceeds voluntarily and sys- 

 tematically to test, by accurate observation and ex- 

 periment, the truth or absurdity of those previously 

 formed general notions. This latter, alone, can be 

 called science. 



For various reasons, among which may be included 

 not only want of school training, but also unnatural 

 school training, many persons never arrive at this 

 third stage; or do so at such an advanced age that 

 but very little of real scientific work can be done. 

 Nature study, properly graded, can so condense the 

 first two periods as to make of the graduates of our 

 schools, if not scientists, then men and women with 

 that broad-minded conservatism which is so highly 

 to be prized. 



Finally, the teacher of nature study should be, not 

 only a good observer, but also a sane thinker. Nature 

 study deals with the finite; yet there is much in it to 

 suggest the infinite. All generalizations are neces- 

 sarily partial that do not proceed from a central con- 



