General Methods 83 



logical connections, and thus assisting the pupil in 

 bringing order out of chaos. The contention that 

 this telling method should never be used, in nature 

 study, is foolish. There are many facts that the pupil 

 cannot discover for himself, which can be supplied in 

 this way, and which are often necessary to render 

 the student's own observations clear. Care must, 

 of course, be taken not to use terms or language with 

 which the pupil has not become familiar. For, strictly 

 speaking, men can communicate with each other 

 only in a common language, and with ideas that are 

 already familiar to both. The idea must come before 

 the word; but new combinations of ideas can be 

 produced by a carefully prepared lecture. It is safe 

 to say, also, that, in arranging such a lecture or sum- 

 mary, the teacher derives fully as much benefit as 

 does the pupil; and a growing teacher is always an 

 inspiration, even to a child. 



9. THE CONFIRMATION METHOD is the method of 

 seeing what has first been told the pupil. Thus a 

 subject might be introduced by a lecture, in which 

 it is pointed out what is to be found in the object and 

 where it is to be found. Laboratory guides are fre- 

 quently used for such a purpose. 



This method has the disadvantage of robbing the 

 pupil of the pleasure of discovery and invention; and 

 of making him a mere machine for seeing what is 

 already known. It is certainly not well suited to 

 develop the investigator; although, for mature stu- 

 dents, as well as for the teacher, it may not be as 

 harmful as in the lower grades. 



Where lack of time exists, as is so often the case 

 with the teacher, it may be of advantage to him to 

 use this method in preparing for his work. Knowing 

 enough about the subject to understand the lecture 

 or the book, time can be saved by confirming, by 

 observation and experiment; what the author or 



