H2 Education through Nature 



topics with which he is familiar; (2) the presentation 

 of the matter so as to guide the pupil's mind by sensa- 

 tion to sense-perception or to percepts; from percepts 

 or individual notions to recepts or unconscious generali- 

 zation; from recepts, or unconscious generalization to 

 concepts or general notions conscious generaliza- 

 tion; (3) and finally leading the mind from generali- 

 zations to their further application, i.e., their use in 

 interpreting new percepts. 



The steps outlined in the guide may be taken in all 

 the grades except, perhaps, the lowest. Occasionally 

 some of the steps, as the tenth, may be omitted in the 

 upper grades. Each step may require several recita- 

 tion periods. Each lesson should be planned before 

 beginning it. A mere haphazard arrangement, on 

 the spur of the moment, cannot yield satisfactory 

 results. 



In planning the work, the teacher should keep in 

 mind not only the matter to be presented, but, also, 

 the special training which each aspect of the subject is 

 especially suited to give; also the general aim, as well 

 as the special aim, to be attained. 



The following rules may be useful: Proceed (i) from 

 the simple to the complex; (2) from the more appar- 

 ent to the less apparent, or from the known to the un- 

 known; (3) from the extensive to the intensive; (4) from 

 the concrete to the abstract; (5) from the particular to 

 the general; (6) from form to structure; (7) from 

 structure to function; (8) from facts to the relation of 

 facts; (9) from individuals to the community of organ- 

 isms. Give the pupil a general survey of the whole, 

 if possible, before introducing the study of parts. 



There must be a correspondence, also, to the order 

 of development of the child's powers; and to the order 

 in which these are employed in the pursuit of knowl- 

 edge, both by the individual and by the race. Thus 

 we first observe, second infer, third compare, fourth 



