144 Education through Nature 



By this time each important idea should be associated 

 with a symbol, a word or name, which when heard 

 will recall the appropriate image. The object has 

 suggested the idea, the teacher has supplied the word. 

 Consequently the word should mean something now 

 to the pupil. 



In gaining additional information through the 

 medium of language, the pupil has to reverse the 

 natural processes. He must now gain an idea from its 

 symbol; translate, so to speak, language into ideas. 



Such supplementary information can be gained by 

 the pupil in two ways; first, by oral communication 

 by the teacher; second, by reading books on the sub- 

 ject. Hence the lecture and the library. 



The amount of library work to be done in connection 

 with any subject must depend on the facilities obtain- 

 able. The teacher, at least, should have a nature- 

 study library. Scientific works on natural history are 

 not expensive (see list in Part II, Chap. IV). Aside 

 from the additional information gained from books 

 on any one subject, there is the more general benefit 

 derived from the habit of using works of reference, 

 not to mention the power of gathering knowledge from 

 the printed page. 



The book of reference may be used in two ways: 

 (i) the pupil may consult the book; (2) the teacher 

 may read to the class important passages bearing on 

 the subject studied. Such readings may sometimes 

 be substituted for the lecture, especially in the lower 

 grades. 



Many teachers feel that the lecture is out of place 

 in nature study, and would perhaps maintain that 

 the work should be all observation work and develop- 

 mental work. That would be very true if the first 

 steps had not already been taken. It is not true when 

 the first part of the work has been properly done. 



In the first place, the teacher should be able to get 



