ONTARIO AND MANITOBA NATURE STUDY COURSES. 39 



who studies and yields to the children's interests being carried 

 into a groove by his own favorite science. If any teacher 

 feels such favoritism drawing him strongly he cannot do better 

 than to keep his eye on the list of topics. It is a question 

 whether he can make his best nature study lessons on topics 

 coming within a science he knows well. The answer is " Yes" 

 only when he knows the child and pedagogics well. 



Ontario. Form I (1st and 2nd years). Animal Life : — General 

 appearance and habits of pet animals, their care and food ; domestic 

 animals on the farm, their care, habits and uses ; birds, their nesting, 

 song, food, migrations in the autumn; metamorphosis of a few 

 conspicuous butterflies or moths. 



Plant Life : — Work in school garden or in window-boxes ; study of 

 a plant, as a geranium or pansy, from slip or seed to flower ; caring for 

 plants in pots ; buds, their preparation for winter, their development ; 

 autumn leaves, collections, forms, tints ; economic fruits, collection, 

 forms, how stored for winter, fruit as seed holders, dissemination of 

 seeds ; roots and stems, uses, comparison of fleshy forms, how stored 

 for winter. 



Life on the Farm : — Harvesting, primitive and modern methods 

 compared ; preparation for winter ; the barn and its uses ; activities of 

 the farm during winter ; winter sports and social life on the farm ; the 

 varied operations of spring time ; spring time as awakening to new 

 life ; effects of sun and moisture on the soil. 



In its early stages Geography should be but a phase of the observa- 

 tional work in Nature Study. 



Observation of particular forms of land and water, as hills, valleys, 

 ravines, streams, ponds, etc., in the neighborhood of the school; 

 location of objects observed ; general notion of position and direction ; 

 activities of home and vicinity, the farm, the shops, the factories, 

 things brought td market, food, milk, water supply, shelter and 

 clothing, rail and other roads, waterways ; systematic trips to 

 places of geographical interest near the school ; observation of the 

 progress of the sun from sunrise to sunset ; observation of position 

 and appearance of the moon, the "Great Bear;" clouds, appearance, 

 motions ; rain, snow, hail, etc. ; stories of child-life in other lands 

 with illustrations. 



