48 The Nature-Study Exhibition 



the altitude of the sun at various seasons of the year, and how it actually 

 causes the seasons. 



*'(S) Rain-gauge Chart. — The instrument was examined weekly and 

 a record kept. Any special rainfall gave a good opportunity of finding 

 out what quantity of rain had fallen in the parish, and whether it was 

 normal, short, or abundant. 



"At suitable intervals the whole of the charts were considered in 

 conjunction, to show why Nature was backward, forward, or normal. 

 These observations were not limited to ' Nature-study ', but were fre- 

 quently used in connection with geography lessons. As an experiment, 

 the work leaves no doubt but that great interest and habit of observation 

 have been keenly and regularly aroused, and that it has been made use 

 of by the pupils in their reasonings both at home and at school. Any 

 articles or paragraphs in newspapers or magazines bearing upon the 

 above have been discussed by master and pupils. The children's 

 original observations outside the school have very frequently been 

 worthy of record in the class note-books." 



D. Drawing:, Painting, and Modelling* from 

 Natural Objects. — The way in which Nature-Study is 

 correlated with school-work, such as drawing, painting, and 

 modelling, was well shown by numerous exhibits. From 

 some of these it was also evident that the illustrations made 

 by pupils were pre-eminently records of Nature-study ob- 

 servations. In this connection must be mentioned the 

 Chislehurst Road Board School at Orpington, which ex- 

 hibited coloured drawings illustrating the development and 

 opening of flower and leaf buds actually observed in the 

 school garden, and other pictures showing the character- 

 istics of various creatures studied. At Crookesmoor Board 

 School — a type of one situated in a large manufacturing 

 town — the course has been made " one of pure observation 

 of nature forms ", and when flowering-plants or some of the 

 commoner insects are taken as a basis the treatment is 

 usually as follows : — 



"I. Lesson on the object (leaves, flower, fruit), each pupil being 

 supplied with a specimen. 



"2. Diagrammatic drawing illustrating the diagnosis. This each 

 pupil makes with the help of the teacher. 



