nor where it leads to, may somewhat appreciate the feelings of a child who gets his first knowl- 

 edge of milling by being taken to the latest improved, roller-process establishment. In re- 

 tracing the path that was trodden by the race the child need not be led into the quagmires of 

 error and superstition, with which this path was often lined. Prof. De Garmo asks shall we 

 begin astronomy with astrology, or chemistry with alchemy? Had the astrologers and 

 alchemists really been successful in predicting future events by means of the stars and planets, 

 or in converting the baser metals into gold, we should have an ideal starting point for astron- 

 omy and chemistry. Geometry was developed from the necessity for earth measurements 

 along the Nile, we are told, and there is no better method of beginning the subject with im- 

 mature minds. Had it been developed in unsuccessful attempts to signal to the inhabitants of 

 Mars, no sensible teacher would feel called upon to start the subject until where it had reached 

 the solid road of progress towards the Truth. 



Since the work of each year presupposes that the work of the previous year has been done, 

 in starting the course it will be found desirable to start the first year's work in each of the 

 three primary grades, doing a little more and a little better work with the older children. 

 In the fourth, fifth and sixth grades the work of the first two years could easily be done in 

 starting. Where two grades are combined it will not be found feasible to carry more than 

 one line of work at the same time. In the case of rural schools a series of topics may be 

 selected and studied by the school as a whole, adjusting the work as far as possible to the 

 individual capacities of the pupils. Here should be especially emphasized the economic 

 phases of plants, animals, soil and weather. If the school board will not provide the small 

 amount of apparatus, reagents and materials required have a lecture given, or get up an 

 entertainment. No more time is required for the Nature work than for any of the regular 

 subjects of the elementary school, but it should have as much. A good deal, however, can 

 be accomplished with three periods a week if they are devoted strictly to the Nature work 

 and the necessary expression work done during the appropriate periods. The weather study 

 may very satisfactorily be made a part of the daily opening exercises, the necessary 

 observations having been made before school. The following list of books should be accessible 

 to the teacher. 



REFERENCE LIST. 



1. NATURE STUDY AND THE CHILD Scott. Heath & Co., 1900. 



2. NATURE STUDY AND LIFE Hodge. Ginn & Co., 1902. 



3. THE PLACE OF INDUSTRIES IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION Dopp. University of 



Chicago Press, 1902. 



4. THE NATURE STUDY IDEA Bailey.* Doubleday, Page & Co., 1903. 



5. How NATURE STUDY SHOULD BE TAUGHT Bigelow. Hinds, Noble & Eldredge, 1904. 

 6 COURSE OF STUDY IN THE EIGHT GRADES McMurry, 2 volumes. The Macmillan 



Co., 1906. 



7. HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY Lange. The Macmillan Co., 1898. 



8. SYSTEMATIC SCIENCE TEACHING Howe. Appleton & Co., 1894. 



9. LONGMAN'S OBJECT LESSONS Salmon & Woodhull. Longmans, Green & Co., 1894. 

 10. NATURE STUDY FOR THE COMMON SCHOOLS Jackman. Holt & Co., 1894. 



n. SPECIAL METHOD IN SCIENCE McMurry. Public School Publishing Co., 1896. 



12. NATURE STUDY IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Wilson. The Macmillan Co., 1899. 



13. OBJECT LESSONS IN ELEMENTARY SCIENCE Murche, 3 volumes. The Macmillan 



Co., 1901-2. 



14. NATURE STUDY FOR GRAMMAR GRADES Jackman. The Macmillan Co., 1899. 



15. THE SCHOOL AND SOCIETY Dewey. University of Chicago Press, 1899. 



1 6. THE SEVEN LITTLE SISTERS Andrews. Lee & Shepard, 1888. 



39 



