THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 465 



selves, and thus developing the faculty of observation. Children should 

 also be encouraged to make collections of Natural Objects to be found in 

 the vicinity of the schools, and each school should have a Museum formed 

 as far as possible from the cdlleotions of the pupils. Shells, stones, 

 flowers, &c., would form most appropriate objects for a School Museum. 



' A most useful combination of Drawing and Clay Modelling can be 

 introduced as a help to the pupils in Object Lessons. Children should be 

 encouraged to make simple drawings or models in clay of the simpler 

 Objects. As with Drawing, the teacher should make frequent use of the 

 blackboard in connection with Object Lessons. 



' Where the circumstances are suitable, school excursions, to see Objects 

 in their habitats, could be beneficially undertaken. Thus, a visit to the 

 Zoological Gardens would enable the children to compare types of domestic 

 animals with which they are familiar with wild animals of the same 

 general order. In the same way periodical visits to a good kitchen 

 garden would form an excellent series of Object Lessons of a real and 

 useful character. While Object Lessons make the school lives of the 

 children more happy, they also fulfil three principal and uiost important 

 uses : they teach the children to observe, compare, and contrast ; they 

 impart information ; and they form the basis for instruction in Drawing, ckc. 



' The courses in Elementary Science detailed in Section V. of Pro- 

 gramme are not too difficult for the ordinary National School pupil. And 

 here, again, the Commissioners think it necessary to remark that by the 

 courses in Elementary Science they do not wish to train electricians, agri- 

 culturists, ifec, but they wish to give all pupils useful instruction, and 

 the possible future electrician or agriculturist such a knowledge of the 

 great natural principles underlying his profession as will enable him to 

 pursue it with success in after life. 



' The great end teachers should endeavour to secure in connection with 

 Elementary Science is to produce the scientific habit of research, and to 

 impress the leading scientifiic principles upon the nascent intelligence by 

 observation and simple experiment on the part of the pupils, and by plain 

 expository and practical illustration on the part of the teacher. 



' As a help to instruction in Course II., every school should, whenever 

 possible, have a small plot of ground as a garden. If this is not feasible, 

 garden boxes should be placed in the windows, and be planted with the 

 simpler flowers, which could be used for illustrating the lessons. The 

 gardens and boxes would, moreover, make the schools more cheerful and 

 attractive to the children, and would aid largely in the development of 

 artistic taste and a love of Nature.' 



Corresponding Societies Committee. — Report of the Committee, consisting 

 of Mr. W. Whitaker (Chairman), Mr. T. V. Holmes (Secretary j, 

 Professor R. Meldola, Mr. Francis Galton, Sir John Evans, 

 Dr. J. G-. Garson, Mr. J. Hopkinson, Professor T. G. Bonney, 

 tJie late Sir Cuthbert Peek, Dr. Horace T. Brown, Rev. J. 0. 

 Bevan, Professor W. W. Watts, Rev. T. R. R. Steering, Mr. 

 C. H. Read, ami Mr. F. W. Rudler. 



The Corresponding Societies Committee have to report that in conformity 

 with their resolution mentioned in the Report of last year notice was 

 sent in March last to the Corresponding Societies inviting them to consider 

 1901. jj jj 



