ON THE TEACHIXG OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 291 



bore upon the importance and the methods of teaching Science in the 

 primary and continuation schools as a preparation for technical studies 

 properly so called. A full account of what took place at this Conference 

 is being printed in the ' Journal of the Society of Arts.' It includes also 

 a strong letter from Professor Fitzgerald in advocacy of the system which 

 he saw carried out by Mr. Heller during the Professor's recent visit to 

 London as a member of the Commission on Manual and Practical Instruc- 

 tion in Primary Schools in Ireland. 



The question of improved methods of Science teaching in Elementary 

 Schools has also been advanced by the action of the Joint Scholarships 

 Board. Early in February Sir Philip Magnus, Chairman of the Board, 

 wrote to the ' Times ' inclosing a copy of a memorandum which had been 

 prepared by a Committee of the Board, and had been forwarded to the 

 Vice-President of the Council. The memorandum may be found in 

 ■extenso in 'Education ' of February 27. Its principal recommendation is as 

 follows : — ' In the opinion of this Board, in order to place " Science " on a 

 sounder footing in Elementary Schools, and, above all, in order that the 

 teaching of the subject may be of real value educationally, it is desirable 

 that only one Science subject should be taught up to and within the Sixth 

 Standard, and that the course should be a progressive one. It seems that 

 this might be accomplished by adopting exclusively Course H, given in 

 the Supplement to Schedule II. of the Day School Code.' It is hoped 

 that the Education Department will be able before long to adopt the 

 suggestion of the Board, whose object is to adapt the method of Science 

 teaching in its earliest stages to more advanced work, so that there may 

 be continuity in method from the Elementary Schools to the University. 



APPENDIX. 

 Domestic Science. — The Science of Domestic Economy and Ili/giene. 



1st stage. — Measurements of weight and size (volume), preferably in 

 the Metric system. Measurement of heaviness or density of water, 

 milk, &c. 



Floating bodies — the lactometer. 



General effects of heat on matter in its three states, with applications 

 to cooking, boiling, ventilation, hot-water supply, steaming, freezing, 

 clinical and household thermometers, weight of air, moisture in air, drying 

 and airing clothes, weather forecast, distillation, solution, and solubility, 

 modes of heating the dwelling, transmission of heat, clothing. 



2nd stage. — Effects of heat on food materials, such as sugar, cheese, 

 flour, eggs, fat and lean meat. Modes of cooking : yeast, baking powder, 

 a loaf of bread. Effects of heat on mineral matter, such as iron, copper, 

 brimstone. 



Rusting of iron, and general nature of air. 



Burning of a match, candle, lamp, and phosphorus. Oxygen the active 

 part of air. Burning of carbon, coal, or coke in air or oxygen. Fuel and 

 combustion. Coal gas, burners, and gas stoves. The gas meter. Carbonic 

 acid gas, its presence in the atmosphere, its origin. 



'3)-d stage. — Sources and impurities of water. Water supply and filtra- 

 tion. Hardness of water. Water a product of combustion. Composition 

 of water. 



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