May 9, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



73c 



eliemistry, the desirability of original work, 

 and the necessity of more attention to the 

 application of psychology to the laboratory 

 work. At the session on Saturday morn- 

 ing, December 28, 1901, Mr. J. R. Kittredge, 

 Union Classical School, Schenectady, N. Y., 

 read a paper on 'The College Entrance 

 Preparation of Students as Viewed from 

 the Secondary Man's Standpoint.' Pro- 

 fessor Charles M. Allen, Pratt Institute, 

 Brookl3ai, N. Y., discussed 'Chemical 

 Laboratory Notes,' and Mr. F. M. Gilley, 

 High School, Chelsea, Mass., read and il- 

 lustrated a paper on 'How to Meet the 

 Problem of Teaching Physics by the Labo- 

 ratory Method in Secondary Schools. ' Mr. 

 Kittredge made a plea for a four years' 

 course in science with physics as the basis, 

 Professor Allen illustrated his plan of pre- 

 senting experiments and recording notes by 

 the 'loose-sheet method,' and Mr. Gilley 

 by two experiments illustrated his method 

 of teaching a large section as a whole. The 

 papers wei'e discussed by the members of 

 the Section, and a healthy interest was 

 shown in the one thought of the meetings, 

 viz., how to secure better teaching. 

 Reported by 



Lyman C. Newell. 

 State Normal Schooi., Lowell, Mass. 



EARTH SCIENCE SECTION. 



The Earth Science Section met on Fri- 

 day afternoon, December 27, and on the 

 morning of Saturday, December 28. 



At the first session the subject for dis- 

 cussion was the question of 'Geography 

 for Training Students in the Normal 

 Schools.' Discussion was opened by four 

 twenty-minute papers given by Professor 

 A. "VV. Farnham, of the Oswego State Nor- 

 mal School; Professor C. Stuart Gager, of 

 the New York Normal College, Albany; 

 Principal C. T. McFarland, of the Brock- 

 port Normal School; and Professor W. S. 



Monroe, of the State Normal School, "West- 

 field, Mass. The first two speakers paid 

 particular attention to the work in physical 

 geography that should be presented to nor- 

 mal students who are intending to teach in 

 the elementai-y schools; the last two 

 speakers emphasized particularly the hu- 

 man side of the work as it should be pre- 

 sented. Professor Mom*oe outlining at some 

 length what to his mind should be included 

 in such a course in reference to the races of 

 men and their conditions and character- 

 istics as related to their environment. All 

 speakers agreed on the necessity of more 

 time for geography work in the normal 

 schools of New York State, and particularly 

 for better coordination of the work, so as 

 to secure more efficient geographical train- 

 ing. 



The second session was devoted to the 

 discussion of the preliminary report pre- 

 sented by the Committee of Seven ap- 

 pointed in 1900 to outline a course in phys- 

 ical geography for the secondary schools 

 of New York State. Mimeographed copies 

 of the report of the committee and of the 

 course suggested by the committee were 

 in the hands of all who attended. After 

 a brief presentation of the main points 

 of view held by the committee the discus- 

 sion was led by Head Inspector C. F. 

 Wheelock, of the Regent's Office; Professor 

 A. P. Brigham, of Colgate University; and 

 Miss Elizabeth E. Meserve, of the Free 

 Academy, Utica. Informal discussion un- 

 der a five-minute rule followed, and was 

 participated in by many of those present. 

 Both sessions were particularly helpful 

 and suggestive, and great interest was 

 shown in the problems presented for dis- 

 cussion. At the close of the meeting it M^as 

 voted to ask the Association to continue 

 the Committee of Seven for one year, with 

 the expectation that it -would, at the end 

 of that time, present a series of laboratory 

 exercises for Physical Geography in See- 



