188 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 109. 



Nature Study and Belated Subjects for the Common 

 Schools. Wilbur S. Jackman, A. B. Part I. 

 Charts, 4to, pp. 23; Part II., Notes, 12mo., 

 pp. 167. The Author, Chicago. 1896. 

 These two books are of especial interest to 

 teachers of science, for, even though the first 

 is concerned with teaching in general, the 

 author, nevertheless, lays especial stress upon 

 the proper methods of science teaching. Al- 

 though Johonnot's book originally appeared 

 nearly twenty years ago, this revised edi- 

 tion seems fresh and new, not because there 

 is much new matter incorporated in it, nor 

 yet because the subject-matter has been ma- 

 terially changed, but rather because the origi- 

 nal work contained so much that was true 

 in principle and clear in expression. The 

 system is based upon sound psychological prin- 

 ciples and the book is a clear exposition of the 

 scientific method of teaching. It contains 

 chapters upon the general objects of education, 

 the mental powers, objective and subjective 

 courses of instruction, relative value of differ- 

 ent branches of instruction, Pestalozzi, Froebel, 

 Agassiz, systems of education compared, phys- 

 ical, aesthetic and moral culture, general course 

 of study, country schools and their organiza- 

 tion. 



The most noticeable changes made by the 

 reviser are in relation to manual training, moral 

 culture and general courses of study, and are 

 all in the direction of recent pedagogical opin- 

 ion on these subjects. An appendix is added, 

 giving an account of a school conducted upon 

 the principles advocated by the author. Of 

 his success we may judge from the following 

 extract: 



"Our experiment came to an end. Of the 

 various innovations made upon custom each 

 had justified itself. The efibrt to make char- 

 acter the end of education had more than ful- 

 filled expectation. During the last year not a 

 single case of misconduct was reported to me, 

 nor was the behavior of one of our students 

 criticised by the citizens. We had a reign of 

 influence. The forces that govern conduct 

 came from a growth within of just and kindly 

 impulses. A watchful supervision had always 

 been maintained, but into this had entered no 

 element of espionage. The peculiar character 



which the school attained, both on its mental 

 and moral side, was due to the several factors 

 of influence — scientific methods in study, phil- 

 osophic succession of subjects and a never- 

 ceasing but an apparently incidental attention 

 to moral training." 



Prof. Jackman' s work consists of two parts, 

 the first being a set of ten charts presenting a 

 conspectus of nature study for the school year, 

 and the second a series of notes and directions 

 for the guidance of the teacher. The charts 

 outline the subjects of study appropriate for 

 each month of the school year from September 

 to June inclusive, the subjects themselves being 

 mineralogy, geology, astronomy, meteorology, 

 chemistry, physics, geography, botany and 

 zoology. Each subject is considered in the 

 two aspects of thought work and form work. 

 Under the former are included the subject, 

 both general and special; the concept, to be 

 considered from the study of the subject; col- 

 lections illustrating the subject; apparatus re- 

 quired; reading from certain designated books 

 containing selections for school use; literary 

 treatment of the topic by recognized writers; 

 the moral and sesthetic culture derived from 

 the study. Under the head of form work the 

 pupil's training is directed along the lines of 

 the study of the geometrical form exhibited by 

 the object; number, consisting mainly of statis- 

 tics gathered by examining a large series of 

 objects and bearing on various points ; making 

 or modeling the object or the piece of apparatus 

 used; drawing the same; color, as shown in 

 nature; writing upon some topic suggested by 

 the thought work; language, including the 

 study of descriptive phrases, figures of speech, 

 technical terms, etc. ; music, as illustrated by 

 the appropriate school songs; references to 

 standard scientific literature. 



This plan of study as outlined above will at 

 once be recognized as that of a teacher who has 

 had long experience and has been guided by 

 correct principles ; of one who evidently be- 

 lieves that nature study develops something 

 more than the powers of observation, and if 

 properly conducted may be the means of culti- 

 vating all the mental faculties. The plan itself 

 is exceedingly comprehensive and varied. In 

 the hands of a conscientious and well-trained 



