Maech 26, 1897.] 



SGIENGR 



499 



■which the critics have evidently not yet 

 learned about, but which nevertheless has 

 been most marked and important. The 

 ■second conclusion of the critics is based 

 in part upon this misunderstanding, and in 

 part upon the misinterpretation of the pos- 

 sibilities embraced within the earth sci- 

 ences. There is no subject of natural 

 science which, for study of an advanced 

 character, does not require a knowledge 

 beyond the present ability of the secondary 

 schools to give. "We do not find it neces- 

 sary to omit these sciences for this reason, 

 but merely the part that presents the diffi- 

 culty. Why does not the same principle 

 apply to the earth sciences ? Even when 

 this exclusion of parts has been made, 

 there is enough left. 



It is my belief that no science is better 

 adapted for the beginning in science study 

 in the secondary schools than physical 

 geography. There are two reasons for 

 this belief. In the first place, of all the 

 criticisms made against the science in- 

 struction in the schools, the one that ap- 

 peals most strongly to my mind is that there 

 is too much smattering and jumping about 

 from one thing to another, before any real 

 knowledge of any science has been gained. 

 There is an effort to obtain wide informa- 

 tion on various topics, with the result that 

 almost no training is gained, and so much 

 information is poured in that the mind of 

 the student is necessarily confused. Phys- 

 ical geography is a direct extension of the 

 geography study which has been carried on 

 for years before in the lower grades. With 

 this geography properly taught, and phys- 

 ical geography made an advanced continua- 

 tion of this, there is at least one year added 

 to the consecutive study of what may be 

 properly considered closely allied subjects 

 belonging to the same group. 



The second reason for considering phys- 

 ical geography adapted, above all the other 

 natural sciences, to first year study is that. 



when properly handled, it arouses a general 

 interest which no other science does so well. 

 That this point is correct I have long 

 known, but never before have I so fully 

 realized it as when, a few weeks ago, I vis- 

 ited a number of the Chicago high schools, 

 where physical geography is being taught 

 in the modern way. The eager interest, 

 the evidence of acute observation and clear 

 thinking, and the intelligent questions asked 

 by boys in knickerbockers and girls just 

 fresh from the grammar school, was the 

 best proof I have ever seen of the truth of 

 this conclusion. The teachers, forty in 

 number, assured me in conference that no 

 other subject aroused so much interest as 

 that of physical geography, and this came 

 from teachers most of whom were especially 

 interested either in biology or physics. 



This fact of interest I make a central 

 point of the argument, because it is the 

 means for obtaining an end. The old in- 

 struction in physical geography has for its 

 object the imparting of information. The 

 new school endeavors to make it a subject 

 of disciplinary value. Observation is en- 

 couraged and, in fact, insisted upon. The 

 results of these observations and of other 

 groups of facts are placed together to make 

 explanations. Weak arguments are tested 

 and overthrown ; fallacies are discovered 

 and pointed out, and the subject is hence 

 made to train habits of the mind which every 

 high school pupil will need, if he lives by 

 even a partial use of his mental powers. 

 We need to know how to use and discover 

 facts, and then to understand what they 

 mean . The proper study of physical geog- 

 raphy helps to train these habits of mind. 

 No better means for gaining such a disci- 

 pline can be found than to arouse the in- 

 terest of the pupils. With interest, or, bet- 

 ter still, with enthusiasm, the pupil ob- 

 serves and thinks beyond the requirements 

 of the study and plies his teacher with 

 questions, sometimes of great' ingenuity. 



