7 



very little had been accoinplishcl. T.u work was voluntary on the part 

 of all, and had to be adapted to a program already in action, and so 

 arranged as not to interfere with the results in other lines already 

 planned for. One other fact should not be lost sight of, and that is the 

 greatness of the work and the short time, and the limitations of the 

 instruments employed. 



Plan of the Work for the Period of February to Hay Inclusive. 



To me fell the duty of preparing the directions, which were printed 

 by the Department, for the preparation and study of the objects and 

 experiments in the work. It was also my pleasure to spend one day in 

 every two weeks visiting the schools, meeting the pupils and teachers in 

 their rooms. Also on the afternoon of the same day I met at the High 

 School Building all the teachers of this class for a general discussion of 

 the work, and for a detailed description and practical illustration of the 

 lessons which it was proposed to repeat in the schools. 



A plan of visitation was arranged by Miss McFadden, by which she 

 went from room to room of those teachers who belonged to the class. 

 She examined the work done in Nature Study, gave lessons to the pu- 

 pils, discussed the subject with the teachers, distributed material and 

 apparatus among the rooms, and gave such other aid as seemed neces- 

 sary or was possible. She also met the teachers every other week, fill- 

 ing in necessary details, explaining apparatus and giving directions as 

 to the places where material might be found, and the best time for 

 gathering it. The obstacles met with in carrying out the work were dis- 

 cussed. On the suggestion of the teachers she accompanied groups of 

 them on several excursions into surrounding canyons, where material 

 was collected, and plants and animals observed in theirnatural environ- 

 ments. She also took several classes from various schools on short trips. 

 By these means the principles governing the work were discussed, the 

 actual work was done in illustrations, and material and printed direc- 

 tions for its use were distributed. 



General Consideration. 



It is considered first that at least with the lower grades the objects and 

 experiments are to be treated simply as phenomena, not as studies in 

 any of the formal sciences. They are to be used as lessons in accurate 

 seeing and clear thinking in the presence of facts. It is only after 

 knowledge and experience have sufficiently acctimulated and the mind is 

 sufficiently mature to take interest in the process, that the pupils may 

 be induced with profit to organize these facts into sciences. It is better 

 with these grades not to select all the lessons for a long continuous 

 period from one group of phenomena, for example, those pertaining to 

 a single plant, or even those connected with plants alone in general. 

 According to the conditions of season, of time, of various causes afford- 



