■ 43 



Provide a ro.l about four feet loug .sharpened at one end, so that it 

 mav be thrust into the ground (a tripod is more convenient, but more 

 difficult to make). 



The upper end has a platform of board about four inches square, on 

 which to place a level, by means of which the platform is to be made 

 horizontal. A small iron spirit level can be obtained for fifteen cents. 



On the edge of the platform is tacked a thick card board with a semi- 

 circle drawn on its outer side. The diameter of the circle lies on a level 

 with the surface of the platform. The semicircle is marked off in de- 

 grees as carefully as possible and marked from o degrees to i8o degrees, 

 the 90 degrees being on the end of the radius exactly perpendicular to 

 the surface of the platform. With this apparatus, using pins as sights, 

 the position in degrees of the moon above the horizon may be read for 

 a few scccessive evenings at the same hour. See if the rate of move- 

 ment thus determined corresponds to the rate calculated by the observa- 

 tion of how many days the moon takes to make a revolution (360 de- 

 grees). 



Another line of questioning to be pursued is what is the cause of the 

 changing of the illuminated part. Pupils may in their own way pre- 

 pare models to illustrate this. 



Why is one side of the moon always turned toward the earth? How 

 long is the moon 's day? 



All the above, children from ten to twelve years of age have worked 

 out with no trouble except the setting of the work. This work of 

 course must be given out for the pupils to do at home of evenings, but 

 if by any chance the teacher might meet some of them, some evenings 

 much more interest might be obtained. A small telescope, or even 

 good spy glass will add greatly to the interest. 



After the above work the pupil can more successfully understand the 

 motions of the earth. 



[Note. — If the pupils do not know that the "fixed stars" maintain 

 their same relative position, they may be set to watch any group of 

 them for successive periods. The motions of some of the planets 

 among the other stars may be later made subjects of observation.] 



Formation of Course of Study. 



While the above constituted the directions formerly given out many 

 other subjects have been incidentally suggestsd, that have been more or 

 less connected with them. Many of these have been taken up by some 

 of the teachers and further supplemented. 



It is the design to make this and a more extended experience with 

 Nature Study the basis upon which to work out a course of study in this 

 line, adapted to the different grades. It is recognized that any such a 

 course of study formed now should not be regarded in any other light 

 than tentative. It should be agreed upon that it should at any time be 



