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"It has been the intent of the committee to prepare a state- 

 ment that is sufficiently elastic to give adequate recognition to 

 all good courses in high school botany, rather than to present a 

 set line of procedure that must be followed by all. The work 

 that is done should meet the needs of the pupils regardless of 

 whether any work is to be done in any higher institution. Em- 

 phasis is placed upon the quality and quantity of the work done, 

 and upon the preparation of the teacher, rather than upon the 

 particular things that are to be done. To this end the report 

 considers the following: I. The purpose and content of the course 

 and the time to be given to it; II. Suggested plan of the course; 

 III. The preparation that should be had by the teacher of 

 botany; IV. A list of topics from which selection may be made 

 to construct a course." 



From the first topic four extracts are given: 



1. "The ends to be sought through an elementary study of 

 plant life include training in the scientific method of thinking 

 particularly as relates to plant life, information and a more intel- 

 ligent and a more active interest in natural phenomena in general, 

 an elementary knowledge of fundamentals of plant life and a 

 better understanding of those features and activities of plants 

 that relate to every day affairs." 



2. "In determining the content, order and treatment of topics 

 in any indiviudal course, the needs and opportunities of the 

 teacher and class should be dominant. * * * The quality and 

 quantity of work done by the pupil, evidence of his ability to do 

 accurate and reliable work, and adequate preparation by the 

 teacher, rather than the specific content of the course are 

 emphasized." 



3. "There is presented a general plan of the 'synthetic course,' 

 which the majority of the committee believes to be the best type, 

 though it is not intended to restrict teachers to this type of 

 course. This course embodies the elements of morphology of 

 the great groups including the "lower forms" as well as the seed 

 plants, of physiology with experiments upon plant activities, of 

 ecology with emphasis upon class and individual field trips, 

 including some acquaintance with local plants, of the relation 



