71 



the great questions of life only after having studied them in a 



reasonably wide range of indi\iduals. In comparing the \alue of 



the two courses, do not lose sight of the fact that our work is a 



matter of record and we are perfectly willing to be fairly judged 



by what we have done and are doing. Theirs is all theory and 



argument. I have never heard a general science advocate give a 



concise, constructive argument for its substitution for biology. 



They will tell you that it has made good in the West, and that it 



is spreading e\erywhere. There are several reasons why I am 



not much impressed with that argument. First, the West is a 



long way ofif and it is not possible to get definite facts as to how 



successful their work is. Second, the universities of the Middle 



West are less exacting in their conditions for admission. This 



leaves plenty of time for three or four years in science courses. 



Such conditions will offset the handicap of one inferior course. 



In the third place, I have personally admitted to our courses 



pupils who have been trained in general science in schools 



at Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, D. C, Massachusetts, 



Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This list includes 



one pupil who was taught by the author of one of the well-known 



books in general science. In every instance, I examined the 



laboratory note book, in case the pupil made one, and the results 



make me more emphatic in saying that general science, as taught 



at the present time, is not well organized. 



And now, in conclusion, to revert to the title of my paper, the 



changes that I would suggest are not so much the content of the 



course a.9 the question of emphasis. I would urge, first, more 



time on the fundamental processes of living things. This is the 



most important part of the work and unless we get our pupils to 



understand them, by teaching them over and over again, we will 



lower our course until 't is on a level with general science. Second, 



wherever possible, I would teach these principles by means of 



forms that have an important relation to human welfare. Third, 



I would emphasize facts in our course that train for citizenship. 



Erasmus H.all High School, 

 Brooklyn-, N. Y. 



