156 



The manual is most attractively spaced; and unusually well- 

 illustrated for a laboratory manual. The questions and special 

 reports are varied and interesting. Some of the questions {e. ,?., 

 on nutrition) seem too difficult; as do one or two of the graphic 

 charts; and ray flowers and petals are confused (p. 31). Some 

 good tables, directions, etc., are included; the clay-pipe charcoal 

 experiment is one of several neat devices. 



These books ought to do much to secure sufficient uniformity 

 of treatment of the "syllabus" to enable New York City teachers 

 to estimate its real value. They must also prove a great help 

 to many of the present uncertain interpreters of it and of "na- 

 ture" and should lead to great improvement in the content and 

 presentation of first-year biology. 



Jean Broadhurst. 



OF INTEREST TO TEACHERS* 



Professor E. L. Thorndike discusses methods of testing the 

 results of the teaching of science {School Science and Mathematics, 

 April). It contains much that is helpful to biology teachers in 

 estimating the results obtained, but only the definite suggestions 

 are quoted here. 



"The topic which I am to discuss is one of enormous com- 

 plexity. The changes in human beings which result from the 

 teaching of science in schools are real, are measurable, and will 

 some day be defined in units of amount as we now define changes 

 in the rate of a moving body or in the density of a gas. But 

 they include thousands of different elements; they vary with 

 every individual; some of them can be demonstrated only long 

 after school is completed; and at present units and scales in 

 which to state changes in knowledge, power, interests, habits 

 and ideals are mostly matters of faith. An adequate measure- 

 ment of the changes wrought in one class by one course in physics 

 would be a task comparable to a geological survey of a state or an 

 analysis of all the materials in this building." 



* Conducted by Miss Jean Broadhurst, Teachers College, Columbia University 

 N. Y. City. 



