The Lesson — The Dandelion. 



First: For yourself, on the lawn or wherever you find it, care- 

 fully observe all you can of the plant, how it grows, where the 

 bud forms, and the different stages of growth of the different parts 

 of the flowers, the unfolding of the bud to the formation of the 

 ripened seeds. 



While you may observe a number of interesting things in its 

 study, make up your mind firmly to attempt in the one lesson one 

 thing only, for example, the method by which the seed is distri- 

 buted, and the growth of the apparatus by which it is carried. 

 With the first three grades of pupils make two or three lessons 

 even of this one small group of phenomena. 



Provide abundant material so that each pupil may have 

 enough to make out the points you wish him to see. 



Don't "teach"but lead the pupil to see clearly: the seed in its 

 place; the parts it iiies with; how easily a current of air will carry 

 it (experiment with a current of air made with the breath or with 

 a fan). 



Now further lead him to see how thru the bud to the ripened 

 head the downy part grows to its mature form, how at first it is, on 

 a single undeveloped seed, a minute bundle of soft down without a 

 stem, how later the stem of the "umbrella" grows, how at first 

 the umbrella is closed up tight, and opens only when its stem is 

 grown and the seed is mature. Have him also see that at first 

 when the flowers open they are raised up by the stalk. (If there has 

 been no lessons on flowers previous to this do not go into the 

 structure of the flower at this time, farther than to show that the 

 dandelion blossom is a bunch or head of many small flowers.) 

 Later as the seeds begin to mature and the downy part to develop 

 the flowers close and the hollow stem of the head of flowers bends 

 over and lies close to the ground hiding it until the seeds ripen. 

 But just as the seeds mature the flower stalk becomes erect and 

 grows in length raising the flower head high, which then opens and 



