96 NATURE STUDY AND AGRICULTURE 



with study of the fruit; compare with the native oaks in 

 neighboring woods; distinguish white from red oak by leaf 

 characteristics; compare acorns from several different oaks, 

 noting the different sizes and shapes of cup and nut; the 

 uses of oak for furniture and finishings, observing the 

 polished wood; observation of the white birch; review of 

 the trees studied in fourth grade; plant peach seeds to get 

 seedlings to bud in the following fall; leaf coloration and 

 fall; why do not the evergreens shed their leaves? what 

 trees with needle-shaped leaves do shed them ? (larches) ; 

 in what parts of the leaves does the green color remain 

 longest? what weather conditions give us the best leaf 

 coloration ? does a sharp frost produce better coloration ? 

 does the loss of the leaf leave a wound which must be 

 healed ? 



Birds: Continue observation of those studied in the 

 previous spring; report of summer observations of these 

 birds; the thrushes to be seen in Normal during the fall 

 migration, hermit, olive-backed, and gray-cheeked; keep 

 a list of the birds seen during this term; study of nests after 

 the leaves have fallen; determine the total number to be 

 seen in the trees of the campus; what trees are favorite 

 nesting places ? what trees appear to be avoided ? how far 

 from the ground are the majority of the nests ? report on 

 nests seen in other parts of the town, or in hedges along the 

 roads. 



Insects: Grasshoppers found in the garden and on the 

 campus; how many different kinds? what do they eat? 

 how do they move about ? how do they eat ? place a few in a 

 terrarium in the schoolroom for observation; determine by 

 experiment the amounts of grass eaten ; determine how the 



