30 NATURE-STUDY 



however, a development lesson often becomes a sort of mental 

 prop that weakens the child because he is not incited to 

 spontaneous effort. For a teacher may by suggestive, alterna- 

 tive, and direct questions herself give the whole matter of the 

 lesson to the pupils without their exerting themselves in the 

 least. The lesson becomes simply a lecture in the interroga- 

 tive form. Such teaching is wholly bad. 



Questions serve as a means to reveal defects in knowledge, 

 or to sound the extent of knowledge, or, incidentally, to secure 

 wandering attention. But there is still another and most 

 important use of the question, and that is to encourage and 

 direct thought, as in the process of eliciting in a development 

 lesson. Much of the success of the lesson depends upon the 

 way in which these questions are worded. The following 

 rules should be observed in nature-study, as in any develop- 

 ment lesson: 



1. Questions should be clear and concise. A vague 

 and lengthy question cannot be understood or followed by 

 the pupils. This question was taken from a pupil teacher's 

 lesson plan in a nature lesson: "On a coral island in the 

 Pacific Ocean there are a few flowers and some trees. How 

 did they get here, since this island has only recently reached 

 above the water after having been so long submerged?" 

 Such a question would only bewilder the children. 



2. Questions should be definite, admitting of but 

 one answer. "Why is the lamp burning?" "What are 

 we always doing?" are questions that may be answered 

 correctly several times before the desired ansvver is ob- 

 tained."^ 



3. Do not, as a rule, ask direct questions, answer- 

 able BY yes or no. The pupil should study out for him- 



