STUDYING NATURE IN THE GRADES 29 



pupils' minds and shows the practical bearing of the sub- 

 ject. 



The permanency of the knowledge acquired depends 

 partly upon the interest in the subject, and also upon the 

 repetition of the act of learning — that is, upon drill. This is 

 as true of nature-study as it is of the multiplication table. 

 And a nature lesson is not thoroughly finished when the facts 

 have been brought out oiily once. It is necessary to drill on 

 the separate facts of the lesson as they are developed, and 

 there should be a summary at the close of the lesson. The 

 summary is often very necessary, to fit together in a unified 

 whole the facts that were acquired in an isolated order. 

 This summary of what was learned in the lesson should 

 generally be made by the pupils themselves, if they are old 

 enough, and with only enough guidance to make it orderly. 

 A black-board outline is useful in summarizing. This may 

 be copied by the older pupils and used as a basis of a home 

 task or written account of the lesson. 



The pupils' answers should receive some attention. Do 

 not accept careless, abbreviated, and ungrammatical answers. 

 It would be pedantic to require complete statements in all 

 answers, but, wherever proper, demand more complete ex- 

 pression. Pupils and teachers alike should avoid all book- 

 ishness and technicality in language. Such simple scientific 

 words as calyx, coroUa, stamen, pistil, pollen, etc., are short 

 and have been popularized and should be used. 



Rules for Questioning 



In theory the development lesson strengthens the mind of 

 the child, for he must by his own energies discover facts, 

 make comparisons, and deduce principles. In practice, 



