ILLUSTRATIVE MATERIAL 39 



are used to simplify complex structure, by representing the 

 essentials only, or by emphasizing the important features. 

 Diagrams show internal structure and sectional views not 

 visible from without. By a diagram or sketch we can quickly 

 show the construction of the steam engine, the structure of 

 the ear, or of a flower, the cross section of a plant, the 

 growth of a seedling, the formation of sedimentary strata, 

 etc. If colored crayons are used the effectiveness of diagrams 

 is greatly increased.^ 



Stories and Anecdotes : These are much used in nature- 

 study to illustrate the qualities or the character of an ob- 

 ject, the conditions under which it is found, etc. Let the 

 pupils relate personal experiences with the object studied. 

 Let the teacher tell hers. Read from nature readers and 

 other books, to bring out further facts or to confirm those 

 brought out in the lesson. These stories add to the interest 

 in the lesson, especially in the lower grades. We should, 

 however, be careful that the sources from which these stories 

 come are reliable. Unfortunately this is not the case with 

 many of our so-called nature readers. Sometimes a poem 

 or a prose selection can be very properly used in the nature 

 lesson to reinforce or to apply what was learned in the 

 lesson, with the additional value that a new interpretation, a 

 higher meaning, the aesthetic or the spiritual element of the 

 facts learned may be brought out.^ 



The Experiment 



To experiment is to place things under various conditions 

 to see what will happen, and to see how the things will 



1 See Chapter VI for pupils' drawings, etc. 



2 In Chapter VI, myths and fairy tales are discussed in regard to their 

 application in nature-study. 



