402 NATURE-STUDY 



A carefully selected list of books especially adapted for 

 primary reference will be found in the appendix. They are 

 arranged by topics, and the whole group is referred to by 

 letter in the outline of the grades. 



Following this in the appendix is a general reference list 

 arranged by subjects. The books are all numbered and are 

 referred to in the outline of the course by number. The 

 teacher should also refer to other volumes of the same class 

 beside those especially mentioned. Often books just as good 

 as those specified will be found in the same list. 



Outline of Course of Study 



FIRST GRADE 



Aim and Method : In this grade the nature- work is not 

 so much for the sake of imparting information as for training 

 the senses, a basis for the work in language, reading, art, and 

 hand-work. The study of the occupations and primitive life 

 is to furnish a basis for the future work in geography, history, 

 and literature. A very important thing in this grade is to 

 develop an attitude of interest in nature and a sympathy for 

 animals, flowers, etc. The beauty element in nature-study 

 should here receive much consideration. The course begins 

 with the common things in the home, garden, fields, and 

 streets of the child's neighborhood. 



The subject should be presented here with much more 

 informality than in upper grades. Informal talks by the 

 teacher, simple observations by the children, with some direc- 

 tion of their observation by the teacher, telling by the chil- 

 dren the things that they notice, and the free conversational 

 method should be the character of the presentation. Field 



