The Teaching of Nature-Study 13 



SHOULD THE NATURE-STUDY TEACHER TEACH HOW TO DESTROY LIFE ? 



^T IS probably within the proper scope of the nature-study 

 teacher to place emphasis upon the domain of man, who 

 being the most powerful of all animals, asserts his will as 

 to which ones shall live in his midst. From a standpoint 

 of abstract justice, the stray cat has just as much right 

 to kill and eat the robin which builds in the vine of my 

 porch as the robin has to pull and eat the earthworms 

 from my lawn ; but the place is mine, and I choose to kill 

 the cat and preserve the robin. 



When emphasizing the domain of man, we may have to deal with the 

 killing of creatures which are injurious to his interests. Nature-study 

 may be tributary to this, in a measure, and indirectly, but it is surely not 

 nature-study. For example, the child studies the cabbage butterfly in 

 all its stages, the exquisitely sculptured yellow egg, the velvety green 

 caterpillar, the chrysalis with its protecting colors, the white-winged 

 butterfly, and becomes interested in the life of the insect. Not under any 

 consideration, when the attention of the child is focused on the insect, 

 should we suggest a remedy for it when a pest. Let the life-story of the 

 butterfly stand as a fascinating page of nature's book. But later, when 

 the child enters on his career as a gardener, when he sets out his row of 

 cabbage plants and waters and cultivates them, and does his best to bring 

 them to maturity, along comes the butterfly, now an arch enemy, and 

 begins to rear her progeny on the product of his toil. Now the child's 

 interest is focused on the cabbage, and the question is not one of killing 

 insects so much as of saving plants. In fact, there is nothing in spraying 

 the plants with Paris green which suggests cruelty to innocent caterpillars, 

 nor is the process likely to harden the child's sensibilities. 



To gain knowledge of the life-story of insects 01: other creatures is 

 nature-study. To destroy them as pests is a part of Agriculture or 

 Horticulture. The one may be of fundamental assistance to the other, 

 but the two are quite separate and should never be confused. 



THE FIELD NOTE-BOOK 



A field note-book may be made a joy to the pupil and a help to the 

 teacher. Any kind of a blank book will do for this, except that it should 

 not be too large to be carried in the pocket, and it should always have the 

 pencil attached. To make the note-book a success the following rules 

 should be observed : 



(a) The book should be considered the personal property of the child 

 and should never be criticized by the teacher except as a matter of 

 encouragement; for the spirit in which the notes are made, is more im- 

 portant than the information they cover. 



(b) The making of drawings should be encouraged for illustrating 

 what is observed. A graphic drawing is far better than a long description 

 of a natural object. 



(c) The note-book should not be regarded as a part of the work in 

 English. The spelling, language and writing of the notes should all be 

 exempt from criticism. 



(d) As occasion offers, outlines for observing certain plants or ani- 

 mals may be placed in the note-book previous to the field excursion so as 

 to give definite points for the work. 



