12 



EXPKRIMENTAL LESSONS. 



LESSON ON THE STAR-FISH IN A KINDERGARTEN 



GRADE. 



BEACHMONT, MASS. 



BY 



Lillian A. Young. 



The children of the kindergarten are little ones of a seaside town, 

 therefore they were all able to name the specimen of starfish which Mr 

 Maynard so kindly loaned me. 



Almost every child had seen starfishes on the beach and each had stories- 

 to tell concerning many which they had found. 



Figure 10. 



Figure 11. 



A Common Star-fish. 



B Brittle Star-fish. 



As I held the starfish before the ciass, I was told by one of the boys 

 that it resembled a man. One ray stood erect like a head, two extended 

 right and left like arms, while the remaining two extended almost vertically r 

 making the legs. Many suggestions were made by the children in regard to 

 its appearance and as to the habits of those which they had seen. 



Those which they had seen on the beach were softer than the dried ex- 

 ample I showed them, and some said that the starfish could curl up its- 



arms. 



The roughened upper surface of the specimen was likened to a corncob. 



After all the suggestions had been made by the children, we studied 

 the specimen in a simple way and learned the following facts. 



It is like a fish because it lives in the sea ; it is shaped like a star, con- 

 sequently we give it the name of starfish. 



The number of rays were noted and the eyes at the tips of the rays. 



Beneath, rows of feet were discovered by which the starfish moves ; 

 these feet are provided with suckers which enables the fish to cling to ob- 

 jects, and some of the children said they stuck to rocks. 



The mouth in the center, surrounded by spines w r as noticed, and oysters 

 and mussels were mentioned as being the chief food. 



The spines all over the upper surface were found to be protection 

 against fish and other enemies. The respiratory organ was also noticed. 



