Science- Teaching in the Schools, 907 
But, whatever sources of light may shed their beams upon his 
advancing intellect, the first star which rose above his horizon will 
never set. Whatever teachers he may listen to, the one whose gentle 
voice first roused him from the slumber of unconsciousness will 
never be forgotten. As his first lessons were from nature’s teach- 
ing, she will have for his expanding mind lessons continually new, 
He will 
‘ Find tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, 
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.” 
Note.—It-is proper to say that the address was not written pre- 
viously to its delivery before the Society of Naturalists ; and that, in 
writing it in its present form, I have incorporated some ideas which 
were suggested in the discussion at the meeting, and some which 
have been the fruit of further reflection. The article is, however, 
in the main a reproduction of the address as given. 
In July, 1888, the Board of Education of the City of Middle- 
town, Conn., adopted a new Manual for the Schools of that city. 
The new course of study provides for instruction in Natural Sci- 
ence in all grades from the lowest Primary upward, on a plan sub- 
stantially the same as that which I have recommended, As a sort 
of practical comment on the views of the address, I append an 
extract from the Middletown School Manual, giving the instructions 
to the teachers in the Primary and Grammar grades in regard to 
instruction in Natural Science. The portion of the Manual here 
quoted was written by myself in connection with the Superintendent 
of Schools, W. B. Ferguson, M.A. 
EXTRACT FROM THE MANUAL OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF 
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. 
NATURAL SCIENCE. 
Introduction —The object of elementary lessons in Natural Sci- 
ence is twofold :—to train the observing powers, and to give infor- 
“mation. The former should be especially emphasized in the Pri- 
mary Grades, and the two made about equally important in the 
Grammar Grades. 
The teaching should be chiefly objective. Large, well-defined 
pictures may be used, whenever it is impossible to obtain the real 
objects ; but it shold always be borne in mind that the best pic- 
tures are poor substitutes for the objects themselves. 
