Through personal acquaintance with the teachers, brought 

 about by the establishment of the circulating nature study collec- 

 tions, we learned that there was a widespread desire for illustrated 

 lectures for children, which would supplement the class-room 

 work in geography, history and natural science. 

 The question of special lectures for school children 

 was brought to a focus when in February, 1904, 

 the Committee on Children's Interests of the New York City 

 Teachers' Association (through its Chairman, Miss Alida S. 

 Williams) requested the Museum to give a series of lectures for 

 children illustrative of the studies pursued in the public schools, 

 and offered to submit for approval a plan of lectures adapted 

 to and suitable for the various grades of the school course of 

 study. This request was acted upon favorably by the Museum 

 authorities and in cooperation with the Committee on Children's 

 Interests a course of twelve lectures was prepared and delivered 

 in the fall of 1904. Each of these lectures was given three times 

 in the course. The lectures were in the nature of informal 

 talks and were fully illustrated with lantern slides. The subjects 

 were chosen with special reference to the course of study, par- 

 ticularly in history, geography and nature study, and were 

 designed to supplement the class-room work of the teachers. 

 The lectures were given by members of the Scientific Staff on 

 Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons at four o'clock, 

 and attendance on the part of teachers and pupils was wholly 

 voluntary. Their success was instant. The children literally 

 came to the Museum by thousands and the teachers were en- 

 thusiastic in their praise of the work. Similar courses have been 

 given, each spring and fall, with two exceptions, since that date. 

 The subjects have been varied from time to time, and in recent 

 years the children's interest has been intensified by the intro- 

 duction of motion pictures. A complete list of the lectures 

 given in the Spring Course of 1914 will be found in Appendix 

 III. 



The interest in natural history aroused in the teachers and 

 pupils by the circulating nature study collections and the lecture 

 courses, combined with the increased transportation facilities, 

 have led many teachers to bring their pupils to the Museum for 

 study and examination of the principal exhibits. In order to 



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