14 The American Museum of Natural History 



been broadened. The subjects have been varied from time to time, 

 and the children's interest has been intensified by the introduction of 

 motion pictures. 



Since 1914 these courses have been supplemented with a special 

 series of lectures devoted exclusively to natural history, designed to 

 encourage in children a greater interest in nature and outdoor life. 

 Such topics as "Sea Creatures of Our Shores," "The Birds of Our 

 Parks," "Fur-bearers Found Within Fifty Miles of New York 

 City," "Wild Flowers of the Vicinity of New York City," and similar 

 subjects have been taken up. 



The interest in natural history aroused in the teachers and pupils 

 by the circulating nature study collections and the lecture courses' 

 have led many teachers to bring their pupils to 

 special guide the Museum for study and examination of the 

 service principal exhibits. In order to enable the teach- 



ers and the pupils to utilize the time spent at the 

 Museum to the best advantage, the plan was adopted in 1906 of pro- 

 viding an instructor for such classes. This instruction was adapted 

 especially to children. This branch of the work has had a steady 

 growth, and the plan of giving special lectures to pupils, illustrating 

 the facts brought out in the lectures by later examination of the col- 

 lections in the exhibition halls, has developed from it. This docent 

 service is in a formative stage, owing in part to the fact that regular 

 attendance of classes has not been organized or the Museum instruc- 

 tion fully correlated with school work. This instruction in the 

 exhibition halls is equivalent to laboratory work and is of great 

 importance as a method of education. In 1916-1917 this method of 

 teaching was given more intensive study through cooperation with 

 Barnard College. Students in anthropology supplemented their col- 

 lege work by visiting the Museum at stated intervals for study in the 

 exhibition halls under the guidance of Miss Ann E. Thomas. The 

 results demonstrated the value of this instruction. 



The instruction in the exhibition halls has reached its highest 

 specialization in the Darwin Hall, through cooperation with the 

 Department of Invertebrate Zoology. A special docent is assigned 

 to this hall. He meets all visiting classes and directs their study. 

 In 1919, 11,454 pupils were reached in this way. Docent service in 

 the other halls is given principally by staff members of the Depart- 

 ment of Public Education. 



In some instances teachers have preferred to give their pupils 

 special talks or lectures themselves. For this purpose, the Museum 

 has provided several small classrooms, equipped with chairs, tables, 

 blackboards, and stereopticons, which may be reserved on request. 



