36 
BY THE WAYSIDE. 
The teachers, without further instructions, 
proceeded to carry out what was demanded 
of them. They taught the dissemination of 
seeds, hibernation of animals, the changes 
of climate and temperature with the seasons, 
the forms of water, the reading of ther¬ 
mometer and barometer, the transformation 
of insects, the migration of birds, and the 
topography of the country. 
They were not very successful in this be¬ 
cause the work was too general and not 
systematic. No teacher, in taking a new 
class, knew what had been done by the 
former teacher; she ran the risk of giving a 
repetition of the previous year’s work, and 
had no way of knowing to what extent she 
could hold the child responsible. 
There also was another great drawback to 
success and that was the size of the classes. 
The most successful work in Nature Study 
should be done in the field classes; but if 
the membership is from forty-five to sixty 
pupils, as is the case in our schools, it is not 
possible to undertake much. What has been 
accomplished, in that line, was done by 
teachers who took out a part of their pupils 
before and after school hours and on Satur¬ 
days. 
Nature Study is so comprehensive a sub¬ 
ject that a plan can easily be evolved which 
will give a new field for every one of the 
eight grades, the work of each being based 
upon a knowledge acquired in those below'. 
Placing it upon as systematic a footing as 
arithmetic will give to Nature Study the 
chance for success it needs, as thereby the 
teacher can fit herself for the work required 
for the year; and the interest of the pupils 
is never allowed to wane, because new mat¬ 
ter is constantly being p^sented. 
Thus far, the work has been successfully 
done only in those schools where the prin¬ 
cipals have taken it upon themselves to ap¬ 
portion systematically to each teacher such 
work as is appropriate for the grade, and 
also by 'those individual teachers who have 
mapped out for their year’s work such a 
plan as will correlate with much of the 
other work of the grade. 
In working out a plan, great care should 
be taken to introduce into it such matter as 
will have the greatest influence in arous¬ 
ing in the child an intelligent interest in 
the things around him, to the extent of urg¬ 
ing him to improve his environment. 
This is best done by treating the subject 
from an eocnomic standpoint. Nothing so 
appeals to the child as the fact that his acts 
are of some value. Let him know that he 
can help to make conditions better, and he 
is won. 
If botany is to be the subject, and Nature’s 
plan for dissemination of seeds is to be con¬ 
sidered, then introduce the planting of seeds, 
and show the soil, light, and heat-conditions 
necessary; and teach him to know the nox¬ 
ious weeds, that he may help destroy them. 
If birds are under discussion, migration 
is not of as much importance as a study of 
the food they need, for that, more than any¬ 
thing else, will impress the necessity of 
protection. In all cases let the lesson be 
about some real bird. Let the child see a 
live robin in its natural element, then dis¬ 
cuss its habits. Pictured robins or stuffed 
skins should not be used until this has been 
done. 
If insects are taken up, show that, al¬ 
though some are objectionable, many, like 
the bees, dragon-flies, and ichneumons, are 
of inestimable value. Show their trans¬ 
formations by gathering eggs and allowing 
them to develop through the successive 
stages. 
Do not overlook the importance of the 
frog, and especially the toad, to the hap¬ 
piness of mankind. 
Introduce into the work just enough of 
the principles of physics to make the phys- 
iographical conditions and meteorological 
phases comprehensible. 
In all cases where the line must be drawn, 
teach the child to know the cat at his side, 
in preference to the tiger in the jungle. 
Elizabeth C. Buhmann. 
Chicago. 
Especial attention is called to the weekly 
paper, The Plymouth Review, of Wisconsin, 
which always has a column or more of ex¬ 
cellent bird notes by Mrs. W. 0. Gaffron. 
