MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
181 
The laboratory books that give ready-made observations and conclu¬ 
sions for secondary schools, are still numerous. This alone would be 
sufficient reason for every teacher making his own laboratory book. 
. . . Most of the biological work laid out for second year high 
school pupils should he simpler. . . . The ideal way would be to 
have so few students that we might give each student much individual 
attention. With our large numbers we are compelled to adopt more 
formal methods, and our pupils are reduced to one level which, I fear, 
is much below what the best in the class could do. Even if we have 
such simple and explicit directions that the majority can work along 
somewhat independently, the quality and quantity of work will be below 
the standard of the better members of the class. We reduce to a com¬ 
mon level rather than educate. 
We cannot give a pupil all the information that he will need in the 
future. It would seem better to train him to get information for him¬ 
self after he has left our sphere. This training will incidentally be half 
information. Furthermore, mere observation work is not going to do 
this. After comparisons are made, inferences should be required. And 
wherever this is susceptible of proof, experiments should be introduced. 
All through, both the observations and the experiments must be 
graded. This does not mean as the science work is arranged in gram¬ 
mar schools, but both observations and experiments must be led up to, 
or the mind of the pupil prepared for the work. This need not neces¬ 
sarily be done in the book or guide, but may be the part of a good 
teacher. 
“The way” is of more importance than the subjects or the amount of 
work done. Every observation that is carefully made will assure the 
observer after each comparison, and lead to more certain knowledge. 
It gives encouragement to continue along the same line, and engenders 
confidence in the pupil’s ability to try other things. He gains mental 
traits that cannot be replaced by any amount of mere information, not 
his own. He has had the contact that gives faith founded on experience. 
Besides furnishing a way of acquiring new facts, it furnishes a way of 
testing information that seems to be open to question. 
Detroit, Michigan. 
