New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-03
TEACHING FROM NATURE.

SESSION-6CENES
COURSE OF INSTRUCTION.
FR0M AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.]
PENIKEsE ISLAND, Aug. 2O-,A few days ago
the round of studies and work In this little nsuar school
pleasantly broken by the formation Of Teachers
Institute which held In anticipation Of tho depart
ure Of some Of our number. The suggestions thrown
ont 90 practical and interesting to teachers
where that thought they should be preserved ID
THE TRIBUNE.
There two sessions held in the lecture one
In the morning and one In the evening. The Best
Methods Of Teaching Natural History" formed the sub
ject inquiry and discussion The effects OF Prof.
ARassz teachings and methods were especially evident
In the valuable suggestions and experiences gwen by
several who were pioneers at Penikese Mr. W. r. 70
KUN Of Appleton Wis, presided Mr. A. C. Apgar OF the
Normal School at Trenton. N. j. thought we were apt
to teach natural history from books This course was
somewhat excusabe because trainers were required TO
teach 20 many things and many hours that they
we're almost worked to DEATH Hence, textbook reel
tatOns adopted being the easiest to get along
with But here study to learn from things not
books, and ought to follow 1t out In our teaching
ated the tendency OF pupils to learn words,
without understanding the facts for which they stand
by relating the experience Of friend who had class
in physiology In q normal school In one OF the
New-Engand States. The class. which numbered 80,
composed OF young men and women whose
average age about 10 years, many OF whom
were graduates of high schools. The teacher had
outlined the general facts in regart to the auat-
omy of the vertebrate type dwelling upon the fact
that the organs of the body contained in two prn
cipal cavities. Yet when he opened the abdominal
cavity before his class without calling attention
to the diaphragm and took out the stomach and asked
It's name, all but two who couldn't tell what IL was,
SAID it the heart On investigating It's contents
they thought it must be stomach. On showing one
kidney they declared 1t the heart but on the exhibition
OF the other concluded IL couldn't be- Book instruction
leads to such results Let all take cats to teach physi
Ology.
METHODS by WHICH PUPILS TEACH THEMSELVES.
Mr. Copeland of Whitewater, WIS.,, complained that
teachers were expected to do too much, and asked
how one who had teach botany, ZOOLOGY. chemistry,
physics, geology and mathematics to large classes
without the aid OF laboratories ought to do ME- r. H.
Snow Professor Of Natural History at Kansas Uni
versity, Lawrence, said that living the frontier he
had been obliged to adopt method OF his own. He had
found textbooks useless 10 teaching natural history
He had q laboratory In which teach botany and 10
ology and was free to follow his own devices IL was
his practice give each member Of the class which
included boys and girls, specimen, concerning whch
he told them nothing whatever. He required each to
write out detailed description In his own language, his
object being to foster habits OF scientific observation
and description II the specimen were plant the Iea
lures to be described root, stem, leaves nior
escence, flower and fruit. In Zoology an entire term
was devoted q single branch as Tor instance orus
The boys had without difficulty procured enough speci
mems TO furnish member of the class with new
bird each day. He required them to follow schedule
OF describe in detail the pecuiari-
ties of the BILL tarsus, wing and pumage BY correct
ing these descriptions and comparing specimens from
day to day he gradually got thcp to classifying using
key reference In the future, he shOuO use
little work by Messrs. Jordan and Van Week, members
of this school, He also required each student 70 make
Of ina hirla orr
could not pass an examination One boy had collected 4v
specmens representing than 400 Species and hac
labeled three-fourths OF them correctly MT D. Jor-
dan OF Appleton. Wisconsin, has adopted the same
method with his classes requiring them TO give him
description and drawing Of bird or fish before he gave
them its name. One boy whom he had given the black
bird family work up had obtained every Species and
delivered lecture on them before the class
PLANTS BIRDS AND INSECTS EASILY STUDIED.
Mr. Apgars point teaching botany was TO have the
pupils write description OF plant before cassiyihsH
Then he filed ont at the dictation OF some member OF
the class blackboard schedule OF parts To be described
Then IL the description inadequate he required the
class to add facts to it, and If inaccurate to subtract
from IT, Mr.. Whitney spoke Of the difficulty OF getting
birds i'm sufficient numbers where they were protected
by law as in Massachusetts, Therefore he preferred iu
sects to birds for his classes. Mr. g. W. Allyn OF Mic
gan said the problem in the western states was
whether or the public schools should DE supported
by n class In Michigan, one VI tuc Iooe PiomA
nent and influential State Senators had challenged
Tho right OF the Legislature to tax the people for
higher education. We have 60 furnish sucn informa
ZION and instruction the people want. Ii to teach
natural In the schools chabge In currlcu'uh
and method is necessary will DO opposed but II the
study is to be part OF general and not speeiai
course of training 1t will be considered How shall we
dot Mr. Apgar thought the best way TO prove 10 tne
farmers the practical value Of natural history was TO
10, fha ind
flv and not to spend weeks OF general study on l0ns
radates the elephant, and rhnoceros. Mr. whitney
said the method OF teaching was OF more Importance
than the branch taught Power as the result OF dohg
n thing well done popularity OF Prof. AgassIzs
teaching He had been charmed beyond measure WIKI
the method and manner in presenting the subject IN
many of the lectures OF this term In the study OF
birds IL was MT necessary to shoot them He thought II
better to study their habits and characters whe aVe
Prof. Mayer spoke Of the mp0ssiDity OF one persons
teaching everything well. teachers method shouid
be his own; no method could be prescribed ior ALI
You may adopt the inductive. IL has apecuiar char
hut il is slow and difficult. He had come to adopt with
his own classes that recommended by Prof Henry-the
deductye He aimed unfold the subject. having first
written out before the class concise statement OF the
general law or truth under which it came. He always
told his class what he was going to do before he did It,
TEACHERS INsUFFICIENTLY PAID.
Mr. H. H. Straight of the Normal School at Warrens-
burg, Mo-, considered that reasoning from gehefa
truths to particular and the evolving of laws from
partculars were alike necessary IN teaching. The
notion that power Of description and observation was
the end aud outcome the study OF natural history he
thought to DO radically wrong. Scholars should be
taught to gather facts then to compare them then to
draw differences from them. Prof. A. 8. Packard
thought that Mr. Straight had touched the keynote us
TO the study Of science the object OF which was the cu
tyaton of the reason Prof Mayer said he considered
hal
maid class In the community In regard to the In
efficiency of our schools the root Of the matter was to
he found in their management by boards OF commits
soners composed OF politicians He contrasted the Ger