The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-01-04
NATURAL SCIENCE In OUR COMMON
SCHOOLS.

recognized nSaO OF the fcuusyAfhn1a
school system, urged, at the county in
stitutes last winter, with all the force Of
his enthusiastic nature, the adoption Of a |
more liberal course Of study for the pub
lie schools Of the State. If the natural
sciences have improved the German /
school, and leading educators advocate /
their introduction into the schools of the /
East, is it not time for us to scrutInize the |
Kansas system and see whether it may
practical nature?
It is generally conceded that our schools |
are not as efficient as they should be-a |
circumstance that, among other things, |
points TO a defective course of study. |
Our schools are too mechanical. Thought |
is not developed. Pupils do more think |
ing ON the playground than In the school |
room. We have too few thinking men
and women. We want more thinking
masOns, more thinking carpenters, mere
thinking farmers, and more thinking
teachers. The introduction of live sub
Jects into the course OF study will partial.
ly remedy the evil. We can make room
new studies by expurgating useless and
needs a pruning process-practical arith-
metic only is needed in the district school.
Greatest common diVIsOr can be omitted.
One method of least common multiple is
sufficient. Circulating decimals should
be dropped and with it nearly all the
vast array of tables and the completely of
problems in denOminate numbers The
metric system will take the place, re-
quiring less than One-tenth the space and
time. Longitude and time and denOmi-
nate fractions can also be spared. Ratio
and proportion are of immense value in
the higher mathematics, but a nuisance
in our common school arithmetic Wei
should never miss ALLEGATION, the series,
annuiLies, duodecimaIs and the analytl-
cal methods of square and cube root.
1t is simply absurd for pupil to think
of studying algebra before he under
stands the structure OF his own brain,
the function of his stomach, or the n.y.
giene of digestion.
The waste of time on reading is i'm
mense. No class in reading, except that
| in the first reader, perhaps, should have
more than one section q day. Right here,
much time can be gained for various sub
jects of natural science. Too much time
is spent in tn study of grammar-rather
the text-book-and geography. 1t is far
better to know something of the air and
its properties than Clark's diagrams, or
the capitol OF Morocco.
| Among others, there are several essen
tial requisites of any course of study.
1. The course should be practical that
acquired knowledge may be utilized In
after life, and that greater interest may
be aroused. Few are interested in
study, the use of which is not apparent.
2. Studies should be largely adapted to
the perceptive period. a pupils life may
be divided into two periods-the percep-
| tive period and the reflective period. The
perceptiVe period extends from infancy
| to the age of fifteen or sixteen, and the
bulk of the common school course should
be adapted to this period At this time
instruction in the natural sciences can be
very readily impaired. 8. Habits of OBJ
seryation should be incul0ated. Such
habits constitute the best antldote for
book-worms. Our present course fails TO
cultivate observation, hence we must not
blame our pupils, if they SECURE the
book.worm habit. Those students who
gather specimens for themselves always
become the most interested and proficient
Dotanists. Good observers do not place
much reliance in what 'sthey say,' and
never take much stock in superstition.
Franklkn's power is almost wholly at
tribu.able to observation. Natural his
tory furnishes a boundless field for the
cultivation of this power. 4. Habits of
experiment should be acquired. By ig-
noring its value the world has lost i'm
mensely. Experiment has been the
source Of much knowledge, and it should
be the source of relative amount to the
individual. If our schools did more in
this direction, experiment would not be
so often a matter Of ridicule.
Near the Normal school, In which I
taught last year, one of the experimental
farms, connected with the Pa. AgricuI-
tural College, is located, most persons Of
the neighborhoOd delight to ridicule the
experimental farm, simply because ex-
periments are there made In farming.
That farm presents better appearance,
possesses richer soil and produces bet
ter crops tkan any farm in the vicinity.
people know nothing of science. They
contine their limited study to smattering
OF mathematics, metaphysics and Calvan-
tstic Theology; and might add, the ma
jority are specially noted for chewing to-
baeco, drinking whisky and attending
court. would not have you think that
this is type of PennsyIvauta life and an
: index OF her school system. Among the
variety OF life in that state have found
the best schools ever saw, as well as the
worst ones that can probably exist.
The pop-gun is very crude piece Of
apparatus; yet It illustrates the materi-
atty, compressIbility and elasticity OF
; the air very nicely The nature Of 8 gas
can bevery easily taught Many similar
pieces Of apparatus can be used to teach
numerous important facts and principles.
AHigh prIees have hitherto prevented
the use OF apparatus in our public schools.
but the difficulty is now psssings away.
TyndalI has lately devised q Complies set
OF electrical apparatus which is now
manufactured in New York for the CON-
paratively small sum OF $50. These i'm
rrOvements wiz continue tiu eur schools
can no longer lament the lack Of appara-
tus.
Motion that copies OF the proceedings
Of the Association be sent to the Empo-
ria papers and the Hartford Enterprise
FOR publication carried.
MAMIE E. TANDx, See
i VIII be found upon InqaIry or repre-
; sentative store keepers in city and town,
that ladies no lorner elrr,erad ~, fs,rufe-~s