The Monitor-register., 1897-05-28

1t and read the contents I?
With the girl or boy so it is with the
woman or man, and that which the
younger mind receives and enjoys the
the older mind will likewise retain and
enjoy. II the pupil is taught natural
science in school, when grown he will be
able to carry the good work on, and he
will do SC in the majority of cases, be-
cause the work will fascinate him. Most
pupils on leaving school cannot set up a
laboratory to study physics and chem
istry. or physiology, or some OF the other
sciences; but they can at least watch the
insect as it passes from the egg 70 the
mature butterfly, or learn the secrets of
seed, or know how to recognize the o
derfully plumaged bird, or be able to
distinguish the noble forest tree from it's
stately neighbor. Why, my friends, if
nature.study was once introduced into
Salem county schools and taught in the
proper manner (let emphasis be placed
on the manner of teaching of this sub
ject) in a surprisingly short time every
town and hamlet would have a juvenile
Naturalists' Field Club organized to CO.
operate with adults Field Club and
with the teachers.
Where would we find the pupil who
would lag on his way to school, or be-
come disorderly after he got theref 1t
will be noticed that the studious pupil
acts in a very decorous manner, both In
and out of school. The restless pupil
does not like his studies, and consequent.
ly acts disorderly in school, and in too
many cases out of school also. Now,
give this same disorderly pupil an insect,
a bird, a stone, or q flower to study, and
you will find his interests suddenly
awakened to his surroundings. Restless
pupils do not take to studies, but instead
their minds are continually roaming in
the fields; but give these pupils natural
science to study and thoroughly illustrate
it by live specimens, and the restless
pupil will be transformed to a quiet and
decorous listener, for the restless pupil
thinks more of objects than he does of
books. Explain to him why natural
objects exist, their benefit, and place in
the worlds advancement, and then tell
him. that as he loves natural objects SO
we'll, in order to appreciate them thor
oughly he must learn other studies also,
and that same boy will become a trans
formed being. He will no longer lag to
school and become restless on entering
the portals, and many a boy would never
have been expelled from school, or
entered the saloon and become an outcast
if he had had his mind awakened by the
natural method of teachipg-that of
natural science. The case of the disor.
derby pupil becoming changed by the
teaching of natural science is an absolute
fact, and many cases are known to exist
to prove the above statement; therefore,
this is not a theory, but a condition.
Coming events cast their shadows be-
fore, and the shadows fall from the
school houses. If any pupil contained
therein ia to become known as a natural.
list or natural scientist, or is to do apy
good for mankind in that line outside,
his shadow will fall from the school
house and his future career will be
formed therein. 1t is just a simple act
of awakening the pupils dormant
thoughts regarding nature. Hundreds
of pupils on receiving the first lesson in
nature.study will be anxious for more,
and through their first thoughts on the
natural objects around them they will be
led on and on, until their life is full of
enjoyment, for they commune with
nature.
A one-sided system of education is net
good for a many, sided nature, and a one.
sided system of education is what we
receive when natural science is excluded.
The great centre Of educational matters
in this country is Boston, and in that city
some time ago the introduction of ele.
mentary natural science in the curriculum
of the public schools was tried. and since
has been found to work 80 effectually
that the teachers are delighted with it.
Twenty-one States in the Union are rep.
resented by natural history Glasses, and
California has passed a law compelling
the teaching of entomology in the public
schools.
With a majority of the trustees and
other officers of the Woodstown school
already great lovers of natural science,
and the teachers as well, I see no reason,
when on the opening of the school next
September, the teaching of natural
scieuoe should not be included in the
course of study given there, and then
Woodsto wn will be moving along with
the foremost as far as education is COD
cerned.
THE SECOND EDUCATIONAL NEED.
The teaching of natural science covers
a great scope, and it would be an easy
matter to include in it the teaching of
agriculture and horticulture. Of course
the teaching of these two subjects is
unnecessary for a great number of town
and city pupils, and consequently they
could be exempted from taking the agri
culture and horticulture portion of the
natural science. But, may I ask, where
does the farmers son receive any educa-
tion in public schools that is adapted to
his life as compared with the town pupil?
Living as they do in the midst of natural
scenery, where do they receive that part
of their education? Are their everyday
thoughts we'll represented in the schools?
According to the tremendous amount of
time spent during their boyhood and girl
hood days on the farm, is it right that
they should grow up in complete igno.
rance of the very laws of natural science
all about them, and of which their faith
ers do not understand !? Is if right that
the son should not know more thar the
father? If it had ever been considered
right, to day u knowledge would be no
more advanced than it was two centuries
ago, when such ideas were prevalent.
Should not the farmers son gain som
idea of the natural science of farm life?
Let him know the insects, the birds, the
flowers, the trees, the soil. Let him
have awakened in him the thought that
the greatest knowledge on earth is that