The evening times., 1899-06-01
FROM SCHOOL ROOMS
TO WOODS and Fields
Pupils Being Taken into the
Country for Study.
Practical Lessons in Botany, GeOl-
ogy and OrnitholOgy.
The National Museum as an Aid to
the Young Idea In Its Edu-
catiOnal Work.

With the advent OF the warm weather
and the blooming Of the flowers, one of
the most interesting branches Of study in
the public schools is taken up.
The children, under the escort Of the
teachers, are being taken out into the
country for object lessons in natural lis
tory and botany. In almost all grades OF
the public schools the study Of flowers and
rocks is pursued at one time or another
during the year. and when the warm
weather comes the teachers are required
to take the children out beyond the city
limits, where they can have practical IL
lustrations of the various things they have
been studying.
All through last month. and until the
very day school closes, these excursions
are regular occurrences. The hills OF the
upper Potomac furnish the material for
most Of these studies. Almost every va
riety Of the earths crust is illustrated In
that beautiful section in one way or an
other There are huge cliffs. water fails.
isthmuses, peninsulas, high hills, many
features, of course, being on small scale,
but large enough to give the young STU
dents some idea of the character OF the
earth on which they live.
The green hills are covered with all sorts
OF WlIQ uOWeTS THAT DC ohoAJ @NN s@--
dissected by the youthful botanists, and
the utmost variety in birds prevails in
this section Even the eagle is sometimes
seen in the vicinity of Great Falls and the
lesser birds of the air can be found IN
great abundance.
II is not alone in cie suburbs and rural
districts Of the city that these prac'cai
lessons are given, however. There are
some things that cannot be seen IN tneif
natural state in this part OF the worid:
and the pupils are taken to the National
Museum and the Smithsonian Institution
for their lessons on these subjects. AT the
latter place almost every known variety
OF bird has a place in the long show cases
that line the walls of the main hall, ana
one of the largest collections OF minerals
in the world has been placed in the Ma
tional Museum.
When the study OF the various races and
tribes of the earths inhabitants is taken
I'D. the Museum is the objective point OF
the student, and here he can be shown
moi only lay figure and representations OF
tyibes and races. but samples OF their
handiwork and the structures they occupy
as we'll. Indians, Malays, Chinese. Es-
kimos. and all sorts of men are faith-
fully reproduced and give the scholar
more thorough knowledge of the human
family than he could possibly get from
his books. =,
When the pupil is further advanced I'D
his studies and takes UP the history OF the
limited States. any number of relics ana
other articles from the various wars ID
which this country mas been engaged are
shown at the Museum, and these enaoie
him to grasp all the details OF TIE tunes
that tried mems souls
When ancient history is the study, the
school ..marm'' takes her flock TO the
Smithsonian Institution where old carvings
and ancient mummies with all 'neir para
phernalia are exhibited in vast quantities.
All of these institutions are crowded with
the little seekers for knowledgefa at this Time
in the year Sometimes TWO or three
schools are engaged on the same topic az
the same time. The studies thus Illus
trated are made very interesting lot the
scholar and the outings given them often
improve their health. II is very diincut
for the average teacher TO keep her charges
interested in their lessons when the wealth
er is pleasant and the outdoor life offers so
many attractions. The schcol-room is
ANYTHING but a pleasure resort under these
circumstances either for the teacher or the
scholar and the excursions into the coun-
try or TO points OF interest in the city
serve to improve their tagging spirits. OF
late years this custom has become very
popular. until now almost every school
takes one of more of these trips during
the closing weeks of the school year. Su-
perintendent Powell inaugurated this prac-
tical mode of teaching and he intends to
gradually increase its scope until regular
excursions are taken by the pupils and
this part of the curriculum will be looked
forward to with pleasure both by the chill
dren and the teacher.