The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-02-11

our city schools. A gradual diffusion
to the country schools will follow.
By far the greatest difficulty is lack
of preparation on the part of teach
era. and a lack of definite knowledge,
as to means, purpose and scope, on
the part of some superintendent.
The children are ready the parents
are ready, and fairly complete
courses in nature study have been
prepared. The teacher is not ready,
with the exception of comparatively
few graduates from we'll equipped
normal schools.
THE SUBJECT OFTEN MIsUNDNRsTooD.
Nature study is often misunder
stood. Indeed, many of the older
sciences share the game fate. Many
people regard botany as consisting
chiefly of pulling flowers to pieces
with the ultimate object of finding
out the name of the plant. Perhaps
you know of some schools O-day
where such botany is taught, where
in spite of the progress of the cen
fury such primitive and worn out
methods prevail. Similar ERRORS
prevail in zoology, physics and chem
istry, although not to SO great an ex-
tent as in the oase of botany as a
rule. The sciences are not properly
taught except in the progressive uni
versities and colleges and the best
normal preparatory schools. Dis
satisfaction is sometimes caused
from the attempt to introduce such
poorly taught science, in courses of
the fourteen weeks type, under the
misconception that these are nature
study. These are not nature study
and, again, nature study and science
are not the same. Nature study is
based on science, and a knowledge
Of science is needful for it's proper
presentation. Both deal with the
same material, yet they regard it
from different standpoints. Nature
study is not a subject that people
can be examined upon. 1t develops
power, rather than knowledge, and
its very nature precludes examina-
ton. The prospective examination
would be fatal to it's aims. 1t is an
informal subject, and has oentering
around it a group of other SUBJECTS.
1t follows that the skilled scientist is
not necessarily the best teacher of
nature study indeed he may be quite
the reverse. The nature study
teacher must see nature from a
proper perspective he must not, as
has been said, ''fail TO see the forest
from too close inspection of the
leaves" Above all, he must have
that sympathetic touch which char
acterizes Il teacher. The broader
the basis in science the better. The
mere statement of cold facts of
science will not suffice. These must
be co-ordinated and vivified by skill.
full handling. You must not under
stand that l too far subordinate ac-
curate scientific conception of the
knowledge developed. There is much
sentimental, false, misleading and
bad work done, and false comparison
made through the lack of accurate
foundation This is to be regretted.
Yet some of the best and most eff
oient nature study teaching has
been done by the mother Or other
ohildren's friend, and many a man
can trace his first tendency towards
science to the time wnen some sym
pathetic companion of childhood
called attention b the birds, the
f0wers, the trees, the insects, or the
fu.lis. Would that every child 8 as
tention we're thus directed.
GOOD LITERATURE FOR TEACHERS.
l feel that moss OF you agree with
me that it Is desirable th%t nature
study be introduced into the schools.
How can it be done? If any, as yet,
are not fully familiar enough with
the subject ] suggest that you write
to the Pe2nsJ lvania Department of
Agriculture, Harrisburg, Pa, for
their nature study Course secure
the Cornell teacher Leaflets, Mature
Study Department, Cvrnsll Univer,
sity, Ithaca, N. Y and read one or
two of Longs Duks of animal stories
and Anders0n's books on plants.
THE TRAINING NEEDED
The chief diff ,ulty lies N the
pre- garation of the te4oher. Let us
see what al be done TO remedy this
defect. Two things ara neoassorv.